February 26, 2021 - 1490 views
Two senior leaders representing North Wales Police have spoke on the “extremely disappointing news” that frontline officers won’t be given priority for Covid jabs.
North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones spoke out after it was revealed that people aged 40 to 49 will be the next group to receive a the vaccine when the over 50s have been given the jab - currently expected to be by mid April.
The UK scientific advisors whose recommendations have been used by all the governments in the UK - including Wales - have ruled against giving priority to police officers and teachers in the next phase of the vaccine rollout.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said that focusing on age would "provide the greatest benefit in the shortest time". It concluded that the most effective way to prevent death and hospital admission is to carry on prioritising people by age.
The Welsh Government has followed the independent advice on vaccine priority from the JCVI since the start of the vaccine rollout as have all the devolved administrations.
The refusal to give police officers priority was condemned by Mr Jones who said: “Police officers deserve better treatment than this because they are among the heroes of this pandemic.
“The recommendation that they, along with teachers, should not be given priority is a real kick in the teeth when they potentially they put their lives on the line every time they go out on duty. The Covid pandemic has added another layer of risk to an already dangerous job, especially when new and more contagious variants of the virus are spreading the disease.
“Unbelievably, police officers have had to deal with the additional threat from a small minority of offenders spitting or coughing in their faces, saying they are infected with coronavirus.
“As a matter of urgency, I am calling on the Welsh Government to put this right by including police officers among those given priority to receive a jab so they can continue to protect our communities across North Wales during the pandemic.”
Writing later in the day on Friday as part of a joint statement from Wales' four Chief Constables, Carl Foukes Chief Constable of North Wales Police said: "Following the announcement by the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) this morning, we as Chief Constables across Wales are incredibly disappointed with their decision.
"Whilst we have recognised and supported the decisions to vaccinate those in high risk categories, we have repeatedly asked that Policing be risk assessed so our officers and staff can be given due consideration, given the risks they take daily on behalf of us all.
"Police officers by the nature of their role have to go into different settings and come into contact with all high risk groups along with also being unable to social distance and on many occasions cannot maintain PPE as designed, given the physical role they have to undertake.
"In addition they are being tasked with enforcing isolation and quarantine arrangements on the government’s behalf on those they know have the virus.
"We believe that now the most vulnerable have been vaccinated we should seek to vaccinate those that risk their own safety and health, not through choice but through necessity to keep us all safe.
"We recognise the challenge of identifying those in a specific employment, but within policing this information can be made readily available and we are happy to supply this information.
"Protecting the protectors we believe is key if we are to maintain the trust of front line officers who are daily going above and beyond.
"As such we would ask that this decision is reconsidered in recognition of the unique role of policing, additionally we will continue to work, in Wales, with the Welsh Government in relation to this matter."
CC Carl Foulkes - North Wales Police
T/CC Claire Parmenter - Dyfed Powys Police
CC Pam Kelly - Gwent Police
CC Jeremy Vaughan - South Wales Police
