The Prime Minister will set out the government’s autumn and
winter plan for managing covid at a press conference this
afternoon.
This will follow a statement from the Health and Social
Care Secretary to the House.
The government’s autumn and winter plan will set out a
renewed focus on vaccines as the first line of defence,
supported by testing, public health advice, and a
world-leading variant surveillance system. All evidence and
data has been consistently kept under review, with today’s
plan representing the latest advice for controlling the
virus.
In England, the number of deaths and hospitalisations has
remained relatively stable over the last month. Our
vaccines are highly effective, with PHE analysis suggesting
that two doses led to the prevention of 24,702,000
infections and 112,300 deaths, up to the 27 August.
The government has now received the final advice from the
JCVI on the booster programme. The Prime Minister and
Health and Social Care Secretary will today set out how the
programme will be rolled out to the most vulnerable.
The booster programme is separate to the third primary dose
programme for those who are immunocompromised.
Prime Minister, said:
The pandemic is far from over, but thanks to our
phenomenal vaccine programme, new treatments and testing
we are able to live with the virus without significant
restrictions on our freedoms.
Today I will set out a clear plan for the autumn and
winter, when the virus has a natural advantage, to
protect the gains we have made.
