Unpaid carers in York 'aren't being prioritised' for a vaccine
There are concerns they'll have a long wait before getting vaccinated.
It's feared that young and unpaid carers in York aren't being prioritised for Covid vaccinations.
The doses are being rolled out this week across the UK, with the first focus on the elderly and most at risk groups.
Katherine Macy is 22 and lives in York. She's been caring for her mother since she was 10 years old, and told Greatest Hits Radio York: ""I'm really excited that the vaccine is being rolled out, but I'm disappointed that (in England) unpaid carers aren't on the list of top 9 categories of people who will be getting the vaccine.
"It's going to be a big issue when it comes to carers like me who care for family members. It's really stressful because we don't know when we're potentially going to get the vaccine.
"Loads of unpaid carers simply don't have the option to get rapid testing, and we're not sure how vulnerable our family will be considered. The last few weeks have been really difficult.
"It's been a really intense year for carers. Young carers especially have been hit hard"
Katherine has also taken the decision not to travel back home for Christmas: "It's just not worth the risk. My mother is potentially starting a form of therapy which would weaken her immune system. The hope is that in a year's time things will be as normal as they can be".
"We're starting to see the end of the tunnel, which is encouraging. Hopefully the Government won't forget young carers and unpaid carers. We are the backbone of this country. We're exhausted, but we do it because we love the people who we love".
Sharron Morris is the Lead Officer for Adult Carers at York Carers Centre: "Some people have struggled to be able to talk openly over the phone if the person they care for is in the same room. A lot of services have moved online and not everyone can access it.
"Getting as back to normal as we possibly can will be a huge relief. The vaccine will make a big difference for carers, as they've had no break from their roles.
"We've also got carers who've been bereaved, and they've been dealing with that on their own. Some have had their own health issues and haven't been able to access support for that. Lots of people are hoping a vaccine can bring some normality back".
In a statement the Department for Health and Social Care said: "“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have advised that the vaccine should be prioritised for care home residents and staff, followed by people over 80 and health and social care workers – including home carers.
“We recognise the vital role unpaid carers play in caring for vulnerable individuals and we will provide further details on their access to the vaccine in due course.”
The spokesperson went on to say: "Social care workers include those working in long-stay residential and nursing care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality, social care staff directly involved in the care of their patients or clients and others involved directly in delivering social care such that they and vulnerable patients/clients are at increased risk of exposure.
"The clinical reason for the priority is about reducing transmission and an unpaid carer is likely to have fewer contacts than social care workers who are more likely to be seeing lots of people".