Police officers react with shock and disbelief as they learn prisoners will receive vaccine priority, but officers won't

25 February 2021

Police officers have reacted with shock, fury and disbelief to reports that prisoners will receive a vaccine against the deadly Covid-19 virus, ahead of those working in policing.

This could see a bizarre situation where a criminal who is jailed for coughing or spitting at a police officer - threatening to infect them with Covid-19 - will get a vaccine for the virus before the police officer they attacked.

According to the most recent Crown Prosecution Service data, assaults on emergency workers were 'most common coronavirus-related crime' between 1 April and 30 September 2020 with 1,688 offences charged.

Many of these involved police officers being coughed and spat on.

However according to a report in today’s Times newspaper, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said teachers, police and other key workers should not get priority for Covid jabs.

But that prisoners can be vaccinated en masse.

Mel Warnes, Chair of Surrey Police Federation, said: “Prioritising prisoners to be vaccinated ahead of police officers is yet another slap in the face for Police officers by the Government.

“Police officers are out there, every day dealing with the public up close and personal. They do not have a choice. They have to go forward when others don’t.

“An example of prioritising someone for the Covid-19 vaccine who has assaulted an officer and sent to prison over the officer themselves beggars belief.

“Police officers have not been prioritised at all, despite a vast number of calls received by the police relate to health and social care issues. We are dealing with individuals alongside our health colleagues, yet we are not protected in the same way.”

Earlier in February, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told police officers they will have to wait their turn to receive the Covid-19 vaccine - and that they will not be prioritised.

Despite lobbying from the Police Federation, Chief Police Officers, the Met Commissioner and the College of Policing over police officers needing to have a level of priority for the vaccine to keep themselves, their families and the public safe, Mr Hancock said officers will not be prioritised until after groups 1-9, as deemed by the JCVI.

So, they will not be eligible for the vaccine until after the first 32 million people in the country have received it. And that is likely to be May. Officers who fall into the first 9 groups – via age or with underlying health conditions – will receive the vaccine that way.