Carer Support Cumbria is reminding over 56,400 unpaid Carers in the county they are eligible for the NHS COVID-19 and flu vaccine programmes.
NHS England announced that unpaid Carers are among those eligible for the vaccines which have started to be rolled out this month. The vaccine programmes have been brought forward due to the rise of the new Covid variant.
CEO of Carer Support Carlisle and Eden, Dr Dani Leslie said: “Anyone with caring responsibility for a friend or family member needs to register their caring role with their GP to ensure their eligibility for the Covid vaccine. This will enable them to get both the COVID and flu vaccine which will protect them and their cared for against the new variant of COVID-19.”
CEO of Carer Support South Lakes, Debi Marsden said: “We would urge unpaid Carers to contact their GP surgery and ask for their caring role to be flagged on their patient record. This will also see longer-term public health benefits, such as being offered a free flu jab, which is so important for safeguarding themselves and the older, disabled or seriously ill relatives they support during the more challenging winter months.”
CEO of Carer Support Furness, Craig Backhouse said: “The adult Covid and flu vaccination programmes were due to start in October but now those most at risk started to be vaccinated from September 11.
“The NHS has started to invite people in priority order of risk and those eligible can book an appointment on the NHS National Booking Service. “
The change follows an announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) about the risks presented by the new BA.2.86 variant and is a precautionary measure.
Those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine are:
- residents in a care home for older adults
- all adults aged 65 years and over
- persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as laid out in the Immunisation Green Book, COVID-19 chapter (Green Book)
- frontline health and social care workers
- persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts (as defined in the Green Book) of people with immunosuppression
- persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers (as defined in the Green Book) and staff working in care homes for older adults
CEO of Carer Support West Cumbria, Angela Longrigg said: “The Immunisation Green Book lists carers as those who are eligible for a Carer’s Allowance, or those aged 16 years and over 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. This is the same definition as has been used for the COVID-19 booster.
“Those eligible for a flu vaccine this year include carers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person and close contacts of immunocompromised individuals. “
Support and advice for unpaid Carers are available from local organisations, contactable through the Carer Support Cumbria website www.carerssupportcumbria.co.uk.
Those clinically vulnerable to COVID-19 are defined by the following JCVI priority groups:
– children of any age with severe neuro-disability, severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities (including Down’s syndrome and those on the learning disability register) or immunosuppression (as defined in table 4 in the Immunisation Green Book, Chapter 14a),
– adults who have underlying health conditions leading to greater risk of disease or mortality as defined in table 3 in the Green Book,
– those of advanced age.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
