Vaccinations for persons with disabilities and their carers

Question for written answer  E-001028/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Janina Ochojska (PPE)

Persons with disabilities face a great many difficulties on a daily basis. They have less chance of benefiting from economic opportunities and their poverty rate is higher than that of non-disabled persons.

The COVID-19 pandemic afflicting Europe and the rest of the world has aggravated their situation, and data shows that they are more likely to become infected. Moreover, a significant number of persons with disabilities have died in their homes or in institutions where they were staying during the pandemic.

Sadly, when it comes to the EU’s vaccination strategy, persons with disabilities and their carers go unnoticed. They do not figure among the risk groups which should be vaccinated first, and this merely exacerbates their already difficult situation, since if they or their carers become infected, they are unattended and must fend for themselves.

In the light of the above, I would like to ask the following:

• 1.Why have disabled persons and their carers not been listed among the priority groups for vaccination against COVID-19?
• 2.Some persons with disabilities have a problem getting to the vaccination point, which is often a long way from where they live, even when they do qualify for vaccination. Will the Commission issue recommendations to the Member States on this matter so that the needs of this group can be taken into account during the planned vaccinations?