The government has accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on eligibility for the autumn 2026 COVID-19 vaccination programme.
JCVI, the independent expert committee advising UK ministers on vaccination, published advice on COVID-19 vaccination for autumn 2026 on 16 July 2025. In line with this advice, a vaccination will be offered to those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19.
On 23 March 2026, the government decided, in line with JCVI advice, that the cohorts eligible for vaccination in England in autumn 2026 are:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in care homes for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in the COVID-19 chapter of the green book, the UK Health Security Agency’s information on immunisation against infectious disease
Eligibility in autumn 2026 is the same as in the spring 2025, autumn 2025 and spring 2026 campaigns.
Public Health Minister, Sharon Hodgson, said:
Older adults and individuals who are immunosuppressed continue to be at the highest risk of serious disease from COVID-19. Following the expert advice of JCVI, we will once again offer vaccinations to the groups most likely to benefit in autumn 2026.
This decision ensures that vulnerable people remain protected and gives the NHS the certainty it needs to prepare and deliver the programme efficiently. I encourage everyone who is invited to take up the offer of vaccination to protect themselves and those around them.