Javid calms new variant fears as government announces NHS vaccine U-turn
Sajid Javid attempts to calm fears for new variants as he reassures the public that “part of living with COVID means living with new variants and subvariants”.
“While some countries remain stuck on a zero-COVID strategy and others think about how they will safely open up here, we’re showing the way forward, and showing the world what successfully living with COVID looks like”, he said in a statement.
It comes as fears begin to mount around a subvariant of Omicron, called BA.2 which the UK Health Security Agency has marked as a “Variant Under Investigation”, one level below a “Variant of Concern”.
There are 1,072 genomically confirmed cases of BA.2 that have been identified in England.
While early data from Denmark suggests that BA. 2 may be more transmissible, there is currently no evidence that it is any more severe.
Javid took the chance to justify the Tory U-turn on the mandatory vaccination for NHS workers, and said it was “the right policy at the time – supported by the clinical evidence – and the Government makes no apology for it.”
He added: “I have always been clear that our rules must remain proportionate and balanced – and of course, should we see another dramatic change in the virus, it would be responsible to review this policy again.”
“Some basic facts remain: vaccines save lives, and everyone working in health and social care has a professional duty to be vaccinated against COVID-19.”
Whilst the vaccination as a Condition of Deployment in health and social care settings has ended, Javid said: “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.
“And third, I’ve asked my officials to consult on updating my department’s Code of Practice which applies to all CQC registered providers of all healthcare and social care in England.”