Stormont has been too timid on introducing compulsory jabs for health and care staff

There is one good reason to be hesitant about making vaccines compulsory for NHS and care staff — it might lead to people leaving those vital areas of work.

But even so, Northern Ireland has been too timid on this matter.

For weeks, people in the Province have had to show proof of Covid status, such as jabs, to get into a premises that serves alcohol. Yet a health or care staff can handle scores of patients a day in close proximity without elementary protections against the virus.

We have known for months the extent to which the vaccines stop make it far less likely that people infected with Covid will have a bad outcome. It also has some role in reducing infection (albeit it is less effective in this regard).

Yet Stormont’s Department of Health, which has been so quick to call for radical measures in a range of areas of public life, has not even set a date for a consultation on the matter, let alone begun to act on it. And the proposal only relates to new recruits.

Thus, perhaps indefinitely, unvaccinated staff will tend to patients who have taken every precaution to protect themselves. This is seemingly rooted in a fear of being seen to criticise care or health staff.

England began requiring vaccinations last year in some roles, and within weeks all patient-facing health and social care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated.

Given the concerns over care homes, Stormont needs to act now.

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