Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government is continuing to engage with the JCVI on the issue of priority vaccines for terminally ill patients. Many end of life patients will already be included in cohorts 1-9, either through age or on the basis of their diagnosis.

I have written to the JCVI on this matter. In their response the JCVI have advised that for the first phase of the COVID-19 mass vaccination programme, priority should be given to protecting those most at risk of dying from COVID-19.

JCVI have now confirmed that their position is that terminally ill patients will be vaccinated in either group 4 or 6. Individuals who are defined as clinically extremely vulnerable will have been vaccinated as part of group 4.

JCVI priority group 4 includes all those 70 years of age and over, and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals. Group 6 includes all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. Group 6 also includes unpaid carers, including all adult carers and young carers aged 16 to 18.

Priority groups 4 and 6 are not completely distinct groups as such. In practice, delivery to these groups will be a matter of weeks apart. A person can therefore move in and out of these two groups with time rather than being static in one group.

We will continue to keep this matter under review. Following the initial correspondence with the JCVI, I have written a further letter asking that JCVI also continue to do the same, and we are awaiting a response to this.