Covid-19 UK: Govt May U-turn on compulsory NHS staff jabs

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Coronavirus latest - Ministers will meet later to decide whether or not to scrap mandatory Covid vaccinations for NHS staff in England.

Front-line NHS workers in England must be fully vaccinated by 1 April, meaning they need the first dose by Thursday.

If they are not jabbed by April, they will be redeployed or dismissed. Around 77,000 have had no jab at all.

NHS doctor Steve James who challenged Sajid Javid is still refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine as ministers reconsider the health worker mandate.

Dr Steve James said he "never thought I would need to be vaccinated".

NHS staff, he said, "do not want to be coerced" into getting a vaccine and making them mandatory is "wrong".

Last week, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the jabs requirement was being "kept under review" but that it was the "duty" of NHS staff to get vaccinated.

The policy was proposed when Delta was the dominant variant that was circulating and evidence showed being vaccinated significantly cut the risk of catching and spreading the virus.

Since then, a more contagious and slightly milder variant called Omicron has emerged. It has led to an increase in breakthrough infections among people who are vaccinated, although the jabs are still doing a great job at preventing severe cases.

Mr Javid told the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday that it was right to "reflect" on the policy now Omicron was dominant.

But it is understood no final decisions have been made.

***The UK government is deciding whether to impose Covid-19 mandates for frontline NHS England staff to stop the spread of Coronavirus and protect citizens. The NHS state the coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective to give you the best protection against COVID-19 for more information go to the NHS website ***

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