Police, teachers and others on front line may get priority status

Police, teachers and other frontline workers look set to be considered for priority status for Covid jabs in the next phase of the vaccine roll-out.

A leaked Public Health England document suggests that the government may change emphasis to target vaccines at those more likely to transmit coronavirus rather than those who are most vulnerable to infection - as long as evidence shows the jabs can stop the spread of the virus.

While the current first phase is centred on those most likely to die from Covid infection the shift in focus could see the prioritisation of frontline sectors including the police, other emergency services and teachers.

Hampshire police representatives have said the frontline needs the jab to protect themselves and others.

Hampshire Police Federation chair Zoe Wakefield said: ‘Police officers need to be vaccinated.

‘We can attend multiple addresses in one shift. We can’t always social distance.’

‘We don’t want to be unknowingly spreading the virus and the public needs enough healthy officers to protect them.’

Frontline health and social care workers are due to be vaccinated in the second wave, but this does not include police.

Hampshire Police Federation secretary Garry Smith said: ‘Whilst the public and non-essential workers are told to stay at home, our members are still reporting for duty and still being deployed to all manner of calls.

Hampshire has among the lowest rates of staff off isolating due to Covid among British police forces.

Meanwhile on the education front Cowplain School headteacher Ian Gates said: ‘If you want schools to open safely then it seems sensible to prioritise the vaccination of the staff who work there. This would not only help in reducing rates of transmission but will also give teachers and support staff peace of mind.’

Reports also suggest the vaccination of school children is also being considered although this would firstly require the approval of the use of the vaccine on under 18s.

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for education Suzy Horton said: ‘Once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated then it makes complete sense to then vaccinate frontline workers and in order to get us back to a sense of normality schools need to be part of that.