Coronavirus (COVID-19): vaccinations data – technical note

JCVI Priority

Group

Estimated population

Further Information

1

Residents and workers in care homes for older people

Residents and those working in long-stay residential and nursing care homes or other long-stay care facilities for older adults where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality. This includes non-clinical ancillary staff who may have social contact with resident but are not directly involved in patient care, such as cleaners and kitchen staff.

Older adult care homes

30,000 residents

45,000

Staff

All care homes

32,000

Residents

52,000

Staff

This information is sourced from the TURAS Care Home Safety Huddle Tool. The Safety Huddle Tool is a management information system set-up during the COVID-19 pandemic and collects a variety of information, mostly related to the pandemic, from adult care homes on a daily basis by care homes submitting to the system.

The Safety Huddle Tool is available daily but not all care homes complete on a daily basis. There are a small number of homes that have not provided any information through the tool, mainly respite centres. It should be noted the huddle tool is self-reported by care homes and not quality assured centrally

The Safety Huddle Tool includes more up-to-date data on the number of residents and staff in care homes, than that available from the latest official statistics published. The Safety Huddle Tool system has therefore been used to provide the latest estimate of the populations in JCVI priority group one, residents and those working in long-stay residential and nursing care homes or other long-stay care facilities for older adults, including non-clinical ancillary staff who may have social contact with residents. We use care home type information from the Care Inspectorate to identify the older people care homes.

These latest estimates from the Safety Huddle Tool included in the Vaccine Deployment Plan are those available at time of publication (14 January 2021). The estimates are rounded to the nearest thousand, recognising that the exact number of residents and staff will fluctuate.

Public Health Scotland are the official source for the number of residents in adult care homes in Scotland and publish this information on an annual basis through the Scottish Care Home Census (SCHC). The most recently published SCHC presents data up to the 31st March 2019 and shows 35,630 total residents in adult care homes, of which, most are in older people care homes (32,445). Most of these older people care home residents are long-stay (30,914).

The Scottish Social Services Council are the official source for workforce data related to the social services sector in Scotland and publish an annual report on the workforce. The most recent report covers the workforce as at the 31st December 2019 and shows 53,080 care home staff in all adult care home types. This includes all care home types (older people, physical and sensory impairment, mental health problems, learning disabilities and other groups) as well as stay type (long-stay or short-stay and respite), as well as non-clinical staff such as catering, domestic and gardening.

The exact number of residents and staff in care homes will fluctuate, however official publications show on average they are fairly consistent. For example, the number of staff in care homes for adults in 2010 was 54,540 compared to 53,080 in 2019. While the number of long-stay residents in older people care homes was 32,685 in 2010 and 30,914 in 2019.

2

All those 80 years of age and over

250,000

(estimated living in the community)

269,894

Individuals aged 80 and over living in the community, adjusted to remove those in care homes to avoid double counting with JCVI priority group 1.

This information was provided by NHS Health Boards as part of a Vaccination Planning Project which asked Boards to submit data on the priority cohorts as part of work to develop COVID-19 vaccination delivery plans.

National Records of Scotland are the official source for mid-year population estimates and those statistics may be used when reporting uptake for the total number of individuals aged 80 and over vaccinated. This will involve some overlap with JCVI priority group 1 as there will be some care home residents aged 80 or over. Reporting will make clear if it based on ‘all over 80s’ or ‘over 80s in the community, excluding care home residents’.The latest mid-year population estimates relate to the population as at mid-2019 (30 June 2019).

2

Patient facing, frontline healthcare workers

Non-clinical but patient facing staff in secondary or primary care/community healthcare settings

Laboratory and pathology staff

Social care staff directly involved in the care of their service users and others involved directly in delivering social care such that they and vulnerable patients/clients are at increased risk of exposure

230,000

Frontline health and social care workers, reported by Health Boards as part of a Vaccination Planning Project which asked Boards to submit data on the priority cohorts as part of work to develop COVID-19 vaccination delivery plans. This should exclude care home staff who are included under JCVI priority group 1.

Definitions of the target population are described below. Work is ongoing to quality assure the data submitted by Health Boards.

Patient facing, frontline healthcare workers - Staff who have frequent face-to-face clinical contact with patients and who are directly involved in patient care in either secondary or primary care/community settings. This includes doctors, dentists, midwives and nurses, vaccinators, paramedics and ambulance drivers, pharmacists, optometrists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and any associated support staff of independent contractors. It should include those working in public, private, third sector and non-standard healthcare settings such as hospices, and community-based mental health or addiction services. It should include Healthcare Improvement Scotland inspectors who are required to visit premises. Temporary staff, including those working in the COVID-19 vaccination programme, students, trainees and volunteers who are working with patients must also be included.

Non-clinical but patient facing staff in secondary or primary care/community healthcare settings - This includes non-clinical ancillary staff who may have social contact with patients but are not directly involved in patient care. This group includes receptionists, ward clerks, porters and cleaners.

Laboratory and pathology staff - Hospital-based laboratory and mortuary staff who frequently handle SARS-CoV-2 or collect or handle potentially infected specimens, including respiratory, gastrointestinal and blood specimens should be eligible as they may also have social contact with patients. This may also include cleaners, porters, secretaries and receptionists in laboratories. Frontline funeral operatives and mortuary technicians / embalmers are both at risk of exposure and likely to spend a considerable amount of time in care homes and hospital settings where they may also expose multiple patients. However, not included here are staff working in non-hospital-based laboratory and those academic or commercial research laboratories who handle clinical specimens or potentially infected samples as they will be able to use effective protective equipment in their work and should be at low risk of exposure.

Social care staff directly involved in the care of their service users and others involved directly in delivering social care such that they and vulnerable patients/clients are at increased risk of exposure - This includes, for example, workers in residential care for adults and children, supported housing, and also personal assistants and social workers who have face-to-face contact in the course of their duties including child, adult, mental health officer duties and public protection. It should include Care Inspectorate staff who are required to visit care homes and other registered services. Young people age 16-18 years, who are employed in, studying or in training for health and social care work should be offered vaccination alongside their colleagues if a suitable vaccine is available.

3

All those 75-79 years of age

190,000

(estimated living in the community)

195,951

Individuals aged 75-79 living in the community, adjusted to remove those in care homes to avoid double counting with JCVI priority group 1.

This information is based on the National Records of Scotland mid-year population estimate, with the estimated number of 75-79 year olds in care homes removed. The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

National Records of Scotland are the official source for mid-year population estimates and those statistics may be used when reporting uptake for the total number of individuals aged 75-79 vaccinated. This will involve some overlap with JCVI priority group 1 as there will be some care home residents aged 75-79. Reporting will make clear if it based on ‘all 75-79 year olds’ or ’75-79 year olds in the community, excluding care home residents’.The latest mid-year population estimates relate to the population as at mid-2019 (30 June 2019).

4

All those 70-74 years of age

280,000

(estimated living in the community)

278,856

Individuals aged 70-74 living in the community, adjusted to remove those in care homes to avoid double counting with JCVI priority group 1.

This information is based on the National Records of Scotland mid-year population estimate, with the estimated number of 70-74 year olds in care homes removed. The figure has been rounded to the nearest 10,000.

National Records of Scotland are the official source for mid-year population estimates and those statistics may be used when reporting uptake for the total number of individuals aged 70-74 vaccinated. This will involve some overlap with JCVI priority group 1 as there will be some care home residents aged 70-74. Reporting will make clear if it based on ‘all 70-74 year olds’ or ’70-74 year olds in the community, excluding care home residents’.The latest mid-year population estimates relate to the population as at mid-2019 (30 June 2019).

4

Clinically extremely vulnerable individuals

179,267

This is the number of people on the shielding list as of 29th January 2021 aged 16 and over. This will involve some overlap with other JCVI priority groups.

Shielding was introduced in March 2020 to identify people at very high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and to protect them from coming into contact with COVID-19, by minimising interaction between them and others. Shielding measures were paused in August 2020.

5

All those 65-69 years of age

299,444

(all aged 65-69)

All individuals aged 65-69 years.

This information is based on the National Records of Scotland mid-year population estimates. The latest estimates are mid-2019 relating to the population as at 30 June. 

This will involve some overlap if individuals in this age group have been vaccinated in other priority groups. For example, some may have been vaccinated if they are a frontline health and social care worker.