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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:10 pm on 11 October 2022.

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Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 4:10, 11 October 2022

Thank you very much. Well, I can assure you that there will be a national campaign alongside the campaigns that are happening, I'm sure, at local authority level. If I'm honest, we are a bit disappointed with the number of people who have come forward so far in relation to health and care staff, which is why I've instructed my officials to write to the health boards to make sure that we drum up support and we drive up those levels of vaccination for both flu and COVID amongst health and care staff. So, I'm very keen to see that happening. We're working with trade unions also to try to see if they can help us out with some of that messaging. 

You asked if our programme has been successful; I think it's been incredibly successful. If you compare it to other parts of the world, we've had really high levels of take-up. The question is: how do we keep up that momentum, how do we keep up the enthusiasm when there's a danger of complacency because we're all getting back to normal—for the first time, let's face it, in about three years? So, what we have set is that 75 per cent target. We think that this is a realistic target. We recognise that, every time, fewer people are likely to turn up for their vaccinations. It's not ideal, it's not where we want to be, but I think we've got to understand that you can't force people into these things, you've got to bring the people with you. The best way to bring people with us is to convince them and to get them to understand that, not only are they supporting themselves, they're protecting their loved ones and they're protecting the broader community if they take up this opportunity. 

I think that, with infection control within NHS facilities and care settings, what we've done is we've allowed people to make choices at a local level. So, obviously, in some parts, you'll have higher COVID rates than in others. So, it's right that we give them that flexibility. If we saw the numbers soaring, then actually, we'd have to think about whether we needed to introduce more strict versions from the centre. But, you ask if self-responsibility is part of the response; it has always been a part of the response. It's a part of the response, it's not the only response. Vaccination is our key weapon in our armoury against COVID. But, self-responsibility—you know that if you go into a crowded room that is indoors in the middle of winter, and rates are at one in 50, the chances are that your risk is higher. So, of course it's up to people to take that responsibility themselves and to understand the risks that they're taking. 

You asked, finally, about COVID infections. You will have seen last week that, if you look at the number of COVID infections compared to England, 57 per cent of the Welsh public were affected compared to 71 per cent of the English public affected. So, excess deaths were 20 per cent lower in Wales than in England, although you're right to say that there were more hospitalisations, but you expect that in a population that's older, that's sicker, that's poorer and that's frailer.