Cheshire police chiefs call for officers to get Covid jab priority

It’s after the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has announced today that after over 50s are vaccinated, the roll-out will continue by age group, leaving those on the Covid frontline at risk.

David Keane, Cheshire's police and crime commissioner, has written to the Prime Minster to call for him to make an urgent U-turn on what he says is a 'betrayal' and a 'failure to protect dedicated public servants' in a decision that would 'never be forgiven'.

He said: “Police officers and staff put themselves and their families at risk everyday by working in close contact with those who may be carrying the virus. But you have let them down by your failure to protect them through the vaccination programme.

Cheshire Police chief constable Darren Martland and police and crime commissioner David Keane

“Sadly, at least 22 police officers and staff, including one of our own in Cheshire, have lost their lives to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic and many more have been hospitalised and are still suffering the long-term effects of the disease.

“The risks associated with frontline policing and contracting the virus are grave. The nature of policing means officers have to get up close and personal with members of the public.

"We’re seeing Covid-19 increasingly used as a weapon on our streets with recorded incidents of offenders spitting or coughing at officers increasing. There’s been 126 in Cheshire alone since last March.

“Sending our officers into these situations without appropriate protection against Covid-19 is equivalent to sending them into a public disorder incident without riot gear."

News that police officers would not be prioritised for the jab was met with dismay by John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation.

Writing on Twitter, he said it was a 'contemptible betrayal of police officers' that 'will not be forgotten'.

Chief Constable Darren Martland, of Cheshire Police, added: "Police officers and staff, in front line roles, are required to enter different settings and come into contact with people from ‘high risk’ groups.

"Often, by the very nature of their role, officers and staff are unable exercise social distancing and PPE can be compromised, which is why I would request that police officers and front line staff are prioritised for vaccination, after the elderly and people who are clinically vulnerable."

The JCVI said that targeting occupational groups such as police officers would have been more complex to deliver and may slow down the vaccine programme, leaving some vulnerable people at higher risk for longer.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at Public Health England (PHE), said: “Delivering a vaccination programme on this scale is incredibly complex and the JCVI’s advice will help us continue protecting individuals from the risk of hospitalisation at pace.

“The age-based approach will ensure more people are protected more quickly.

“It is crucial that those at higher risk – including men and BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic communities) communities – are encouraged to take the vaccine, and that local health systems are fully engaged and reaching out to under-served communities to ensure they can access the vaccine.”