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<p>The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) are the independent
experts who advise the government on which vaccine/s the UK should use and provide
advice on who should be offered them. The JCVI advises that the first priorities for
the COVID-19 vaccination should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance
of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases
with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age.</p><p>For phase 1, this will capture
all those over 50 years of age and all those 16 years of age and over who are clinically
extremely vulnerable or have certain underlying health conditions. This captures almost
all preventable deaths from COVID-19 and will include thousands of staff in the education,
childcare and children’s social care workforce.</p><p>The JCVI has been asked by the
Department for Health and Social Care to give its advice on the optimal strategy to
further reduce mortality, morbidity and hospitalisation from COVID-19 disease for
phase 2 of the vaccine rollout. The JCVI have advised that the second phase of vaccine
prioritisation should continue to be based on age. They advise that an age-based approach
remains the most effective way of reducing death and hospitalisation from COVID-19
and will ensure more people are protected more quickly. The second phase of the vaccine
rollout will begin from mid-April and will aim to offer every adult aged 18 and over
a first dose of the vaccine by 31 July 2021.</p>
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