Government responded:
We are working hard to ensure everyone who has been
clinically prioritised to receive a vaccine will have access to a vaccine as
soon as possible.
The NHS has been working alongside its health and social
care partners to ensure the vaccine can be administered safely and effectively
as part of the largest vaccination programme undertaken in its history.
An enormous amount of work has taken place to ensure we have
the logistical expertise, transport and workforce to roll out a vaccine
according to clinical priority, at the speed at which it can be manufactured.
Over 8.9 million people across the UK have now received their first dose of a
COVID-19 vaccine and nearly half a million have received their second dose.
There are now over 2700 sites across the UK already offering vaccines to those
at risk by age and clinical priority. The network will continue to expand and
evolve as we progress the deployment in the months ahead. We will expand the
programme so all adults can be vaccinated by the autumn.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)
is the independent medical and scientific expert body which advises the UK
Government on prioritisation for all vaccines. The committee’s membership is
made up of practising clinicians and individuals from academia who have
considered and continue to consider the impact of Covid-19 and population
prioritisation as new data emerges.
For phase one of the vaccine roll-out, the underlying
principles at the forefront of the advice by the JCVI are; to reduce mortality,
to protect the health and social care systems, and to save lives. Given the
current epidemiological situation in the UK, all evidence indicates that the
best option for preventing mortality in the initial phase of the programme is
to directly protect persons most at risk. Having identified age as being the
biggest determining factor to increased mortality, vaccinations have been
prioritised to care home residents and staff and those over 80, followed by
health and social care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of
age and clinical risk factors.
In line with JCVI recommendations, individuals with chronic
neurological diseases, including those with severe and profound learning
disabilities and Down’s Syndrome will be prioritised for a vaccine, as there is
good evidence that these underlying health conditions increase the risk of
morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Adults with Down’s Syndrome are
considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable and therefore will be eligible
also be eligible for a vaccine in priority group four (alongside those 70 years
of age and over). Adults with severe and profound learning disabilities are
included in priority group six, alongside those with certain underlying health
conditions increase the risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19, as set
out by the JCVI.
By 15 February we aim to have offered a first vaccine dose
to everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee
on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI):
• all residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
• all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health
and social care workers
• all those 75 years of age and over
• all those 70 years of age and over and clinically
extremely vulnerable individuals
Individuals eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination will receive
an invitation to come forward when it is their turn. For most people this will
be in the form of a letter either from their GP or the national booking system;
this will include all the information they need, including their NHS number.
Public Health England (PHE) has developed a range of
COVID-19 resources for the public. These resources incorporate learning and
evidence from behavioural science, attitudinal surveys and previous flu
programmes. This includes resources for those with a learning disability
(including invitation letters, posters, information leaflets and videos). These
have been developed in collaboration with NHS England and Improvement and those
with lived experience. PHE has published the first of three Easy Read guides:
COVID-19 vaccination - a guide for people with a learning disability and their
carers leaflet. This is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-easy-read-resources
The NHS has a tried and tested track record for delivering
vaccination programmes and will work with existing partners across the
healthcare system to ensure a Covid-19 vaccine can be deployed safely and
effectively. The government is working hard to ensure everyone who has been
clinically prioritised to receive a vaccine will have access to a vaccine as
soon as possible.
Department of Health and Social Care.
