"Let's Hope There Isn't An Outbreak Within The Force"

Wednesday, 17 March 2021 16:05

Teaching and police unions have reacted with disappointment to confirmation that their members won't be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccines in Jersey.

The next phase of the rollout will go by age, with over 40s invited from early next month.

Phase 2 of the vaccine programme will work down the age bands from 40s at the beginning of April to 18-29-year-olds from mid-May.

The President of the Jersey Police Association says she's disappointed that officers and staff won't be prioritised for a vaccine given 'the risk posed to the police and the public they protect'.

"However the panel have stated that during April/May 18-49 year olds will be vaccinated, which will cover the majority of the Police Force. Let’s hope there isn’t an outbreak within the Force and we can continue to perform our vital role of protecting the public." - DC Michelle Hayden.

Meanwhile, the NEU says it has not received a response to its request for education staff to be a priority and it is very disappointing that a decision seems to have been made.

"Fortunately, with the encouraging decrease in covid infections over the last couple of months and the steady rollout of the vaccinations we are hopeful that there will not be a need to revisit this. However we will do so, if there is a concerning increase in infections either within schools or the community.

"We will continue to press for schools to be safe for all of our members, other staff and pupils." - Tim Balston, NEU Jersey Secretary.

Prison staff and inmates will be vaccinated once all over 50s have received their first dose, on the recommendation of the Vaccination Panel.

"We know that if Covid got into the prison, it would spread very quickly and that could overwhelm the prison, but it also could mean that the healthcare system here would be at risk.

"We need to make sure that everybody is vaccinated as quickly as we can and that includes the prison, so we are vaccinating the prison as part of phase 2 and of course those inmates should be treated as any other islander." - Becky Sherrington, Head of the Jersey Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.