To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his oral answer on 14 December 2020, Official Report, column 46, what definition of elderly is being used for prioritisation of covid-19 vaccinations for people in care homes for the elderly; and whether learning disabilities are considered as part of an overall assessment including age in vaccine prioritisation decisions.
Answered on
15 March 2021
The definition of elderly being used for prioritisation of COVID-19 vaccinations for people in care homes for the elderly is generally age 65 years old and over.
Learning disabilities are considered as part of an overall assessment including age in vaccine prioritisation decisions. All those with learning disabilities will be prioritised for a vaccine either in cohort six or by age, in which category permits the earliest vaccination date. This follows clarification, on 23 February, by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which recommended that all those on their GP’s learning disabilities register should be prioritised for a vaccination.
On 26 February, the JCVI published their interim advice for phase two of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, setting out that the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age. This is because age is assessed to be the strongest factor linked to mortality, morbidity and hospitalisations, and because speed of vaccination delivery is crucial as we provide more people with protection from COVID-19. The Government has accepted this advice in principle and subject to the JCVI’s final advice expected later this month.