Federation Chair calls for decisions to be made over prioritising Covid vaccine for police officers
28 January 2021
“Decisions need to be made” over prioritising the vaccine for police officers, the Chair of Surrey Police Federation has said.
Mel Warnes was speaking after it emerged that one in three officers who responded to a national Police Federation survey said they have faced the virus being used as a weapon.
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) 2020 Demand, Capacity and Welfare survey revealed today how officers are risking their own health and wellbeing in the line of duty. A significant number of officers reporting they believed they had contracted the virus (26 per cent). and almost half (45 per cent) of these believed they contracted the virus through work-related activities.
Almost one in three (32 per cent) reported a member of the public who was believed to carry the virus had purposely threatened to breathe or cough on them, while nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said someone had actually done so.
A total of 28 per cent had performed Covid-19 duties involving Covid-related deaths and other associated work.
Both the Prime Minister and the head of the NHS have said there was an argument for prioritising police officers for the vaccine, and the Home Secretary has told chiefs to “get ready”. But no date has yet been given.
Mel said: “The continued discussion at Government level of prioritisation of the public service including police officers in the vaccine rollout is positive, but decisions need to be made. There is an increase in positive cases and those needing to self-isolate within the police.
“Deaths within the police service nationally now appear to sadly be a daily occurrence. This shows the continued danger police officers face doing their job day in day out, having close contact with the public and risk taking the virus home to their families, some of whom are vulnerable.”
John Apter, National Chair, added: “The results of this survey have come directly from our members - those police officers who are on the frontline dealing with whatever society throws at them. The increasing level of violence they face, especially involving the ‘weaponising’ of the virus, is a sad indictment of the society we live in.
“Government must hear them; they must be given all the protection they need to protect themselves and this includes being prioritised for the COVID vaccine. We have had enough of the warm words - we now need action.”
