To ask the Minister of Health whether unpaid carers will be able to get their booster vaccine at the same time as the person for whom they care.

The JCVI has advised that groups 1-9, prioritised in Phase 1 of the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be offered a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This includes:

Those living in residential care homes for older adults;

All adults aged 50 years or over;

Frontline health and social care workers;

All those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 (as set out in the Green Book), and adult carers; and

Adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals.

COVID-19 boosters will be deployed to groups 1-9 in the same order as they were delivered in Phase 1 of the Vaccination Programme with operational flexibility to be exercised where appropriate to maximise delivery.

The JCVI advice states that a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course (two doses). The 6 month interval between second dose and booster dose will drive the timeline for delivery.

In practical terms this means there where a carer has not reached six months post second dose and the person they care for has, it would not be possible to vaccinate the carer. In addition, those at risk will primarily be vaccinated via GP practices whereas it is planned that carers be vaccinated via community pharmacy. In addition, where the carer is not registered at the same GP practice as the person they care for, it will not be possible for both individuals to be vaccinated at the same time.