5. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Approach to Respiratory Viruses

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:06 pm on 11 October 2022.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 4:06, 11 October 2022

I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon, and I very much support that message, encouraging people to take up their flu vaccination and booster as well. I was very pleased to sponsor an event in the Senedd last week, encouraging people to take their flu jab; I know, myself and many other Members had their flu jab at that event last week.

Minister, you mentioned in your statement today, you finished by talking about a campaign to encourage people to take up their flu vaccine and booster. Are you expecting health boards to run that campaign in each of the local health board areas, or is there an element of Welsh Government being involved in a more Wales-wide campaign? Perhaps you could tell us a little bit more about that.

You talked about the importance, of course, quite rightly, of healthcare staff and others taking up their vaccination as well. As I understand it, currently, just 29 per cent of healthcare staff have had their 2022-23 COVID vaccination, and one in three adults aged over 65 have taken their booster. Now, so far, that, of course, is well behind the Welsh Government's target of 75 per cent take-up of the vaccination. So, I'm interested, as well, in your assessment over the past 12 months in terms of take-up. There is that concern, of course, that, as time goes on, people put that priority lower down their priority agenda. How successful have those last 12 months been in terms of people taking up their boosters? Are you concerned about the figures that I've just outlined now? Are you going to meet your target of 75 per cent, and why 75 per cent? How was that target brought forward, and what does it mean if your target is not met? Also, there is concern that infection control amongst a number of health boards has become a bit lax, despite lessons learned during COVID-19. So, last year, just 57 per cent of healthcare staff with direct patient contact took their flu vaccination. So, perhaps I can ask you: is that a concern to you and how do you intend to combat that?

I was quite interested that you said in your statement, Minister, that your

'advice and approach will continue to focus on enabling and promoting individual behaviours to protect themselves'.

So, I'm just reading that and trying to digest that into my own words. Can you confirm that self responsibility is now the Welsh Government's approach to the future management of COVID?

Last week, of course, the technical advisory cell report was published. It was some interesting reading, as I read through that. The big headline there is that hospital rates are much higher in Wales than in England, considerably, and, of course, we know that death rates in Wales were higher than in any part of the UK on a per-population basis. I'm interested in what lessons you've learned in that regard to inform future approaches to respiratory outbreaks.