Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure that kidney patients (a) are supported to take up covid-19 vaccinations and (b) receive information on the potential declining protection from previous doses of vaccines.

While the effectiveness rates of COVID-19 vaccines are very good, people who are on immunosuppression medications for the treatment of advanced kidney disease and kidney transplant recipients, may not receive the same level of protection, also known as antibody immunity, from the COVID-19 vaccine as people who are not on immunosuppressive medication.

While more research is needed to learn more about the effectiveness in people with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD), those on dialysis, and transplant recipients, COVID-19 vaccines have been demonstrated to be safe in this population.

In line with The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice, COVID-19 vaccination is offered to those aged 16 years old and over with CKD and those aged five years old and 15 years old with chronic conditions of the kidney. Individuals who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression are also eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. More information regarding clinical risk groups and eligibility is set out in the COVID-19 Green Book chapter 14a.

We are continuing to support all eligible groups to take up COVID-19 vaccination and to provide information regarding the benefits of vaccination, its effectiveness, and the risks of not coming forward. Anyone eligible for either a flu or COVID-19 vaccine, is encouraged to take up the vaccine as soon as possible to give themselves the best possible protection this winter.