Question reference: S5W-35567
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 26 February 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government which COVID-19 vaccine priority group people with non-severe asthma are in, and when they will be offered the vaccine.
Answer
At present, individuals who are well controlled on asthma inhalers are not eligible in priority group 6 for coronavirus vaccination (phase 1 of the vaccine rollout). However, a number of individuals with well controlled asthma may fall into the priority groups defined in phase 1 for other reasons, such as age, as phase 1 follows an age-based programme to capture those with clinical risk factors as the risk of death is very strongly linked with age. We expect to give first doses to all individuals in phase 1 by mid-April.
Younger individuals with well controlled asthma will be offered the vaccine during phase 2 of the vaccine rollout plan, again following an age-based approach starting with the oldest adults first and proceeding in the following order: all those aged 40 to 49 years; all those aged 30 to 39 years; all those aged 18 to 29 years. An age-based delivery model will facilitate rapid vaccine deployment.
This is in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination (JCVI).