Homeless prioritised for Covid vaccine alongside at-risk adults, Hancock says

Move will ‘save more lives among those most at risk in society’, health secretary says

Homeless people will be prioritised for coronavirus vaccinations alongside adults in at-risk groups, the government has said.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said the decision would “save more lives among those most at risk in society”.

It comes after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said rough sleepers were likely to have underlying health conditions and should be offered jabs alongside those in priority group six.

“The JCVI’s advice on Covid-19 vaccine prioritisation was developed with the aim of preventing as many deaths as possible,” Professor Wei Shen Lim, the body’s Covid-19 chair, said.

He added: "This advice will help us to protect more people who are at greater risk, ensuring that fewer people become seriously ill or die from the virus."

Mr Hancock said on Thursday he had accepted the JCVI’s recommendation and it was “important” that nobody was “left behind” by the vaccine rollout.

“We know there are heightened risks for those who sleep rough and today I have accepted the advice of the independent experts at the JCVI to prioritise those experiencing rough-sleeping or homelessness for vaccination alongside priority group six,” he said.

This priority group is made up of adults between 16 and 65 years old who are in an at-risk group, with all those aged 65 or over in priority group five.