Mandatory vaccines for NHS and social care workers scrapped as government U-turns on policy

The government has halted plans to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for NHS and social care workers just days ahead of the first jab deadline.

As reported by ITV News, The Health Secretary told The Commons that the government is ‘looking again’ at axing the measure altogether in response to numerous protests held by thousands of workers. 

Sajid Javid said: “I believe it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment through statute.

“Today I am announcing that we will launch a consultation on ending vaccination as a condition of deployment in health and all social care settings.”

According to reports, ministers also fear that the mandate will lead to a major staffing crisis within the NHS.

According to The Telegraph, the government wants to scrap mandatory jabs as Omicron is milder than previous variants.

Read More: Care worker in tears after being sacked for refusing the Covid-19 vaccine

Some Tory MPs welcomed the reports, with Andrew Rosindell tweeting that Javid had made ‘the right decision’.

He wrote: “These free-thinking NHS workers’ jobs are saved and quite right too. Well done all those who had the courage to stand up for the values of a free society!”

Gov.uk

The news comes despite the Department of Health and Social Care saying just last Monday that they had no plans to change the policy.

On Tuesday, however, the health secretary conceded that the policy is being ‘kept under review’.

He added that the original plans for compulsory vaccines were made when Delta was dominant, but now ‘almost all’ cases are Omicron which is ‘intrinsically less severe’.