England hastens COVID vaccinations on BA.2.86 concern

NHS England has said it will start offering flu and COVID-19 vaccinations to people from 11th September, as concern rises about a new coronavirus variant that is spreading fast in the UK.

The move means that millions of eligible people will be offered the jabs weeks earlier than the usual start of the national vaccination programme in October.

The decision is directly linked to the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant known as BA.2.86, which carries a high number of mutations and is considered the most worrying new strain of the coronavirus since Omicron emerged in late 2021.

As of 18th August, there were six recorded cases of BA.2.86 in four countries, namely Israel, the UK, the US, and Denmark. It is very different from previous SARS-CoV-2 strains, and the main concern is that its spike protein is very different, making it possible that current vaccines will provide limited protection.

NHS England said it has been asked by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to bring the programme forward and "will be working quickly to ensure as many eligible people as possible are vaccinated by the end of October."

That includes care home residents, individuals deemed vulnerable to severe infections due to compromised immune systems, pregnant women, social care staff, and the over-65s.

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said that seeing new variants emerge is expected as COVID-19 transitions to an endemic disease.

"Thanks to the success of our vaccine programme, we have built strong, broad immune defences against new variants throughout the population," she added. "However, some people remain more vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19. This precautionary measure to bring forward the autumn programme will ensure these people have protection against any potential wave this winter."

This year the programme has been scaled back, so, unlike previous years, it does not include flu or COVID shots for healthy people under 65 and over 50 – a decision that has raised concerns that a new wave could place the NHS under additional pressure this winter.

Steve Russell, NHS director of vaccinations and screening, said: "While we know that flu and COVID usually hit hardest in December and January, the new variant presents a greater risk now, which is why we will be ensuring as many people as possible are vaccinated […] sooner."

The decision comes as an updated version of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine modified to target Omicron XBB.1.5, still the dominant variant in Europe, has been recommended for approval by the EMA's human medicines committee, the CHMP, in the EU.