By: April Carson
The English National Health Service (NHS) requires that all front-line healthcare workers be fully vaccinated by April 1, which means they must receive their first dose by Thursday. However, a poll conducted by the Guardian showed that 68 percent of all GPs and hospital doctors do not intend to be vaccinated.
If they are not jabbed by April, they will be re-deployed or dismissed. According to the NHS, 77,000 healthcare workers have yet to receive a single Covid vaccine dose. However, sources and experts claim this figure includes vaccinated personnel whose records were incorrectly recorded in the national database.
According to rumors, the Johnson administration is expected to announce a policy reversal on police and social service workers being forced to take Covid vaccines through the NHS and social care.
The health secretary, Sajid Javid, has been receiving pressure to repeal the vaccination requirement for health workers in England by April because of concerns it will result in a significant staffing shortage.
Last week, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the vaccination requirement was being "kept under review," but it was the "obligation" of NHS workers to be vaccinated.
The Johnson administration has confirmed that health care workers who voluntarily received Covid vaccines prior to the government's order will not be required to receive a second dose.
When Delta was the most common variant circulating, research suggested that immunizing reduced the chance of catching and spreading the virus by a factor of 90.
Since then, a more contagious and slightly less severe form called Omicron has appeared. It has resulted in an increase in vaccine-induced breakthrough infections, but the vaccinations continue to perform effectively at preventing severe situations.
On Tuesday, the Health and Social Care Select Committee heard evidence on virtual prescribing. Mr. Javid said it was important to "reflect" on the policy now that Omicron is the dominant player.
Some within the health service have been pushing for the repeal of the requirement, claiming that it would result in a personnel shortage.
The Government's decision to impose a 31 December 2020 deadline on midwife training has prompted criticism from the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of GPs and the Royal College of Nursing.
But the Department of Health and Social Care has previously said that the measure was "the right thing to do for patients' safety."
Vaccines have been found to be effective in preventing hospitalization, mortality, infection and transmission, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
According to a recent study, several studies have demonstrated that vaccines are successful in preventing illness.
"Uninfected people can't pass it on; as a result, the vaccines are also effective in preventing transmission."
Simon Clarke, the Chancellor of the Exchequer's chief secretary to the Treasury, told BBC Breakfast that while any policy change would be a decision for the health secretary, "fundamental facts" had changed as a result of Omicron and so any choice would have to take it into account.
There are both practical and moral reasons why the vaccination requirement may be reversed.
On a practical level, the NHS in England is unable to afford for employees to be laid off - there are already around 100,000 vacancies.
Then there's the moral aspect - as some employees are noting - is it ethical to demand vaccinations when the benefits aren't quite so obvious with the Omicron variant's rise?
Some workers are required to be vaccinated against hepatitis B, which is more than 90% effective in preventing infection and lasts for years.
In comparison, protection against Covid infection after two doses has faded greatly after 20 weeks.
A booster can help you reach a 70% level of protection at first, but after 10 weeks, that figure has decreased considerably.
Is it possible to make a difference by limiting the area that is accessible? Certainly, restricting the range of places where flies may congregate can assist to minimize spread. Is it nevertheless enough to overcome people's freedom of choice?
Will the vaccination requirements cause staffing levels to drop further, putting the safety of patients at risk?
Protests have taken place in towns and cities across the country, with some NHS workers expressing a desire to work in countries where vaccination is not required.
There are currently no plans to make Covid jabs compulsory for NHS employees or care home workers in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, while there will be a public discussion on the topic in Northern Ireland.
The director of nursing for England at the Royal College of Nursing, Patricia Marquis, stated that while the faculty would recommend that all nursing personnel be immunized, it makes no sense to jeopardize thousands of jobs when there are already many open positions.
"Patients are at greater risk when there aren't enough nurses or care employees," she said. "We've seen it in hospitals all over the country."
Nandra Ahmed, chair of the National Care Association, said she was "hurt" for all those who may have lost their jobs "needlessly," and that mandatory vaccination has already been implemented in that industry since November.
Originally, she said the rule had a "devastating effect," but when I asked her to clarify what impact it has had on people's lives, she replied: "It's changed everything."
Although vaccination rates in care homes have improved, World Health Organization figures say that 40,000 care workers had not been immunized by the deadline. However, it is unclear how many of these lost their jobs because to medical exemptions and re-deployment to duties away from the front lines.
"The people we've lost, we hope they'll consider returning and that we'll do everything possible to entice them to return, but they will have found other jobs and may be happier in their new roles than before," she added.
While the government's compulsory immunization policy is set to go into effect for NHS workers on April 1, Thursday is the last day for staff to acquire their first dose with enough time to be fully vaccinated by then.
According to the latest statistics, almost 95% of NHS employees have received at least one Covid jab, leaving just over 77,000 who have not.
In England, according to the Wellcome Trust, only around 91% of the general public have had at least one vaccination. People aged 12 and over are included in this statistic.
Not all of them, though, are in patient-facing jobs, according to Mr. Javid.
According to Professor Robert Good, a vaccine expert and director of the Medical Research Centre in Yorkshire: "While it is the professional duty of every NHS employee to be vaccinated, it is reasonable to infer that not everyone will."
"We'll keep it under review," Mr. Javid responded when asked whether the jabs requirement would be maintained. When pressed on whether he meant the government was discussing removing it, he stated: "Yes, we're considering it because the virus has evolved."
The Covid outbreak has not yet been eliminated, according to Dr. Matt Parr, a practicing general practitioner in Cumbria. Because the vaccine has failed to cure Covid like other vaccines have done with past diseases, he believes its argument is "a bit tenuous."
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About the Blogger:
April Carson is the daughter of Billy Carson. She received her bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from Jacksonville University, where she was also on the Women's Basketball team. She now has a successful clothing company that specializes in organic baby clothes and other items. Take a look at their most popular fall fashions on bossbabymav.com
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