Oldham MBC has admitted that flexibility has been applied in its area to interpretation of guidelines on who should be vaccinated first by putting rough sleepers among those at the top of the list along with the over 80s.
Guidelines from the Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation (JCVI) state that areas should currently be prioritising care home residents and staff, those aged over 80 and frontline health workers and carers, while the ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ should be vaccinated along with the over 70s in the next priority cohort.
However, Oldham Council and NHS Oldham CCG made the decision to vaccinate rough sleepers and those living in shelters as a priority now. Zahid Chauhan (Lab), a local GP who is also Oldham cabinet member for health and social care, started vaccinating homeless people at a clinic he has organised yesterday.