AQW 2919/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 06/09/2022
Answered On Date: 15/09/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health to outline the advice informing the current decision not to offer fourth/booster vaccines against the Coronavirus to those aged under 50.

Answer:

The COVID-19 vaccination programme in NI and across the rest of the UK has been guided by the advice and recommendations of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), an independent expert advisory committee. JCVI consider all the available scientific evidence, both published and unpublished, before offering their advice to the four UK Health Ministers.

As we transition from a period of pandemic emergency response to pandemic recovery, the focus of the vaccination programme will increasingly be on protecting those in society who continue to be more at risk of severe COVID-19.

Based on JCVI advice, a booster dose will be offered from September to all residents and staff in care homes, everyone aged 50 years and over and those aged 5 to 49 years of age who are in a clinical risk group, including all pregnant women. In addition, a booster will also be available for frontline health and social care staff, carers aged 16-49 years of age as well those aged 5-49 years of age who are the household contacts of people who are immunosuppressed.

The primary objective for the autumn booster programme is to boost immunity in those considered by JCVI to be at higher risk from serious illness if they catch COVID-19. The autumn booster dose will optimise protection against severe COVID-19, and is expected to help reduce their risk of hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 during the winter of 2022/23.