People in their 40s next in line

PEOPLE aged 40-49 are next in line for a Covid-19 vaccine, after Government advisers concluded that vaccinating in order of age remains the quickest way to cut deaths.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered whether groups such as teachers and police officers should be vaccinated next, but concluded speed is of the utmost importance, while age remains a major factor in serious illness.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Covid-19 chair for the JCVI, told a press briefing that age “remains a dominant factor – it is still one of the most important causes of severe disease, even in those aged 50 years and below”.

He said that even within different occupations, it is older people who are more at risk than those who are younger.

The new guidance means that in phase 2 of the vaccine rollout, priority will be given in the following order:

• All those aged 40-49.

• All those aged 30-39.

• All those aged 18-29.

These groups will be vaccinated once all those in phase 1 (the over-50s and most vulnerable) have been offered a jab, with the Government’s target for a first dose in phase 1 being mid-April.

Prof Lim said one of the difficulties with looking at vaccination according to occupation was that jobs are not very well recorded in GP records.

“Trying to work out the association between occupational risk and exposure and severe disease has been difficult enough, and I think structuring an entire mass vaccination programme around occupation would be even more difficult,” he said.

“We know that an age-based programme is simple and works very well and it seems sensible to continue with that, keeping an eye on speed because speed of deployment is the important factor.”

He said only one week’s advantage may have been gained in terms of the vaccine queue if age bands were sub-divided.

He said the “effort to try and do that may actually slow down the overall programme”.

He continued: “Speed is important. Of all the different approaches to vaccination, getting vaccines into arms as quickly as possible is the fastest way and the best way to maximise benefit to the population.”

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at Public Health England, told the briefing the age-based approach will ensure more people are protected more quickly.

She said that even within different occupations, age was the dominant factor in severe disease, adding: “We would want a 40-year-old policeman to come forward before a 20-year-old policeman.”

Government data up to February 25

shows that of the 19,913,592 jabs given in

the UK so far, 19,177,555 were first doses.

Official data also showed a further 345 people had died within 28 days of testing

positive for Covid-19 as of yesterday, bringing the UK total to 122,415.