The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 2022: equality impact assessment

Exemptions

There are medical exemptions for domestic Covid Status Certification for the very limited number of people who for medical reasons cannot be safely vaccinated or tested. In the vast majority of cases, a successful route to safe vaccination or testing can be found. Local vaccination centres can help to answer questions about the vaccine and can advise what arrangements may be put in place to enable safe vaccination. In the rare cases where that support does not lead to vaccination, an exemption is offered to the individual which can be used for international use. If the individual cannot be tested, they will be advised to obtain proof of evidence from their primary or secondary care clinician in the form of a letter. This evidence will then be assessed by a Scottish Government clinician who will work with the Resolver Group to provide the necessary support on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the individual is exempt from testing.

For more information on exemptions see the NHS Inform website, call the Covid-19 Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565 or visit your local vaccination centre. Medically exempt individuals are provided with paper Certificates which have enhanced security features. Medical exemptions cannot be displayed on the international section of the App due to EU specifications. They are under consideration for a future release of the domestic section of the App. We continue to engage across the four nations to ensure that work around exemptions is taken forward collectively.

All clinical trial participants have received a letter from their Principal Investigator which can be used for proof of their trial status. Clinical trials participants are encouraged to undertake testing and provide a record of a negative test, as they may have received a placebo dose.

While children are exempt from the requirement to provide Covid Status Certification for domestic purposes, 12- 17 year olds who have been vaccinated may choose to download a PDF of their vaccine record via NHS Inform, or they may choose to request a paper Certificate by calling the Covid-19 Status Helpline. 12 – 17 year olds may also choose to provide a record of their negative test. This can be done using the same routes as adults for paper copies.

The paper vaccine Certificates are in English. Information about what information the Certificates contain can be requested in other languages and alternative formats including Easy Read, audio and Braille. Information can be found on NHS Inform, or when people request their Certificate. Information about PCR home testing is also available in a variety of languages and formats.

For more information on the Covid Status Certificate see the Scottish Government website.