Yahoo News Teachers and police set to be given Covid vaccine priority after over-50s
Teachers and police are expected to be given priority for vaccines once the over-50s have been offered Covid jabs, The Telegraph can disclose.
Britain is on course to hit targets to offer all those in the top four priority groups – including everyone over the age of 70 – their first dose of the vaccine by Monday.
But research suggests that hospital pressures will not ease significantly until the end of March, once all over 60s and younger people with health problems have had their first jab.
From next week, the vaccination programme will begin working its way through five more cohorts, starting with those aged 65 to 69 and followed by under-65s with underlying health conditions before moving through age groups down to 50.
Ministers have said all these groups should receive their first jab by the end of April.
But the Government's advisers have yet to recommend which groups should be prioritised after this stage.
Whitehall sources said key workers such as teachers and police are likely to be among those given early access in a bid to reduce transmission of the virus.
The Government's joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) is expected to make its recommendations the week after next as Boris Johnson issues plans to ease lockdown, starting with the return of schools.
But sources said there was a "clear focus" on giving early priority to key workers including teachers and police.
One said: "The JCVI will need to see the latest data on transmission before they make their recommendations, but we have been clear that there are two things – firstly protecting those most at risk of hospitalisation overall, largely as a result of age, which is what the first cohorts cover, and then looking at those whose roles increase their risk.
"The transmission data will inform the exact recommendations, but it is clear that teachers and police will be given early priority."
The Commons Public Accounts Committee said there was a "strong case" for looking again at which groups should be prioritised after the most vulnerable have been vaccinated – especially frontline key workers who are more exposed to community transmission of the virus.
Meanwhile, a study by intensive care doctors said that while vaccinating the top four priority groups should dramatically cut the number of deaths, it would only reduce admissions to intensive care units by about one third.
Giving jabs to everyone over 60 should cut this by two thirds, the modelling, published in the journal Anaesthesia, suggests.
The study by medics from Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation trust, says targeting high-risk key workers, such as bus drivers and teachers for jabs at this stage, could “accelerate the return to normality” in some areas of life.
However, Government sources said there is unlikely to be any changes made to the priority lists, until the first nine groups - including all over 50s - have received their first jab.
Experts said continued pressures on hospital would mean that many routine operations will be delayed until Easter at the earliest.
Dr Mike Nathanson, president of the Association of Anaesthetists, said: "With the acute care sector so busy, it is very likely that elective care cannot restart until after Easter at the earliest. The many, many patients whose surgery is on hold will continue to wait."
The study by Professor Tim Cook, consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, at Royal United Hospitals Bath Foundation trust, and John Roberts, of the Covid-19 Actuaries Response Group suggests daily deaths will reduce by 88 per cent by the second half of March, in line with Government modelling.
At the same time, hospital admissions will have fallen by 66 per cent and intensive care unit admissions by only 36 percent.
When three more groups - all over 60s, and younger people with underlying health conditions - receive their jabs, deaths will fall by 96 per cent, it suggests.
Meanwhile, hospital admissions would reduce by 81 per cent, while intensive care admissions fall by 65 per cent, the modelling finds.
The authors said: "The model shows the impact of vaccination on deaths due to Covid-19 will be much more rapid than the impact on hospital and ICU admissions.
"The impact of vaccination on daily deaths due to Covid-19 will be substantial throughout February and March.
"The impact of vaccination on hospital and ICU admissions will initially be slower: these will not decrease substantially until late March, with reductions continuing throughout April."
