THE lifesaving autumn booster rollout kicks off in care homes in England today, as the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme moves to the next phase.

From Wednesday, around seven million people, including people aged 75 and over, people who are immunosuppressed and health and care workers will be able to book online or by calling 119.

Millions of invitations will be landing on doormats from this Wednesday inviting people to book their appointment for the following week.

The NHS will contact people when it is their turn to book in for the vaccine – you do not need to contact the NHS. More than 700 care homes in England will be visited by vaccinating teams this week with thousands more scheduled before the end of the month with residents and staff set to receive the new variant-tackling jab.

Around 1.6 million care home residents and staff and housebound people will be eligible for the autumn dose from today.

A record 3,100 sites are expected to be part of the rollout, including GP practices and community pharmacies, with new sites joining the programme all the time. There will also be 80 hospital hubs jabbing members of the public as well as their own staff, administering with the flu vaccine where possible.

The autumn booster campaign is among a package of NHS measures to prepare for winter as the health service continues to face record demand on its urgent and emergency care services, including by ramping up bed capacity, increasing the number of 999 and NHS 111 staff, and working with colleagues in social care to ensure patients can be discharged in a timely manner.

NHS director of vaccinations and screening Steve Russell said: “From Wednesday, over seven million people who are over 75, immunocompromised or a frontline health and care worker will be able to book an appointment from the following week. Please book in at the earliest opportunity to get the maximum protection ahead of winter.”

Around 26 million people across England will be eligible for an autumn booster over the coming weeks, which includes over 50s, those with a weakened immune system, health and social care workers and care home residents and housebound people.