Sajid Javid ‘leaning towards’ compulsory vaccines for NHS staff

Health secretary Sajid Javid has said he is “leaning towards” making Covid vaccinations compulsory for NHS staff.

He told Sky News’ Breakfast programme earlier today: “We’ve been very clear about this [making vaccinations compulsory for all NHS staff], there was a consultation on this. We’re yet to make a final decision, but I’m leaning towards doing it. We want to do it properly. We want to work with our friends in the NHS and get this right. But it’s worth just stepping back a bit and saying why is this important. It is because they’re the people that are naturally more vulnerable to being exposed to diseases and viruses and of course that includes Covid, but also the people that they’re looking after are naturally vulnerable, that’s why they’re in hospital, and it’s about giving them the protection they deserve.”

When asked whether it was wise to impose compulsory vaccines on NHS workers, given that they are already suffering from staff shortages, Javid argued: “I think that if you keep in mind more than a million people that work in the NHS, so far it’s over I think 94% or 93% thereabouts that are vaccinated, so there is around 100,000 that are not at this point. But what we saw with the care sector, is that when we announced the policy, we saw many more people come forward and do the right thing and get vaccinated, and that’s what I hope that if we do the same thing with the NHS we will see.”

The government announced earlier this month that care home staff will need to show proof of vaccination or medical exemption by November 11th to continue to work.