At-risk groups will be offered a fourth Covid-19 jab, the Health Secretary has announced.
In England, those aged over 75, people in care homes and the immunosuppressed will be able to get a fourth jab - which Sajid Javid said would "top-up" their levels of protection against Covid-19.
Details are yet to be finalised, but the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has published guidance recommending another booster for these groups.
Go here for the latest NHS news and breaking North East public health news
This comes as Boris Johnson is today expected to announce his 'Living With Covid' strategy - which is expected to see the ditching of some of the last remaining Covid-19 rules, including the requirement to self-isolate should someone test positive.
The JCVI has also said that a further booster may be needed in autumn - and the autumn jab campaign is likely to be aimed at a wider swath of society.
The JCVI said that the extra jabs were necessary because although vaccines offer strong protection, their effectiveness does wane over time and Covid surges are expected in winter.
Mr Javid said: "Thanks to our Covid-19 vaccination rollout, we are already the freest country in Europe.
"It has saved countless lives, reduced pressure on the NHS and is allowing us to learn to live with the virus.
"Today I have accepted the advice from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to offer, from spring, an additional Covid-19 booster jab to people aged 75 years and over, residents in care homes for older adults, and people aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed."
The Health Secretary said authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also "intend to follow the JCVI's advice".
"We know immunity to Covid-19 begins to wane over time," he added. "That’s why we’re offering a spring booster to those people at higher risk of serious Covid-19 to make sure they maintain a high level of protection. It’s important that everyone gets their top-up jabs as soon as they’re eligible."
Last week, again on JCVI advice, Mr Javid announced plans to offer all five to 11-year-olds a Covid-19 jab.
The JCVI will keep the booster programme under review.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), most of the UK’s oldest adults received their last vaccine in September or October last year.
The vaccines used in the spring programme will be the 50mcg Moderna vaccine or 30mcg Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for adults aged 18 and over.
For anyone eligible aged 12 to 18, a 30 mcg Pfizer/BioNTech dose is being offered.
Professor Wei Shen Lim, chairman of Covid-19 vaccination on the JCVI, said: "Last year’s booster vaccination programme has so far provided excellent protection against severe Covid-19.
"To maintain high levels of protection for the most vulnerable individuals in the population, an extra spring dose of vaccine is advised ahead of an expected autumn booster programme later this year.
"The JCVI will continue its rolling review of the vaccination programme and the epidemiological situation, particularly in relation to the timing and value of doses for less vulnerable older adults and those in clinical risk groups ahead of autumn 2022."
