To ask the Minister of Health whether he will bring forward a promotion campaign to encourage carers, especially unpaid carers, to self-register with their local Health and Social Care Trust to ensure those carers are officially registered and can receive the COVID-19 vaccine as intended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in their Priority Group List, group 6.

Northern Ireland has been planning for the deployment of the COVID-19

vaccine for many months. This has involved collaborative working across the Health and Social Care system in conjunction with our wider stakeholders and partners.

In particular, there was extensive consultation with carer’s groups to ensure widespread awareness and uptake when the vaccination programme was opened to carers in Priority Group 6.

At 17th March 2021, there has been significant uptake of vaccination among carers with 62,436 individuals identifying as carers having received a vaccination.

As all of the recent slots were filled so quickly, online booking for this cohort has been closed. All main carers who have still to book an appointment for vaccination are asked to contact their local Trust Carer Coordinator, who will take their contact details and pass to the vaccinating teams who will make contact to arrange an appointment.