Unpaid Adult Carers aged under 65 and Young Carers aged 16 or 17 are now included in group 6 on the priority list for the COVID-19 vaccine. Unpaid Carers aged 65 and over will be offered the vaccine earlier as they are included in groups 2-5 which cover those aged 65 and above.

The governments definition of a Carer in relation to the vaccine is as follows:

“unpaid Carers who are in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance, or those who are the main Carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the Carer falls ill”

In order to manage this locally, the St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group (responsible for the local roll out of the vaccine) have advised that Carers should be registered as a Carer with their own GP in order to be contacted to access the vaccine. So it is important that your GP knows you are a Carer and that this is detailed on your GP record (not that of the person you care for) in order for them to notify you when they are delivering vaccines to group 6.

So being invited for the vaccine is completely reliant upon you being coded as a Carer with your GP practice.

For more information from the local covid vaccine roll you can go to: www.sthelensccg.nhs.uk