Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve covid-19 vaccine uptake among at-risk groups of people.

The COVID-19 vaccination programme has prioritised patients based on increased age and clinical risk factors such as underlying health conditions and pregnancy. To increase uptake among pregnant women, on 16 December 2021 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that pregnant women of any age should be prioritised for vaccination and included in priority group six. We have provided vaccine toolkits to address concerns on pregnancy, breastfeeding and fertility and increased awareness through sharing stories of women of childbearing age who have already received the COVID-19 vaccine. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with regional teams and providers to ensure that advice on vaccination in pregnancy, including the risks and benefits to pregnant women, is offered in antenatal services and primary care settings. A new campaign was launched on 10 January 2022 urging pregnant women who have not yet had their first, second, third or booster dose to receive their vaccination as soon as possible.

For those with underlying health conditions, resources are being provided to charities and patient organisations representing those living with clinical risk factors. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing tailored communications for specialists caring for each group of eligible patients within the immunosuppressed cohort. This includes template referral letters for clinicians to signpost patients for vaccination. Patients with a weakened immune system can receive a third dose from a walk-in site if they have received a referral letter from their general practitioner or hospital doctor, they are aged 12 years old or over and eight weeks has elapsed since their second dose.

We are also ensuring that people with learning disabilities and autism have reasonable adjustments made within the vaccination programme. This includes training resources for vaccination teams, accessible information such as an easy read vaccination invitation letter and consent form and a film on the COVID-19 vaccine.