Aneurin Bevan University Health Board

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 26 January 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:37, 26 January 2021

Well, Llywydd, those are important points, and they would have been very carefully considered by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation in its prioritisation of groups. The Member will know that unpaid carers are included in priority group 6. So, they're not in the first four priority groups that we are focusing on at the moment, but they will be in the next set of priority groups. We have to abide by the JCVI's prioritisation list. There are many cases that people can make individually for why that list should be amended, but my view is—and it's the view of all First Ministers, and the Prime Minister, across the country—we have to stick to the advice that the JCVI has provided to us. Unpaid carers will be included in that sixth group and, therefore, in the next phase of vaccination. We're working hard to make sure that people who are unpaid carers will be able to make themselves known, so that they can get vaccination in that new list. We amended the advice on the Welsh Government's website to make sure that unpaid carers knew that priority group 6 included them. And, in line with what the JCVI has told us, we will come to unpaid carers once the first four groups are concluded and we're able to move into the next tranche.