Support for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable People

The shielding programme has now ended in England.

This means that people who were previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) will not be advised to shield in the future or follow specific national guidance.

If this applies to you, you will receive a letter informing you of these changes in more detail and providing further information on available support.  

The situation is now very different to when shielding was first introduced at the start of the pandemic. We know a lot more about the virus and what makes someone more or less vulnerable to COVID-19, the vaccine continues to be successfully rolled out, and other treatments and interventions are becoming available. 

There is a greater understanding of what we can do to protect ourselves from the virus, including mask wearing, regular hand sanitation and social distancing.

The Government will continue to assess the situation and the risks posed by COVID-19 and, based on clinical advice, will respond quickly to keep the most vulnerable safe.

As a minimum, you should continue to follow the same guidance on staying safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19. You should consider advice from your health professional on whether additional precautions are right for you. However, as someone with a health condition, you may want to consider, alongside any advice from your clinician, which extra precautions you can take. These could include:

• Considering whether you and those you are meeting have been vaccinated – you might want to wait until 14 days after everyone’s second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before being in close contact with others
• Continuing to practice social distancing if that feels right for you and your friends
• Asking friends and family to take a rapid lateral flow antigen test before visiting you
• Asking home visitors to wear face coverings
• Avoiding crowded spaces