Three million care home residents and 'clinically extremely vulnerable' people will be offered Vitamin D this winter to help combat the coronavirus
Nearly three million people in England will be offered free Vitamin D supplements this winter.
The Government will deliver doses of the 'sunshine vitamin' to all care home residents as well as people classified as 'clinically extremely vulnerable'.
Deliveries will be free of charge, starting in January, providing four months' worth of supplements to last 2.7million people through the winter months.
The supplements support general health, in particular bone and muscle health, but around one in five Britons have Vitamin D deficincies. There is some evidence suggesting that it may help people fight coronavirus, and the link between the two is still being researched with larger-scale trials needed.
Three million care home residents will receive free Vitamin D supplements to help them combat Covid-19
Health Secretary Matt Hancock, pictured, said people who were sheltering and have not been getting enough daylight could benefit from Vitamin D during the darker winter months
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'Because of the incredible sacrifices made by the British people to control the virus, many of us have spent more time indoors this year and could be deficient in Vitamin D. The Government is taking action to ensure vulnerable individuals can access a free supply to last them through the darker winter months.'
He added that he has asked Public Health England to 're-review the existing evidence on the link between Covid-19 and Vitamin D to ensure we explore every potential opportunity to beat this virus'.
