The department of health and social care, on 14th April, launched a five-week consultation on requiring staff working in care homes with older adult residents to have a covid vaccination to protect residents from the virus. Concern has arisen over the low number of citizens taking up the jab, which was spotlighted when cases of the South African variant were discovered in a South London care home. Out of the 13 staff infected, only one had a single dose of the vaccine. According to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies social care working group, 80% of the staff and 90% of the residents would need to get the vaccine to provide a minimum level of protection against a covid 19 outbreak.
Data from NHS England shows that 86% of healthcare workers directly employed by the NHS received their first dose by April, 11th. According to BMA’s survey, jab take up among doctors seems much higher. Nearly every doctor had at least one vaccine and about 85% had two doses. The department of Health and Social Care said that citizens may not yet have taken up the jab for various reasons, including availability or personal reasons. The NHS is encouraging their staff to be on the frontline because they have a duty to take care of the most vulnerable people. To make vaccination mandatory, public bodies must also show they have taken into account the public sector equality duty and that mandatory vaccination policies comply with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.