There’s more today on the Government’s thoughts on forcing all NHS staff to be ‘fully vaccinated’ against Covid, with the Health Secretary believed to be keen to introduce legislation that would make vaccination a condition of employment “as soon as possible”. The Sunday Times has the story.
[Sajid Javid] believes the move would protect vulnerable patients from catching the virus in hospital, but health groups have warned that it could force trusts to fire staff or remove them from frontline duties. In England, 106,351 NHS staff have still not been vaccinated, about 7% of the total.
Javid is also preparing to roll out booster jabs to the under-50s after Christmas, although they have yet to be approved by experts on the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
The Health Secretary, who has set up a “war room” and is chairing daily meetings on the Covid crisis, has drawn up new measures to ease pressure on the NHS and curb surging Covid cases, which last week surpassed 50,000 in a day for the first time in three months. …
A source close to Javid claimed he has not ruled out another national lockdown. However, it is understood that [Boris] Johnson does not want any new Covid restrictions until after COP26, the climate change summit that begins in Glasgow next weekend. “No one wants to spook the horses,” said a source. …
Javid has refused to pause a requirement for care home staff to be fully vaccinated by November 11th, despite claims that it could lead to up to 100,000 of them quitting.
