Police and key workers set for April jab rollout
PROFESSIONALS including teachers, police and firefighters could be among the first to be vaccinated once vulnerable groups are protected, Priti Patel suggested yesterday.
The Home Secretary hinted the The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was drawing up plans to give key workers jabs from the end of April.
Some police officers are already having jabs through informal deals with hospital bosses, but the JCVI is expected to act once over-50s have had their first shot.
Britain is on course to offer the top four priority groups, including all over-70s, their first dose by Monday.
From next week, the jab programme will begin working its way through five more cohorts, from those aged 65 to 69 to over-50s. Ministers say those groups should receive their first vaccine dose by the end of April.
Ms Patel said: “JCVI are making the right decisions to actually reduce hospitalisations and deaths, so they have prioritised the vaccine rollout on that basis and alongside individuals, those sectors including professions, that are at a high occupational risk. “They are looking now at how we can make sure that police officers and others that have high occupational risks will get the vaccine.”
A Government source said: “We have been clear that there are two things – protecting those most at risk of hospitalisation overall, largely as a result of age, and then looking at those whose roles increase their risk.”