Question reference: S5W-35523
- Date lodged: 25 February 2021
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 March 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether people living with HIV will be able to access the COVID-19 vaccine through their HIV clinic, as is the case in England and Wales.
Answer
On 22 February, I announced that people with underlying health conditions and unpaid carers are beginning to receive coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations.
The first to be invited will be people who have conditions which are included on both the JCVI priority list group 6 and the flu vaccine list. Although there is some overlap, the two lists are not exactly the same.
JCVI priority group 6 includes people aged 16 to 64 with the following conditions:
- a blood cancer (such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma)
- diabetes
- dementia
- a heart problem
- a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma
- a kidney disease
- a liver disease
- lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as HIV infection, steroid medication, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
- rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or psoriasis (who may require long term immunosuppressive treatments)
- who have had an organ transplant
- have had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- a neurological or muscle wasting condition
- a severe or profound learning disability
- a problem with the spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or those who have had their spleen removed
- have a BMI of above 40
- are severely mentally ill
NHS Scotland Boards will use the delivery model which is most suitable for their local circumstances, whilst maintaining a COVID-19 safe environment, such as maintaining good infection prevention & control practices and appropriate physical distancing measures, and maximising efficiency