Something’s wrong Mr Javid- only you can’t see it

Roger Watson

Trying not to look humiliated and trying to make it look like as if he was making a virtue out of necessity, Secretary of State for ‘Health’ and Social Care, Savid Javid MP climbed down on mandatory Covid vaccines for NHS workers. The injustice of the initial decision was a glaring violation of individual freedom of choice and, even as someone stupid enough to take the first two doses of the vaccine, I am very pleased that this decision has been taken and my two nursing daughters—both vaccinated—feel the same. You don’t have to be in the anti-vaccine camp to understand that forcing a medical intervention on someone unwilling to take it or, in the case of Covid-19, someone for whom it is entirely unnecessary is wrong.

The rights and the wrongs of the situation are one thing but, in the case of Jabber Javid, the lack of logic is astonishing. Here are some questions for him:

• If the vaccines are an absolute necessity to work safely in the NHS and Covid-19 is such a threat to life, then why are they no longer required?
• Is it possible that you are aware that the vaccines are very ineffective at preventing the spread of Covid-19 and, over time, are clearly increasing the risk of infection in older people?
• Why do you think so many people working in the NHS, the vast majority of whom are clinical staff, were refusing to be vaccinated and willing to risk their jobs?

Clearly, he has decided to stop short of forcing mandatory vaccines on NHS staff as the service, already on it knees, would be belly up in no time. But his determination to introduce mandatory vaccines—this time by stealth—is undiminished. In his Oral statement on vaccines as a condition of deployment he said the following:

“First, I have written to professional regulators operating across health to ask them to urgently review current guidance to registrants on vaccinations, including COVID-19 to emphasise their professional responsibilities in this area.”

“Second, I have asked the NHS to review its policies on the hiring of new staff and the deployment of existing staff, taking into account their vaccination status.”

His tactics are clear; he knows he cannot take on the might of NHS clinicians who refuse to take the vaccine or those who have taken it but who fully support freedom of choice. These are a well-educated and articulate bunch who are universally supported by their professional bodies in their stance against mandatory vaccines. Instead, he has decided to bully nursing students and other health professional students many of whom are already under pressure to be vaccinated against their will. This is already leading to an inordinate amount of work for my colleagues in nursing education on whom the responsibility falls to check vaccine status, liaise with the NHS and, ultimately, dismiss students from their programmes of study if they do not comply. This raises another question for Mr Javid:

• If existing staff will be allowed to continue working with patients, then why are you insisting on mandatory vaccination for those entering the healthcare professions?
• Why did you have 40,000 care home workers dismissed from their jobs and are you planning to offer them their jobs or to compensate them for their loss of income?

The fight against mandatory vaccination is far from over. But Sajid Javid will, most likely, be sitting on the benches occupied by Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition by the time the fallout has ceased.