All adults with learning disability to be offered Covid vaccine in priority u-turn

All adults with a learning disability will be offered the vaccine against coronavirus after new advice from government experts warned they were at greater risk from the virus.

The decision is a major win for disability charities and campaigners. The decision will mean as many as 150,000 more people could be offered the vaccine.

The government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has issued new advice saying any adult on GP Learning Disability Register should be prioritised for vaccination along with adults with related conditions such as cerebral palsy.

The JCVI had previously said only those were severe learning disabilities and those living in care homes should be prioritised for vaccinations. Disability rights campaigners and charities warned this left vulnerable people at increased risk from the virus.

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Source: The Independent, 24 February 2021