Consultation Launched on Mandatory Vaccination Policy for Care Workers

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on the government’s mandatory Covid vaccine rules for care staff in England, saying that: “Given the changes in clinical evidence the government is revisiting the balance of risks and benefits that guided its original decisions to make coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination a condition of deployment.”

The ‘Revoking vaccination as a condition of deployment across all health and social care’ consultation, closes on 16 February, and is seeking views on the intention to revoke the policy.

In November 2021 the government introduced a policy forcing care staff to be vaccinated or lose their jobs, causing a furious backlash Omani workers and care providers.

The government says that it has “listened to the best and latest clinical and scientific advice and considered how we can achieve public health and safety with the minimum number of restrictions or requirements on people’s lives.”

While vaccination remains our very best line of defence against COVID-19, the government adds, “and all people working in health and social care settings have a professional duty to be vaccinated, the view of this government is that it is no longer proportionate to require vaccination as a condition of deployment through statute in health, care homes or other social care settings.”

The consultation seeks views on the intention to revoke the policy.

The easiest way to participate is by completing the public survey.

According to the DHSC over than 1.3m social care workers in England have now taken up at least one dose of the vaccination.