Written question WQ95649
- Asked by
- Mabon ap GwynforPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 2 days
Question
What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the making the flu vaccine freely available to everyone over the age of 50?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provides all UK nations with advice and recommendations on the eligible cohorts for all vaccination programmes, including the national flu vaccination programme.
It is vital our resources are targeted towards the people who will benefit most from the protection provided by a vaccine, to prevent them from becoming seriously ill and potentially requiring hospitalisation. The eligible cohort for the flu vaccination programme includes people aged between 6 months and 64 years with health conditions specified in the Green Book. The Welsh Government is not currently considering expansion of the programme to include otherwise healthy 50–64-year-olds, as the JCVI has not recommended their inclusion.