Premier League players told to get fully vaccinated
The captains of the 20 Premier League clubs were told by the deputy chief medical officer, Prof Jonathan Van-tam, that they could not “outrun” Covid-19 and were advised that they and their team-mates should get fully vaccinated against the virus as soon as possible.
The virtual meeting was convened by the Premier League on Aug 2 as part of a drive to encourage players to get vaccinated ahead of the season, which starts tonight.
The Premier League and its clubs cannot order players to get vaccinated, but in an interview with The Telegraph, its chief executive, Richard Masters, said that he hoped the “vast majority” of players would be fully vaccinated by the end of September. Van-tam, and the Premier League medical officer, Mark Gillett, addressed some of the myths around the Covid jabs that have been circulating among players and causing some of them to stall.
By speaking to the club captains, the hope is that the information will reach dressing rooms. Van-tam has also been asked to record a video explaining the importance of getting vaccinated, which will be circulated on the private app that the Premier League makes available to
players. Harry Maguire, of Manchester United, was extremely supportive of the principle that players should be vaccinated, and will encourage his Old Trafford teammates to do so. His feeling was that if the deputy chief medical officer was prepared to take the time to explain the medical profession’s position to the players personally, then that was advice they would do well to heed.
Many Premier League players
have been out of the country since mid-june, when all adults under 30 were invited to take up the vaccine. Data from Public Health England shows that just 69 per cent of adults under 30 have received a Covid jab.
Masters said: “We [the Premier League] cannot mandate vaccination, and we are not [doing so]. We are trying to explain to the captains, who then explained to the squad players – and this message will be coming through from club doctors and club executives – that if you are not vaccinated it might make life more difficult for you. You won’t be able to do things that vaccinated people can.
“Prof Van-tam explained the potential downsides or risks of vaccination are far outweighed by the potential risks and downsides of getting Covid. He said that one thing is very sure: you will either get vaccinated or get Covid. You can’t outrun it. Eventually you will get it.”