Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an explanation for the Welsh Government’s change in eligibility for Covid-19 booster vaccinations this year?
We are guided by independent advice about vaccination, which is issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is informed by the latest scientific and clinical evidence.
The primary focus is to vaccinate people who are at greatest risk of hospitalisation and/or mortality from Covid-19. For most people, Covid-19 is a relatively mild disease, and rates of hospitalisation and death have reduced significantly. Evidence shows two groups remain at increased risk – older adults (those aged 75 years and older) and people who are immunosuppressed.
The JCVI continues to review eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccination programme. We will continue to be guided by this advice.