No queue-jumping! Ministers and civil servants must wait in line for vaccine

Tuesday 05 January 2021

The Government has confirmed that Ministers and senior civil servants will not be allowed to jump the queue to get their covid-19 vaccine - although a small number of operational staff have already had their jabs.

A spokesperson confirmed to Express that between five and 10 civil servants involved in the response to the pandemic had been vaccinated outside of the standard 'age-based' process due to their “prolonged exposure” with potentially positive cases.

They maintained that it was not policy to allow senior officials to get their jabs early, and that vaccinations had only been given to civil servants so far "in less than a handful of cases at the end of the last day of day 5 when the vaccine has been thawed and cannot be used later – this prevents any doses being thrown away and wasted."

Pictured: The Government established a tier system for the vaccine programme.

Becky Sherrington, the Covid Vaccination Programme Lead, explained: “Alongside vaccinating our elderly and most vulnerable islanders, we are vaccinating islanders working in operational and frontline roles where, through the course of their work, they may have prolonged exposure to positive cases.”

According to guidance provided by the Government, the criteria for vaccinating islanders other than through their age is based on “mitigating the risk of death within those who have prolonged exposure with potentially positive cases."

So far, carers in care homes, domestic care workers, funeral workers, staff from Health and Community services, GPs, vaccinators and dentists have been offered vaccines alongside a limited number of operational Government staff who manage the frontline covid response, including those who move around sites, visit teams, stakeholders (patients, public, ministers, army reservists, medics etc.), and are therefore at risk of being in contact with numerous potential positive cases.

Of the Government staff working on the covid response, the decision on who to vaccinate in this limited list was said to be based on clinical consideration and kept confidential in order to maintain its integrity, free from bias or prejudice and to maintain patient confidentiality.

Pictured: Appointments will be available from 13 January 2021 and may be booked online from Wednesday 6 January.

A Government spokesperson assured senior civil servants and Ministers have not been vaccinated, except for those sitting in either the vulnerable category or in the relevant age brackets. They will be vaccinated along with the rest of their respective cohorts.

“There are no plans to vaccinate the Council of Ministers or civil servants, other than when they are entitled to through their age or risk cohort or if they are conducting front line services where they are at risk of coming into contact with positive cases,” the spokesperson confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Government has launched the second tier of its vaccination programme for islanders aged 80 and over. 

Appointments will be available from 13 January 2021 and may be booked online from Wednesday 6 January.

A link had been circulating social media in advance and some individuals had reported making bookings for elderly relatives, but islanders have since been asked not to visit the site until Wednesday as appointments are currently being scheduled for frontline Health and Community Services staff.

Video: The vaccination centre is located at Fort Regent.

The appointments will be at the Covid-19 Vaccination Centre at Fort Regent, but a member of the vaccinator team will visit islanders who can not reach the centre in their home. 

Those who require a home visit should call the Coronavirus Helpline (445566) to arrange an appointment from the 18 January. 

Islanders over the age of 80 years, who live with someone over the age of 75, are also invited to book their appointments through the Coronavirus Helpline to receive their vaccines at the same time.

The Government has asked the family, friends, and neighbours of elderly people who do not have access to the internet to book appointments on their behalf, if requested. 

Parish Halls will also be on hand to support people wishing to make a booking. 

When making a booking, the name, address and contact details of the person to be vaccinated will be required, along with their social security number and date of birth. 

Pictured: Islanders over the age of 80 will be able to book their vaccination appointment from Wednesday 6 January.

“We have vaccinated 3,188 Islanders in Tier 1 with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and are ready to move on to Tier 2 of our programme,” Vaccine Programme Lead, Becky Sherrington, said. 

“As a result, Jersey currently stands third in the world for the number we have vaccinated per 100 people in the population. 

“Our staff will be working hard to ensure Islanders are vaccinated safely and in priority order and so we ask that only those aged 80 or over come forward. This will help keep the programme running smoothly and will help lead us forward to some sense of normality.” 

The Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Richard Renouf, added: “This is another important step in protecting older islanders from covid-19. 

“I would like to encourage all islanders to make sure their relatives, friends and neighbours who are 80 years old and over know about the vaccine slots, book them as soon as possible, and attend their appointments. We need a community effort to protect these islanders.”