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Written Question
Teachers: Coronavirus
Monday 29th March 2021

Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether teachers are prioritised to receive a COVID-19 vaccination regardless of age; and if not, what plans they have to prioritise teachers to receive such vaccinations.

Answered by Baroness Berridge

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent experts who advise the government on which vaccine/s the UK should use and provide advice on who should be offered them. The JCVI advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.

For phase 1, this will capture all those over 50 years of age and all those 16 years of age and over who are clinically extremely vulnerable or have certain underlying health conditions. This captures almost all preventable deaths from COVID-19 and will include thousands of staff in the education, childcare and children’s social care workforce.

The JCVI has been asked by the Department for Health and Social Care to give its advice on the optimal strategy to further reduce mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation from COVID-19 disease for phase 2 of the vaccine rollout. The JCVI have advised that the second phase of vaccine prioritisation should continue to be based on age. They advise that an age-based approach remains the most effective way of reducing death and hospitalisation from COVID-19 and will ensure more people are protected more quickly. The second phase of the vaccine rollout will begin from mid-April and will aim to offer every adult aged 18 and over a first dose of the vaccine by 31 July 2021.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Monday 15th March 2021

Asked by: Kate Osborne (Labour - Jarrow)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise teachers and school staff for the covid-19 vaccine.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

We are following the advice from independent experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on which groups of people to prioritise for COVID-19 vaccines.

The JCVI advised the immediate priority should be to prevent deaths and protect health and care staff, with old age deemed the single biggest factor determining mortality.

The Government will set out plans for phase two of the vaccination programme, based on further advice from the JCVI. Phase two may include further reduction in hospitalisation and targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Friday 12th March 2021

Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits making key workers a priority group for covid-19 vaccination.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

We have no plans to prioritise teachers and key workers by their occupation.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s interim advice for phase two of the vaccination programme sets out the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age.

If teachers or key workers are captured in phase one or two due to their age or clinical need they will be vaccinated accordingly.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Friday 12th March 2021

Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure teachers and school staff in special schools have access to the covid-19 vaccine; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making teachers and school staff in special schools a priority group for vaccination.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

We have no plans to prioritise teachers and key workers by their occupation.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s interim advice for phase two of the vaccination programme sets out the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age.

If teachers or key workers are captured in phase one or two due to their age or clinical need they will be vaccinated accordingly.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Friday 12th March 2021

Asked by: Laurence Robertson (Conservative - Tewkesbury)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will prioritise teachers in special schools for the covid-19 vaccine.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

We have no plans to prioritise teachers and key workers by their occupation.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s interim advice for phase two of the vaccination programme sets out the most effective way to minimise hospitalisations and deaths is to continue to prioritise people by age.

If teachers or key workers are captured in phase one or two due to their age or clinical need they will be vaccinated accordingly.