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Britain is looking at the possibility of changing rules on mandatory vaccination for healthcare staff, chief secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke said on Monday (January 31). "We do recognise those realities and that does open a space where we can look at this again," Clarke said. Sky News reported Clarke as saying that the policy of mandatory jabs was something that ministers had "always kept under review".

As the deadline for the frontline healthcare workers to get fully vaccinated approaches, tens of thousands of NHS staff who have not yet taken the Covid-19 vaccine face termination in just a fortnight. Although it is estimated that the majority of NHS staff have been fully jabbed, health and social care providers in England will soon be needed to ensure that all those working in areas regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before the April 1, 2022. Those who are exempted from taking the vaccination do not fall under this purview. According to the NHS England guidance around Vaccination as a Condition of Deployment (VCOD) for healthcare workers, all frontline staff must have had both the doses by April 1, meaning that by February 3 the first must have been administered and the second by March 31. All unvaccinated frontline workers will be called into formal meetings from February 4 and given a warning of dismissal. Notices will then be issued from that day, with March 31 marking the end of the notice period

The General Pharmaceutical Council reiterated its stand on Covid-19 vaccination, saying, "Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in all settings across Great Britain should be vaccinated against Covid -19, unless they are medically exempt." In a statement issued today (February 11), it strongly urged all pharmacyprofessionals, students and trainees to get fully vaccinated at the earliest. This reiteration follows the government's announcement on January 31, 2022 that it would not proceed with Covid vaccination as a mandatory condition of deployment for health and care staff providing CQC-regulated services in England. The Council stated that clinical trials have proven the efficacy and safety of Covid vaccines and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised their use in the UK.

Health and social care workers in England, including those working in community pharmacy, will no longer have to have a Covid jab as a condition of employment from later this month, the government said on Tuesday (March 1). The government had announced on January 31 that it intended to revoke the regulations that made vaccination compulsory, subject to the results of a public consultation. The decision was taken because the Omicron strain of the virus was less severe than the Delta variant, and due to high rates of vaccination of people in the UK. Health secretary Sajid Javid told parliament in a written statement that more than 90,000 health and social care workers and members of the public responded to the consultation.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced on Wednesday (January 19) that restrictions re-imposed in England last month would be lifted by from next Thursday (January 27). In the latest development, the government has decided to end the guidance on working from home, asking employers to make adequate arrangements to return safely to work. From the start of next Thursday, mandatory certification based on vaccines and tests will end, however, organisations can still choose to use the NHS Covid Pass voluntarily. Besides, the legal mandate to wear face masks will go away from next week. Making a statement to the House of Commons on Covid-19, he said that infection levels are falling in England mainly because of the country's "extraordinary booster campaign". He noted more than 36 million Covid-19 booster jabs had been delivered, with over 90 percent of over-60s now given a third dose. "Our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally," Johnson added, while cautioning "the pandemic is not over". "I encourage everyone across the country to continue with all the cautious behaviours that we know help to keep each everybody safe."