Public-facing workers such as police officers, teachers and retail staff may soon be offered a Covid-19 jab, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has said.
Although the focus will remain on vaccinating frontline health and social care workers, care home residents, the clinically vulnerable and people aged over 70, the second phase of the vaccine rollout could involve those who are most likely to come into contact with those carrying the virus at work.
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“My very strong instinct is that those who through their work may come into contact disproportionately with the virus, police, shop workers, teachers… should be prioritised,” Zahawi told Sky News.
By mid-February the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to decide which groups will receive the vaccine in phase two.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons last week: “We’ll be looking very carefully at those professions that will need to be prioritised in phase two of the prioritisation programme. We’ll look at, of course, teachers and police and others, but also we will look at shopworkers and we will make those decisions based on the data”.
More than 4 million people across the UK have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. All adults are expected to have been offered a jab by September.
There are growing calls from unions for the government to prioritise key workers in the next stage of its vaccination plan.
Last week, education secretary Gavin Williamson indicated that teachers would be a “top priority” in the next phase.
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union said this was good news, but was concerned that transmission would continue in schools and colleges.
“This will help make schools/colleges safer for staff and reduce the disruption caused by Covid-19 absences. However, the issue of transmission of the virus among students and into communities will continue,” she said.
“As ever the devil is in the detail and the government has a poor track record on delivering on its promises. We look forward to hearing more detail about the timetable for this.”
The national chair of the Police Federation John Apter has also called for policing staff to receive priority access to Covid-19 vaccines after NHS workers and the vulnerable.
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Apter said: “Police officers are out and about, selflessly dealing face to face with members of the public, because policing isn’t just about dealing with trouble and disorder, it’s also about helping people in their time of need, and it’s a 24/7, 365-days-a-year job.
“This is not about putting police officers before the most vulnerable and elderly in society or those on the frontline of the NHS. However, without the vaccine there is a real danger that more police officers will contract the virus, be off sick, spread it to their families and the general public, and thereby threaten the resilience of the police service across the UK.”
Without the vaccine there is a real danger that more police officers will contract the virus, be off sick, spread it to their families and the general public, and thereby threaten the resilience of the police service across the UK” – John Apter, Police Federation
Apter said that on top of non-Covid related demands, some police forces were seeing up to 15% of their officers off sick or self-isolating.
“This is getting worse and is simply not sustainable. We don’t have an endless box of police officers to deal with the regular daily demands, let alone the additional demands that policing the pandemic creates,” he said.
Paddy Lillis, general secretary at shop workers’ union Usdaw, said shop workers faced a high risk of catching Covid-19 because they were in close proximity to the public as well as working in an indoor environment.
He said: “From our conversations with employers, we are aware that the sector is currently suffering from incredibly high sickness absence rates as a result of Covid-19.
“So the second phase of the vaccine rollout must reflect the risks linked to occupation. Given the risks involved in their public-facing roles, retail workers should be one of the groups prioritised, so they are able to continue to support their communities throughout the rest of the pandemic.
“We also want other key workers in essential industries like food manufacturing and pharmaceutical distribution to be on the list of prioritisation. They cannot work from home and are at higher risk of infection because of the essential work they do, which should be acknowledged as part of the rollout programme.”
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10 comments
Why do teachers feel they are more important than shop worker who come in daily contact with hundreds of adults and their dirty handled money only a screen for PPE teachers whats your next excuse for not getting back to your full paid job when your at home ! No wages for sick shop workers though.
Sorry teachers do not want to go to work its sooooo obvious.
Shop staff have:
Screens, the public in masks by law, colleagues in masks, limited numbers by choice of shop, adults who understand social distancing, they don’t have to deal with bodily functions on an hourly basis.
Teachers and the police:
None.
I’m not saying teachers shouldn’t be prioritised but your analysis of shop workers being protected by the measures you mentioned is naive to a fault.
“Adults who understand social distancing”
If you worked in a shop you would notice that most people ignore this.. many also refuse to wear a mask or sanitise with no good reason (we are not allowed to police this.. only suggest they comply).
Plenty of aggressive behaviour towards staff involving the invasion of personal space and spittle being shot at us while being yelled at by someone who doesn’t like being asked to consider the safety of others.
I absolutely agree, there is no duty of care from senior team at our store, they let as many people in as possible, all they care about is what goes into the till, and customers, I have never met so many selfish people who obviously think that once they had first vaccine they are completely immune, also they should be reminded that any member of staff are Not immune and should take more care when
they shop instead of bringing
There entire family in for a social meeting
Very untrue teachers spend hours in presence of students therefore raising the risk – I personally have taught on line throughout the pandemic –
My daughter is a teacher and keeps saying how she can’t wait until they can go back! She has been working so much harder than usual due to trying to teach each child separately!
As far as the vaccine is concerned, the only thing I can see about vaccinating teachers is that if teachers are off, parents can’t go to work either?
Julie, I am in the teaching profession and your comments are very offensive. We do not believe that we are more important. We are merely carrying out our vocation to serve others which enables children to get future jobs and families to go to work now.
I would like to see the whole world vaccinated. However, the guilt felt as a leader in a school when my team are in a room with 32 close contacts everyday is awful. There is no PPE and no social distancing in our primary school class bubbles. This is why the teachers need to be vaccinated along with the police.
Shop workers do have limited protection, but I feel that you should be vaccinated too. Your managers need to get a grip of some of the procedures and processes going on in supermarkets. I have been in a shop around 4 times and agree that you are placed at risk, because of lack of one ways systems, reminders to shoppers to gel hands etc. Poor management and ignorance. I hope we all get our vaccine soon.
Give vaccine to convince store corner shops post office staff because everyday lot of people come there so they should get early vaccine
Please give them vaccines asap as they are the one more vulnerable to get covid 19 because serving local community by opening corner shops
From March last year ,when complete lockdown was announced, I worked ,I work on the m6 motorway on the petrol station ,we deal with lorrys, and hundreds of people coming threw our place of work, we gave free coffee to NHS and emergency service, and at this time I was scared. I still work there and are desperate to get the jab,but at this moment I feel for teachers ,who are in a classroom with lots of children 5x a week,they definitely need there jab ,for the breeding ground they are now to enter.