Question reference: S5W-35818
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 8 March 2021
-
Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 12 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the partners of people who are shielding, and who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, will also receive a vaccine as a priority.
Answer
The Scottish Government follows the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) Guidance in the planning of vaccine delivery. This evidence based guidance advises that the single greatest risk of mortality from COVID-19 is increasing age, and that the risk increases exponentially with age. Additionally the committee considers frontline health and social care workers who provide direct care to vulnerable people a high priority for vaccination.
The JCVI priority lists represents 99% of the preventable mortality from COVID-19 in Scotland and throughout the delivery of the vaccination programme we will be guided by the clinical expertise of the JCVI, the MHRA, and our own senior clinical advisers.
Partners of people who are shielding will not be offered a vaccine as one of the phase 1 priority groups unless the partner is identified or identifies themselves as an unpaid carer, or is aged 50 or over.