The next phases of Coronavirus vaccinations in the UK will continue to prioritise people by their age.
It means that after all vulnerable groups and the over-50s have been offered vaccinations, people aged 40-49 will be next in line. The groups to follow will be everyone aged between 30 and 39, and then everyone aged between 18 and 29.
The next phase will begin when all nine priority groups have been offered a jab – the Government is currently targeting to have reached this point by 15 April.
It had been suggested that people working in certain job roles, such as those who are teachers or in the police should be prioritised for getting the vaccination, however, interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said that continuing to prioritise by age is instead most appropriate.
The assessment was made based on age being considered the strongest factor linked to mortality and hospitalizations, and because it was considered that offering some occupations the vaccine first could slow down the rollout.
The JCVI is independent of the government and the Government has accepted its recommendations.
People aged 65 and over are currently being offered the vaccine, though some parts of the UK are already offering the vaccine to priority group six – adults with underlying health conditions.
The Government has said that everyone in the UK should be offered their first vaccination by the end of July this year.
