Unpaid carers in Wales to be offered Covid-19 vaccine

Eligible unpaid carers are to be offered a Covid-19 vaccine after they were included in a shake-up of priority groups.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething made the announcement at Welsh Government’s coronavirus press briefing on Wednesday (February 24).

It comes after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which has been advising Welsh Government on its vaccine rollout, updated its guidance on priority groups.

The JCVI has said unpaid carers should be included in priority group six.

The Welsh Government aims to offer first doses of vaccines to everyone in JCVI Priority Groups one to nine by the middle of April and all adults in Wales by July 31.

The revised national guidance from the JCVI describes unpaid carers as: “Those who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable.”

Those clinically vulnerable to covid include children with severe neuro-disabilities, those who are designated Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), adults who have underlying health conditions and those who need care because of advanced age.

Further information and explanation can be found on the Welsh Government website.

In a statement, Mr Gething said there are “challenges with identifying individuals within these groups” and added: “We are working hard to make sure that no one is left behind.  

“Today we have published guidance on identifying eligible individuals in these groups and on how to support them to take up their vaccine offers.”

There is some uncertainty over who is classed as an unpaid carer, but there is scope for discretion by local authorities.

Caerphilly’s Labour Senedd Member Hefin David welcomed the move and vowed to help those who may be uncertain whether or not they fall into the priority category.

He said: “The important thing is that every eligible unpaid carer is called and where there is local discretion, no eligible person is forgotten.

“I will be raising cases on an individual basis to the council and the health board for those who contact me.”