Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to include (a) teachers in SEND schools and (b) other teachers in the winter 2020-21 flu vaccine programme.

The flu vaccination is recommended for those in at risk groups, and frontline health and social care workers who have direct contact with patients, so they can protect themselves and the vulnerable people that they care for. This is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Responsibility for offering a free flu vaccination to frontline health and social care workers rests with their employers, as part of their occupational health responsibility.

Teachers and other key workers, aside from frontline health and care staff, who are not in an at-risk group are not eligible for a free flu vaccination. However, they may have access to the flu vaccine under their employers’ occupational health scheme.