Thank you for contacting me about the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable groups.

I am delighted that three vaccines, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine, have now been approved for use in the UK. This really is a fantastic development and, while there is still some way to go, it provides fresh hope that we can beat this pandemic. I am incredibly proud that Worcestershire’s NHS is vaccinating faster than the rest of the UK and the UK itself is vaccinating at a cracking pace.

It is right that the Government's priority is to save as many lives as possible, as quickly as possible, while also reducing the hospitalisations that are creating such pressure on the NHS.

I know that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has considered a range of factors, including the different characteristics of different types of vaccines, to work out the most effective way to protect as many people as possible and save as many lives as we can. Initially the ranking of priority groups combines clinical risk and age, as well as key workers like health and social care workers. The Joint Committee of Vaccines and Immunization will take a wider set of factors under review as we move onto the next cohorts to be vaccinated. If you think you should be in a different category because of your own medical situation, the best place to appeal is with your GP first.

Thank you for sharing your views on this nationally important matter.