Mr. Bernard Gloster:

I will let Dr. Henry talk about the definitions of categories of the immunosuppressed and other target groups. On the question as to why some people are reluctant, we have no empirical data yet to say what the reason is. I think it is a combination of reasons. What I hear back from various leaders across the health system and in general commentary is that some people believe they do not need the Covid booster because they will be fine if they get Covid and that Covid is pretty much under control. Other people who have had Covid believe they are now immune to it, so they do not need a booster. Other people have the attitude that if they get it, they get it and it will be grand. They are not tuned into the fact that Covid can still make people very unwell. For people with certain conditions, it can still do serious harm. I believe some people think Covid is not as active as it was. Some are indifferent to the risks. It is like what was said, in that before there was any vaccination for Covid in 2020, everyone was looking for the vaccine. The queues were enormous and stories circulated about who got it first and who did not get it. Now we cannot give the vaccine away. That is the reality.

I want to be clear that there is still the risk of misinformation and disinformation and very negative campaigns on various social media platforms. Some of them are quite distasteful in the violence they talk about visiting on people like Dr. Henry, the Minister for Health and me. There is a mix of factors but certainly the lack of uptake is a cause for concern.