Wales largest ever flu campaign has been announced today by the Minster for Health, Vaughan Gething.

The vaccination programme is considered to be even more important this year because the disease will exist alongside Covid-19, leading the Welsh Government to extend the limits of its vaccination programme.

This will include households of people in the shielded group, while the age of eligibility for the free vaccine will be lowed from 65 to 50.

Those in the existing eligible groups, including those aged over 65 years, pregnant women and people with medical conditions, are required to be vaccinated first.

Increasing uptake in health and social care workers will also be a key priority this season.

The NHS will get in contact with those who are eligible.

Additional supplies of the nasal spray flu vaccine offered to children will be used to maximise uptake in the vaccination programme offered to two and three-year-olds, and to all children in primary schools.

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, said: “This winter more than ever we need to protect the most vulnerable in our community and continue to protect our NHS.

“By extending the flu vaccine to more people than ever before we can help prevent people becoming ill and reduce pressure on the NHS this winter. I would urge anyone who is eligible to have the vaccine.”

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Frank Atherton, said: “Everyone who is eligible for a NHS flu vaccine should be confident about having it to protect themselves and those around them this winter. Those already eligible, which include some of the most vulnerable in our community will receive the vaccination first and via a phased approach our programme will be rolled out further to the over 50’s and households of those shielding.”