Still no date for mandatory vaccine consultation for new health staff in Northern Ireland, as England prepares to press ahead in April

The Department of Health has yet to set a date for a consultation on mandatory vaccination of new recruts to the health service.
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The consultation on compulsory flu and Covid vaccination had been announced by Health Minister Robin Swann back in November.

Last month, the Department said it would begin in the “new year”. The News Letter has requested an update on a proposed start date but none has been forthcoming.

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Yesterday, a spokesperson said: “Work is ongoing in relation to the public consultation on mandatory Covid and flu vaccination for new recruits. It is anticipated that the consultation will launch in early in 2022.”

Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann, in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at StormontNorthern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann, in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont
Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann, in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont

In England, meanwhile, all patient-facing health and social care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated from April, after MPs backed the proposal during a session in the House of Commons last month.

But no such steps are being taken in Northern Ireland, where Mr Swann has said such a move could “destabilise an already fragile workforce”.

He did, however, announce that the measure could be applied to all new recruits pending the outcome of the consultation.

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The British Medical Assocation’s Northern Ireland chair, Dr Tom Black, has said all patients should expect to be treated by fully vaccinated healthcare workers but stressed the need for allowances for medics who are clinically unable to take the jabs.

“Patients should be able to expect that all healthcare workers looking after them have had a full range of vaccinations.

“To ask patients to accept less than that would be unreasonable. That, naturally, leads to the conclusion that all new healthcare workers should be vaccinated. There’s a very small number of doctors who, for clinical reasons, cannot be vaccinated and we would encourage the health service to accommodate those in roles that would take that into account.”

He added: “We’ve had this before with for example the hepatitis B vaccination where you aren’t alllowed to work in surgery without it.”

l Morning View, page 10