PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Coronavirus: Vaccination (20 May 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of giving home carers the same priority for covid-19 vaccinations as professional care workers.

Asked by:
Janet Daby (Labour)

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is the independent body made up of scientific and clinical experts who advise Government on COVID-19 vaccine prioritisation at a population level.

The JCVI has assessed and reviewed data to understand the association between occupation and the risk of exposure to COVID-19, the risk of COVID-19 disease and the risk of COVID-19 related severe outcomes. Based on their assessments, the JCVI concluded that frontline health and social care staff and adult carers should both be prioritised for vaccination in Phase One of the COVID-19 vaccination programme as they are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 and may also expose vulnerable individuals and other staff members whilst providing care. This includes both paid professionals and unpaid carers, who provide care in people’s own homes, and are prioritised in cohorts two and six respectively.

The Government has accepted this advice. Priority cohorts two and six have both been called forward for vaccination earlier this year.

Answered by:
Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative)
7 June 2021