Police officers in the UK say they feel a “deep sense of betrayal” that they were not higher up the list of priority for a Covid vaccination.
Chairman of the Police Federation John Apter says he pressed home secretary Priti Patel to move officers up the list. He claims they had “robust discussions” about vaccinating police officers. Mr Apter says they were told police would be prioritised. But the government did not follow through on this when planning their vaccine rollout. As a result, the police force feel a “deep sense of betrayal”.
Ms Patel praised the police for “not flinching” in the face of the pandemic. But said the government had to accept it made a decision to not make police an exception.
Leanne, aged 26, is a Devon and Cornwall officer. She is concerned about having to work alongside colleagues from all over the country even though she is not vaccinated.
Prioritised by risk
In response, Ms Patel says they “had to prioritise the vaccine rollout in line with the overriding risk factors of age and clinical vulnerability”. The high death rates meant they had to focus on the elderly and vulnerable people, who were most in need.
The order in which people receive their vaccination is advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). It started with people in the over 80s age group and those extremely clinically vulnerable. Some health and social care staff were also prioritised as deemed at greatest risk of death and serious illness. The home secretary said in January they were working on moving other front line workers up the priority list. However, the vaccination programme continued rolling out on an age basis. It is hugely successful, and gathering speed, so everyone will soon get their turn.
The JCVI say that running the vaccination campaign by occupation could have slowed down the whole process. This is because doctors do not keep a good record of jobs.
Meanwhile, Ms Patel says the government are supporting the police through the pandemic in other ways. They are increasing sentences for attacks on emergency workers to two years, and allowing all officers to carry a Taser. She recognises how much the country depends on them.
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