Covid: Government 'absolutely thinking about' compulsory jabs for NHS staff, Vaccines minister says
Covid vaccines could be mandatory for NHS staff, the UK's Vaccines Minister has said.
The government has already consulted on whether to make jabs compulsory for social care workers and ministers are now weighing up whether to do the same for medics.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said it was important to examine how to protect the most vulnerable from the risk of contracting Covid-19.
However, a senior Labour frontbencher warned that "threatening" NHS staff would be less effective than working with those who had doubts about the jab.
Mr Zahawi told Sky News: "It’s absolutely the right thing and it would be incumbent on any responsible government to have the debate, to do the thinking as to how we go about protecting the most vulnerable by making sure that those who look after them are vaccinated."
He said there was a precedent because surgeons get vaccinated for hepatitis B "so it’s something that we are absolutely thinking about".
Meanwhile a health chief has called for a more informed debate on the lifting of all Covid measures on social contact in England on June 21 as Labour questioned if the move would proceed.
NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said a "much better quality of debate" was needed on the implications of easing measures, according to the BBC.
His comments come as an expert has warned people should be "very concerned" about the spike in the Covid variant cases, which was first identified in India.
Professor Anthony Harnden tells ITV News we need to remain cautious as lockdown eases
Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told ITV News the variant was "clearly more transmissible".
"There's an imperative to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, and to get the most vulnerable individuals fully vaccinated with their second dose."
Professor Harnden added: "We need to carry on moving at speed and then given the transmissibility of the variant there is even more urgency to keep that vaccination programme rolling out quickly."
He also said we need to look at what happens with the Indian variant in the next one or two weeks.
"Should we go for June 21 unlocking-down, we still - particularly those unvaccinated individuals - need to remain cautious because of the transmissibility of the variant."
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said: "Given we have got a recruitment crisis in parts of the NHS, I think it’s far more important we try and work with staff rather than against them.
"Threatening staff, I don’t think is a good idea."
Public Health England and the NHS had been successful when they had worked with people to address their doubts and answer questions about the jab, she said.
"I would like to see the Government work with the NHS and social care staff."