Experts will wait to see how vaccines work in different, more urgent, groups of people before deciding who among the under-50s should be prioritised for a jab.
The plan put forward by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will see vaccines rolled out to older members of society first, alongside care home workers and healthcare staff.
It is projected that the first phase will protect 99 per cent of those at risk of death from Covid-19, before moving on to younger age groups in order. But no decisions have yet been made on how the under-50s will be prioritised.
JCVI chairman Professor Wei Shen Lim told a Downing Street briefing: “We have not decided who else should be vaccinated beyond phase one.
“That’s not to say that they shouldn’t be vaccinated. We need more information on the vaccines, who they are good for and whether they protect against transmission or infection.”
The current JCVI interim guidance says the order of priority should be:
Older adults in care homes and care home workers
All those aged 80 and over and health and social care workers, though they may move up the list
Anyone aged 75 and over
70 and over
65 and over
High-risk adults under 65
Moderate-risk adults under 65
All those aged 60 and over
55 and over
50 and over
The rest of the population, with priority yet to be determined.
