Covid-19 vaccinations this year should be more targeted on vulnerable groups, according to government advisers.

In its latest statement the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends that “primary course Covid-19 vaccination should move, over the course of 2023, towards a more targeted offer during vaccination campaigns to protect those persons at higher risk of severe Covid-19”.

These groups include: residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults; frontline health and social care workers; and all adults aged 50 years and over.

The JCVI recommends persons at higher risk of severe Covid-19 could be offered a booster vaccine dose in in autumn 2023 in preparation for winter 2023 to 2024 with an extra booster vaccine dose in spring 2023 for a smaller group of persons (such as persons of older age and those who are immunosuppressed).

The advisory committee also recommends ending the booster programme for the under 50s who are not at clinical risk, noting that over 97% of adults in England have SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and that since April 2022 uptake of boosters among the under 50s has been less than 0.1% per week.

“A more targeted offer of primary course vaccination during vaccination campaign periods will enable these efforts to be more focused and allow more efficient use of NHS resources,” the JCVI said.

The latest NHS statistics show that almost 80% of residents in care homes for older adults have received their autumn booster but just under 20% of staff have been vaccinated.