Correspondence

Letter from the Health and Social Care Secretary on COVID-19 vaccination in people with learning disabilities: 23 February 2021

Published 24 February 2021

Applies to England

From:

Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
39 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0EU
020 7210 4850

To:

Professor Wei Shen Lim
Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation
Chair COVID-19 immunisation (Nottingham University Hospitals)

23 February 2021

Dear Professor Lim,

RE: Advice on COVID-19 vaccination in people with learning disabilities from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)

Thank you for your letter on 23 February 2021 from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) on COVID-19 vaccination in cohort 6 of people with learning disabilities. I note that your clinical view remains that those at greatest risk are people with severe and profound learning disabilities. It is very helpful, however, to have your support for a practical operational approach, proposing to invite everyone on the GP Learning Disability Register.

I am grateful for the further considerations of the JCVI. In line with your letter, I have asked the NHS to ensure that everyone on the Learning Disability Register is invited for vaccination as part of cohort 6.

Thank you for your ongoing advice and support for the vaccination programme and I look forward to further advice and discussions over the coming weeks.

Yours ever,

Matt Hancock

CC: Jonathan Van Tam (DCMO)