INMYVIEW... Healthcarestaff musthavejab

AS WE become increasingly aware of how important the vaccine is, it strikes me as even more astonishing that some healthcare workers are reluctant to have it, and that it’s not mandatory for them.

A recent study from a large NHS trust found that only 64.5 per cent of healthcare workers had received their Covid vaccines.

I am struck by the inconsistencies in NHS requirements on vaccines.

For instance, my goddaughter, a catering assistant in an NHS hospital, wasn’t allowed to start the job without proof of her childhood immunisations.

Difficulty in accessing the data in lockdown meant she had to get a repeat MMR jab. And medical students are required to have hepatitis vaccinations.

We have to look at it from the end point — i.e. the outcome of not being vaccinated.

This would mean more transmission, more long Covid, more deaths, and the pandemic never ending. Our actions must result in the greatest good for the greatest number (a main pillar of medical ethics), and this can only be achieved by the Covid vaccine being mandatory for healthcare personnel.