Unpaid carers are eligible for the covid vaccine as part of Cohort 6 defined by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI).

The definition given for those eligible is:

•    Eligible for carer’s allowance

•    Those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable. (This includes: those clinically vulnerable to COVID include children with severe neuro-disabilities, those who are designated Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), adults who have underlying health conditions and those who need care because of advanced age*

If you have received a letter from the National Booking Service (because you are a carer in receipt of Carer’s Allowance) we understand it can be difficult to travel to the Large Vaccination Centres so you can contact your Practice and explain you have received the letter and ask to be called by your practice / Primary Care Network – PCN - (groups of GPs working together). Please remember to bring your invite with you to your appointment.

If you are an unpaid carer and are currently known through the following routes you will automatically be invited for your vaccine and need to do nothing further: 

• Those known to GPs who have a 'carers flag' on their primary care record 
• Those in receipt of or entitled to carers allowance 
• Those carers for adults known to Local Authorities who are in receipt of support following a carers assessment 
• Those known to local carer organisations to be actively receiving care and support

Given the number of people who are on these lists, it will take the NHS a few weeks to call all of those who are eligible, so please be patient

Anyone who thinks they might be eligible to receive a vaccine as an unpaid carer, but is not on that list  should fill in the form here https://cumbria.gov.uk/coronavirus/unpaidcarers.asp  You will then be contacted for further information about your caring responsibilities and if eligible will be offered a vaccination as part of the Cohort 6 programme through your local PCN.

We know many carers have already been vaccinated as they fall into the over 65 age group, or may themselves by clinically vulnerable.

We are working to the national deadlines:

•    Cohort 6 in the next few weeks

•    all over 50s by the middle of April

•    all adults by the end of July

*You can read more about the JCVI’s guidance here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/priority-groups-for-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-advice-from-the-jcvi-30-december-2020/joint-committee-on-vaccination-and-immunisation-advice-on-priority-groups-for-covid-19-vaccination-30-december-2020