Millions to lose free flu & Covid boosters

Most people aged 50 to 64 taken off winter vaccine list

- MARTIN BAGOT

Health Editor FREE Covid boosters and flu jabs will be axed for millions of middle aged people this winter.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's guidance for the NHS states Covid top-up jabs from autumn should no longer be offered to otherwise healthy 50- to 64-year-olds.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, of the JCVI, said: "The autumn booster programme will continue to focus on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill."

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: "I have now accepted the advice from the JCVI on eligibility for the 2023 autumn booster programme, to protect those most vulnerable from Covid."

Similar advice was published for flu earlier, meaning 12 million people will no longer be eligible for the free jabs. It follows warnings that Britain could face one of its worst-ever flu seasons.