On 11th January 2021 the Government set out how it plans to deploy its supply of COVID-19 vaccines in its Vaccines Delivery Plan, a huge task undertaken at unprecedented speed.
Previously on 30th December, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) placed unpaid carers in group six of the priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine which Carers UK welcomed, as previous priority lists had not included carers. However, the delivery plan does not include this reference to carers in priority six, which should be clearly included.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
“Including unpaid carers on the JCVI priority list for the vaccine has brought many a huge sense of relief during this pandemic, particularly those carers who are working age, after many months of carefully managing the risk of infection and forgoing breaks from caring.
“The vaccination will give carers confidence that they are better able to keep their older, disabled and seriously ill loved ones safe and it will open up the possibility of some carers accessing help for the first time in a year.
“However, it is concerning that unpaid carers weren’t mentioned in the Government’s vaccines delivery plan. Government must ensure that all its communications about the priority list include this important reference to carers – otherwise it gives the wrong message that they are not included. We hope to see its plans to communicate with and vaccinate unpaid carers as soon as possible, so that they have clarity about what to expect and how to go about getting a jab when the time comes.”