Flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme 2023-2024: equality impact assessment

About this document

1. Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 places a duty (known as the public sector equality duty, or PSED) on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and promote good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

2. The Scottish Government introduced Regulations, (the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012) which set out specific duties to enable better delivery of the PSED. Regulation 5 (5) of the Specific Duties requires that a listed authority must make such arrangements as it considers appropriate to review and, where necessary, revise any policy or practice that it applies in the exercise of its functions to ensure that, in exercising those functions, it complies with the equality duty.

3. The Scottish Government is mindful of the three needs of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) - eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. Where any negative impacts have been identified, we have sought to mitigate/eliminate these. We are also mindful that the equality duty is not just about negating or mitigating negative impacts, as we also have a positive duty to promote equality. We have sought to do this through provisions contained in the Regulations, or by current support and guidance available.

4. Therefore this Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been carried out to ensure that the Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Policy considers the needs above.

5. The vaccination programme is continually developing and responding to emerging clinical advice, and therefore this EQIA represents the position on the cusp of Winter 2023. Given the impact of the Flu and COVID-19 (FVCV) vaccination programme on the population of Scotland, it is vital that inclusion and equality are firmly embedded at its heart and central to of all aspects of its work in order to reach everyone and ensure that no one is left behind, both for individual health and our collective community wellbeing.

6. This document details the policy aims and approach, the evidence reviewed and stakeholders consulted in development of this EQIA, an impact assessment for each of the protected characteristics, learning and next steps.