On 1 September 2021 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine be offered to ‘severely immunosuppressed people’. This advice is based on preliminary evidence of poor vaccine effectiveness among these people.
The RCP has produced guidance for fellows and members on the JCVI advice. It explains the key elements and sets out principles of care for people who are severely immunosuppressed. It also considers how these people will be identified and how they need to prove their eligibility for a third primary dose.
The RCP guidance says that people who meet the JCVI definition of severely immunosuppressed should be assessed against more detailed specialty frameworks. They should only be offered a third primary dose following an individual risk assessment by their specialist.
For the most up-to-date advice, see COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a.