Vaccine mandate: Government may U-turn compulsory NHS staff jabs

UK ministers are due to meet later to discuss whether to proceed with the covid-19 vaccine mandate for NHS workers, or to scrap it.

The mandate is due to come into place by 1 April 2022, which means that NHS staff need to have their first vaccine dose by this Thursday. Without the vaccine, they will be deployed or dismissed.

The policy was proposed whilst the 'Delta' variant was dominant and vaccinations severely reduced the risk of people getting seriously ill and spreading coronavirus.

However, since then, a new variant emerged - 'Omicron' - which is weaker but more contagious. Vaccinated individuals were catching the new strain of the virus but the vaccine prevented them becoming severely ill.

Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, said this requirement was being kept "under review" and was right to reflect on the policy now that Omicron is the most common variant, not Delta.

No final decisions have been made as of yet.

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Article by: BBC News