Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether laundry workers are eligible for the autumn Covid booster programme.

The primary aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme continues to be the prevention of severe disease (hospitalisation and death) arising from COVID-19. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended a targeted approach focussed on those most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 including older individuals and individuals with specified existing clinical conditions.

On 8 August 2023, the Government accepted advice from the JCVI on who should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine in the autumn 2023 booster programme. This includes residents and staff in a care home for older adults, all adults aged 65 years old and over, persons aged six months to 64 years old in a clinical risk group, frontline health and social care workers, persons aged 12 to 64 years old who are household contacts and persons aged 16 to 64 years old who are carers.

Laundry workers are not, as a group, eligible for COVID-19 vaccination in autumn. However, if an individual is a laundry worker in a care home for older adults, a frontline health and social care worker or meets any of the other criteria for eligibility set out above, they are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination. The objective of immunisation of frontline health and social care workers and staff working in care homes for older adults is to protect those workers at high risk of exposure who may also expose vulnerable individuals whilst providing care.