Matt Hancock says 80% of care home workers have had first vaccine dose

Health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed 80 per cent of all care home workers have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, which he called “solid progress” but admitted no decision has been reached on compulsory vaccinations for care staff.

With four-fifths of care home residents vaccinated, Mr Hancock told ITV’S Good Morning Britain: “That number keeps increasing".

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) set a target of 80 per cent vaccination amongst care home staff in each care home for that care home to be deemed safe.

Mandatory vaccinations: ‘We haven’t made a decision’

When asked if people have the freedom not to have the vaccine and keep their jobs in care homes, the health secretary said: “Well the good news is we’ve now reached 80 per cent - so four-fifths of care home workers who’ve had their first jab, which is a really solid progress. Good increase over the past few weeks."

On whether the government will make care worker vaccinations compulsory, Mr Hancock said: “We haven’t made a decision to make this jab a condition of working in care homes. What I’d say to anybody working in a care home is the jab is safe and it not only protects you but it protects those who you have a duty of care towards.

“I understand why many care homes want to make this a condition. Want to be able to say ‘you’ve got to have the jab to be able to work in this care home’ because they care about the people who are in those homes.”

Compulsory vaccination is not unprecedented, as NHS staff are already required to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B if they work on NHS premises. If vaccination is made compulsory it is likely to just be in England as social care is a devolved issue.

Some care home providers including Barchester, Care UK and Advinia Healthcare have already taken the decision to make vaccination mandatory, although there are exemptions such as if the employee is pregnant.

James Sage, head of the health & social care sector team at Royds Withy King, has said requiring new staff to be vaccinated "could be lawful in some cases" but "care needs to be taken where an applicant for employment does not want to be vaccinated because of a protected characteristic. Mr Sage says refusal to offer a job in those circumstances "could give rise to discrimination claims”.