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People With Learning Disabilities Added To Covid-19 Vaccine Priority List

Joanna Freedman

Published 
| Last updated 

People With Learning Disabilities Added To Covid-19 Vaccine Priority List

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock

The government has fast-tracked people with learning disabilities onto the Covid-19 vaccine priority list.

Those with a "severe or profound" learning disability were already in priority group six for the vaccine in England and Wales, as were unpaid carers for those with disabilities and the elderly.

Plus, adults with Down's Syndrome have already been called for the jab, as they're in priority group 4.

However, this new change to include all individuals on the GP learning disability register in priority group six means that an extra 150,000 people are now eligible for the vaccine, according to Professor Anthony Harnden, the deputy chairman of the joint committee on vaccination.

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Those with learning disabilities are now in priority group six (Credit: Shutterstock)
Those with learning disabilities are now in priority group six (Credit: Shutterstock)

Public Health England has confirmed that no matter how severe an individual's disability is, they will be able to get the vaccine so long as they're on their GP's register.

This is because those who have registered their disability with their GP tend to be on the more severe end of the spectrum. Professor Harnden added that people with mild learning disabilities were not prioritised, as they aren't at greater risk than anybody else in their age group.

It comes after a report they conducted uncovered that people with a severe learning disability were as much as six times more likely to die from Covid-19.

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Plus, worryingly, those in the 18-34 age group had a 30 times higher risk.

BBC DJ Jo Whiley has been urging the government to move those with learning difficulties forward in the queue since her sister, Frances, fell ill with Covid-19, recently.

Jo Whiley said her sister Frances should have got the vaccine earlier (Credit: Shutterstock)
Jo Whiley said her sister Frances should have got the vaccine earlier (Credit: Shutterstock)

Whiley was called to have the vaccine before her sister, despite the fact she has a rare genetic syndrome, and resides in residential care.

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Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, about the moment she got the vaccine offer, Whiley said: "It felt like the cruellest twist in the world because I've been asking for her, wanting for her to have her vaccine for a year... to be protected.

"Then, for me to suddenly get a call to say that I've got the vaccine, it just felt hideously unfair.

"And she was actually called in for her vaccine last night, my mum got a message to say that she could get vaccinated, but it's too late, she's fighting for her life in hospital. It couldn't be crueller."

The vaccine is now being offered to anyone with a GP registered learning disability (Credit: Shutterstock)
The vaccine is now being offered to anyone with a GP registered learning disability (Credit: Shutterstock)
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Luckily, the radio presenter's sister is now out of hospital and recuperating, but ahead of today's announcement, Whiley warned that others my not be so lucky.

Nicola Sturgeon also confirmed Scotland would be putting people with learning disabilities into group six on Monday.

Joanna Freedman
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