Immuno-suppressed patients a priority for vaccination teams

Responding to a BBC report on difficulties some immune-suppressed patients are facing accessing their booster jab, Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, addressed media queries regarding the vaccination of immuno-suppressed patients.

Professor Marshall said: “GPs, our teams and colleagues right across the health service are working hard to ensure as many people as possible receive a booster jab to maximise their protection against Covid-19. As well as being massive in scale – today alone more than 745,000 vaccines have been delivered – it is a very complex vaccination programme.

“Some patients who are immuno-suppressed are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and are a priority for vaccination teams. If barriers to these people getting their fourth ‘booster’ jab exist – whether those are clarity of guidance in terms of who is responsible for this, or issues around recording fourth jabs on the IT system being used - then these need to be identified and addressed.

“The vaccination is the best protection we have against Covid-19 and we would urge everyone who is eligible to come forward, either when invited or via the national booking system, and get their booster jab. We’d also encourage anyone who hasn’t yet been vaccinated, at all, to book a vaccine as soon as possible.”

Further information

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RCGP Press office: 020 3188 7633/7574/7575
Out of hours: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editor

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 52,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.