3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on COVID-19 Vaccinations

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:16 pm on 26 January 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:16, 26 January 2021

Well, as you'll know, responsibility for prisoner healthcare is now with my colleague Eluned Morgan, but in terms of the vaccine roll-out, that remains with me. Now, we are working through this from our responsibility for prisoner healthcare, but also a specific responsibility for the vaccine roll-out, how those prisoners who will be in priority groups—it's a matter of fact that the prisoner population is significantly less healthy than the wider population, with a range of additional healthcare needs. We also have an older prisoner population in Usk, as well, so there'll be a range of people there who will be in priority groups because of their age as well. We've had outbreaks within prisons, we've had fatalities within prisons, as well, so this is part of the population that we have responsibility for, and we are working through with colleagues responsible for running prisons how we will deliver within the first four priorities by the middle of February. So, the prisoner population is not going to be left behind. It's a matter of being able to work that through and then being able to deliver that with that particular group of the population of Wales. So, I hope that assurance is helpful. As we get more detail, I'll be happy to commit to writing a further statement either individually or on a joint basis with my colleague Eluned Morgan.