Coronavirus: Vaccination

(asked on 2nd March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding that there is variation between local authorities on the provision of covid-19 vaccines to special school staff in the School's Week article of 29 January 2021 entitled Councils cease initiative to give Covid-19 vaccine to special school staff, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the variations in provision of that vaccine; and if he will ensure that all special school staff throughout England have priority access to covid-19 vaccines in line with social care workers as set out by the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.


Answered by
Nadhim Zahawi Portrait
Nadhim Zahawi
This question was answered on 27th April 2021

The Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination (JCVI) is the independent body of scientists and clinical experts who advise the Government on prioritisation of vaccines at a population level. The JCVI recommended that frontline social care workers were prioritised for vaccination in phase one where they are at increased risk of transmitting that infection to multiple patients who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19. This is with the underlying aim of ‘the prevention of COVID-19 mortality and the protection of health and social care systems’.

The JCVI’s assessment of special school staff during phase one was that they were not prioritised as frontline care workers as there are very few cases where children and young people are considered to be clinically vulnerable to COVID-19. Public Health England’s Greenbook states that “children under 16 years of age, even if they are clinically extremely vulnerable, are at low risk of serious morbidity and mortality” from COVID-19. The JCVI advises that only children with severe neurodisabilities that require frequent residential care are considered to be clinically vulnerable to COVID-19. As such, special school staff are not considered to be at increased risk of transmitting that infection to individuals who are clinically vulnerable to COVID-19.

Local authority Directors of Adult Social Services should have ultimate responsibility for identifying social care workers eligible for vaccine prioritisation and some local authorities may have identified specific staff who work closely and regularly with children who are clinically extremely vulnerable and are therefore eligible in phase one of the COVID-19 vaccination programme’s.

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