Healthcare Workers Asked To Be 'Volunteer Vaccinators'

Jersey healthcare workers will be asked to vaccinate their colleagues when the Covid-19 vaccine becomes available.

Those asked to act as 'volunteer vaccinators' are:

• Doctors
• Paramedics
• Nurses
• Midwives
• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Radiographers
• Opticians
• Orthoptists
• Chiropodists

It's so frontline health staff can get vaccinated as soon as possible, given they are at a higher risk of catching and spreading the virus.

"We find ourselves in a unique situation, and everyone has a vital role to play in the Island’s fight against COVID-19. While we still don’t know when a vaccine will be available, we have been advised to have our delivery strategy ready by the end of this year.

"So we have spoken to health and social care agencies, and other organisations, to explain how the Government plans to protect staff and patients who are at higher risk from COVID.

"The vaccine will not be compulsory, but if we can get high uptake rates among healthcare workers we will be better prepared to care for patients across both Health and Community Services and external health and social care providers." - Rebecca Sherrington, COVID Vaccine Project Lead.

Following this programme, the vaccine will be rolled out in phases to specific groups of people, starting with those most at risk.

Plans have been put in place to be ready to deliver vaccines from the end of November 2020.