Classification: Official
Publication reference: PRN01726
To:
- Integrated care board:
- chief executives
- NHS trust:
- chief executives
- Local government:
- chief executives
- General practices
- Community pharmacies
- Primary care networks
- Health and Justice healthcare providers
- Directors of public health
cc.
- Regional directors
- Regional directors of commissioning
Dear colleagues
Preparing for a successful spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme
Thank you for your support and commitment to deliver the 2024 autumn COVID-19 and flu vaccination campaigns. Until 9 December 2024, we have delivered over 9 million COVID-19 and over 17 million flu vaccinations. We have also introduced the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) programme, which has given over a million vaccinations together with the ongoing delivery of existing routine immunisation programmes.
We need to continue to work collaboratively and focus on areas of low uptake, increasing access, confidence and opportunity for all. NHS England will work with systems to identify areas of need so that appropriate action can be taken in places to increase uptake. Your efforts save lives.
NHS England published Shaping the future delivery of NHS vaccination and immunisation services on 13 December 2023, which sets out the NHS’s vision for these services over the coming years.
The government has accepted Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice that the NHS should plan for a seasonal COVID-19 vaccination programme in spring 2025. The statement also provides a broad indication of JCVI advised cohorts for autumn 2025 and spring 2026. The government is considering this advice carefully, with final decisions to follow in due course.
The announced and authorised cohorts for the spring 2025 programme will cover:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a; Tables 3 and 4
This includes those who will turn 75 years old by 17 June 2025. They will be eligible for a vaccination at any point in the campaign. Those who are new residents in an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 17 June 2025 are also eligible.
The green book will be updated to reflect the JCVI advice. Training materials and legal mechanisms will be updated in line with JCVI advice before the commencement date.
Regions and integrated care boards (ICBs) working together with providers should now develop plans to deliver a spring 2025 COVID-19 campaign. This letter sets out key principles for systems when finalising plans.
Provider procurement process
The COVID-19 vaccination site sign-up procurement process for spring 2025 for new providers has taken place.
Where commissioners identify that there is need for further provision beyond the services provided through the site sign-up process, we will launch the previously developed competitive procurement process for further fixed sites and outreach services. Opportunities under the site selection process will be published on the Find a Tender website.
Campaign start and end dates
Vaccination for all eligible cohorts should begin from 1 April 2025. Priority should be given to older adult care homes and eligible housebound patients. The campaign end date will be 17 June 2025.
Invitations and bookings
The NHS will plan to invite and vaccinate those eligible for a spring dose in time for completion by 17 June 2025 via a combination of local and national invites.
Systems should work on the basis that sites will have access to the National Booking Service (NBS) on 18 March 2025.
Sites must load appointments so that invitations can commence, and the public can book appointments from 25 March 2025 for vaccination from 1 April 2025.
A new appointment management system for sites is currently in development. Further information, training and guidance will be provided in due course.
Addressing inequality
Systems, working across their partnerships, must ensure equity of access, reducing unwarranted variation in uptake and outcome across communities. This will be achieved through better communication, targeting interventions to underserved communities and inclusion groups, using evidence-based engagement approaches, robust data, monitoring and evaluation of activities.
An update regarding funding for outreach and other activities to reduce inequality will be shared with regions in due course. However, all systems should support activities that help build vaccine confidence and trust with local communities throughout the year, not just at the time of a campaign. Plans to improve access for those eligible for year-round vaccination and to further enhance the wider immunisations offer should be in place.
A guide to using Access and Inequalities (A&I) funding, mandatory data recording, reporting, monitoring and evaluation has been shared on FutureNHS and using the outreach Flag in point of care guide.
Supply and deliveries
Confirmation of the vaccines to be used in the spring 25 campaign will be provided in due course. Individuals cannot choose between the vaccines available through the national programme.
Non-mRNA vaccines will not be supplied in the NHS programme in England. Individuals with prior allergic conditions to COVID-19 vaccines or a history of anaphylaxis to other medicines and vaccines should be managed in line with the advice provided in Table 5 of the Green book; chapter 14a. Those with mRNA vaccine allergy should be referred to an expert allergist or other appropriate specialist, and where vaccination is indicated following individual clinical assessment, this should proceed in a hospital setting under clinical supervision. ICBs should ensure that local pathways are in place and communicated to providers and other stakeholders.
More detailed information on supply and delivery will be released in January or February 2025, once plans have been finalised.
RSV vaccination reminder
The latest data published by UK Health Security Agency on 5 December 2024 indicates that the number of children and adults with positive RSV tests is increasing. Providers should take the opportunity to increase uptake of the RSV vaccine.
We are grateful for your ongoing commitment to delivering the vaccination programme, ensuring we are in the strongest possible position as we head into spring 2025.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Russell, National Director for Vaccinations and Screening NHS England.