Care home residents are among the first to have had their protection topped-up ahead of winter when Covid, flu and other viruses circulate.

NHS teams have delivered Covid jabs to 4,616 care homes so far – over a quarter of all care homes – as well as at vaccination centres, pharmacies and GP practices.

Over 2.8 million people have also received their flu jabs since the start of the autumn campaign on 11 September, with many receiving their Covid vaccine at the same time.

The NHS sent invitations to around 1.5 million eligible adults last week, including those with an underlying health condition and people aged 65 and over, to book flu and Covid-19 vaccination appointments. More than 4.1 million people are due to be invited this week.

Meanwhile, over 1.2 million texts and emails were sent to parents of two to three year olds last week inviting them to get their flu jab, alongside a reminder to get an MMR vaccination, if not up to date.

Over a million Covid vaccination appointments have already been booked via the NHS website, NHS App, or calling 119 – with almost a quarter of bookings made via the app.

With the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant (BA.2.86) in England, the NHS brought forward its vaccination programme following the latest scientific advice.

The NHS says there were just over 1,000 patients in hospitals with Covid on 20 July, but by the end of August that figure had risen to over 2,500, and the latest figures for 17 September show more than 2,800 patients in hospital had Covid.

The autumn vaccination campaign is among a package of NHS measures to prepare for winter with the health service already facing immense pressure from ongoing industrial action and demand on emergency services, alongside the risk of a new Covid variant, and common winter viruses.

The NHS is encouraging everyone eligible to book an appointment for their Covid and flu vaccines as soon as possible, to protect those most at risk this winter.

Chief delivery officer and national director for Vaccinations and Screening for NHS England, Steve Russell, said: “It is a huge feat that we are off to such a flying start with our Covid and flu vaccination programme – more than one million people have received their Covid jab since we opened up bookings last week, and hundreds of thousands more are booked in to receive theirs this week.”

In total, over 30 million people in England are entitled to receive a free flu vaccine and over 20 million can get a Covid jab via the NHS Winter Vaccination Programme.

People eligible during this year’s vaccination campaign include all aged 65 and over, care home residents, frontline health and social care staff, those at increased risk because they are pregnant or have a certain underlying health condition, unpaid carers and household contacts of people with a weakened immune system.

Health chiefs are encouraging pregnant women to get their vaccines, which they can get at any stage of their pregnancy during the campaign. If mums-to-be are concerned or have any questions regarding these vaccinations, they should speak to their GP, midwife or hospital team.

Covid vaccinations for those aged under-18 years and eligible for a seasonal vaccination will begin later in the year, and the NHS will let eligible families know when this offer opens.

GP practices and other local NHS services will also be contacting people to offer both flu and Covid vaccines, and people can book the flu vaccine by searching online for a local pharmacy.