600,000 more people who were shielding have been invited for a Covid vaccine

A further 1.7 million people were advised by the Government to shield earlier this month, with hundreds of thousand now invited to receive a Covid vaccination (Photo: Shutterstock)A further 1.7 million people were advised by the Government to shield earlier this month, with hundreds of thousand now invited to receive a Covid vaccination (Photo: Shutterstock)
A further 1.7 million people were advised by the Government to shield earlier this month, with hundreds of thousand now invited to receive a Covid vaccination (Photo: Shutterstock)

A further 1.7 million people were advised by the Government to shield earlier this month, with hundreds of thousand now invited to receive a Covid vaccination.

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Those asked to shield were identified by a new algorithm and were notified that they would also be prioritised for the jab.

The calculation used factors such as ethnicity, deprivation (by postcode) and weight in order to work out a person's risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid.

The algorithm also looked at age, underlying health issues and prescribed medications in order to identify those who needed to shield until 31 March 2021.

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Around 600,000 of them are now being invited to book a slot for their Covid jab - either at a vaccination centre or with a pharmacy - said the NHS, with the remainder having already received their vaccine due to being part of the first priority groups.

Currently, those in group five, which is anybody aged 65 and over, are currently receiving coronavirus vaccinations. Some areas have also already moved on to group six, which is adults aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions.

Adults on the GP learning disability register to be prioritised for Covid vaccine

Earlier this week, it was also announced that all adults on the learning disabilities register are to be prioritised for a Covid vaccine, after it was advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

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The JCVI said the Government and NHS should now invite more people with learning difficulties to receive a coronavirus vaccination, with Public Health England (PHE) confirming that all adults on the GP learning disability register will be invited for a Covid vaccination as part of priority group six, regardless of the severity of their disability.

PHE said this move will now allow at least 150,000 more people with learning disabilities to be offered the vaccine more quickly.

Helen Whately, the care minister, said: “Following the JCVI’s updated advice and to make this process simpler and faster, we will be inviting everyone for vaccination who is on their GP’s learning disability register. This will mean those who are at a higher risk from the virus can get the protection they need.”