Millions of Pensioners Denied Covid Jab This Winter as Government Sparks Backlash

Around six million pensioners across the UK will no longer be eligible for a free Covid jab this winter as the Government announces a major change to its vaccine rollout plans. Only the most vulnerable groups will now be offered the vaccine, leaving millions aged between 65 and 74 out of the scheme — and sparking immediate outrage.

Free jabs will now only go to people over 75, those living in care homes and individuals who are immunosuppressed. Even NHS staff and care workers, who were previously prioritized, have been removed from the list of those eligible, reported the Telegraph.

The decision comes after advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), who said the vaccine should be limited to those at highest risk of serious illness. Ministers followed that recommendation, but many in the healthcare sector say it’s a dangerous move that could backfire badly.

Pharmacists have slammed the plan, calling it “reckless” and warning it could lead to a spike in hospital admissions during the colder months. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, chief executive of the Independent Pharmacies Association, didn’t hold back in her response.

“This is hugely concerning, a reckless decision,” she said, adding that the UK’s move flies in the face of what other countries are doing. “It’s madness for the UK to restrict jabs, with Germany and the United States among countries still recommending the vaccines for all pensioners.”

Dr Hannbeck warned that sidelining millions of seniors is not just a gamble — it’s a risk the NHS might not be able to manage. “To deny millions of seniors their Covid jab this year is to take an unacceptable risk with patient health and risks producing a winter crisis the NHS simply won’t be able to cope with,” she said.

The Department of Health and Social Care responded to the backlash by insisting the decision was based on the latest expert advice. A spokesperson said, “This decision is based on expert advice from the JCVI, which continuously monitor and evaluate emerging scientific evidence on COVID-19 vaccines.”

They added that the autumn 2025 vaccination programme is focused on those most likely to suffer serious illness. “We encourage anyone who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccination to come forward for vaccination this autumn.”

Frontline NHS and care workers are also being cut from the eligibility list, which is another major shift from previous years. The Government defended the move by citing the current level of immunity across the population.

“In the current era of high population immunity to COVID-19, additional COVID-19 doses provide very limited, if any, protection against infection and any subsequent onward transmission of infection,” said the Department.

They also argued that offering jabs to staff would do little to reduce absence rates, saying that vaccination was likely to have “a very limited impact” on reducing sickness among NHS and care workers.

Still, with colder months looming and flu season around the corner, critics are warning that this short-term thinking could create long-term chaos — especially for the NHS already stretched to its limits.