Fears over care home staff who refuse Covid vaccine

Almost a third of London boroughs say they have now given all their elderly nursing home residents their first coronavirus vaccination — but concerns have been raised about slower uptake among some frontline care staff.

Hackney and the City of London, Newham, Camden, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Barking and Dagenham say they have vaccinated all care home residents who are well enough and accepted the jab.

Southwark and Lambeth were on track to finish giving injections by the end of last week and Kingston, Croydon, and Lewisham are believed to be have nearly completed the first round of vaccinations.

Barking and Dagenham, which has some of the highest virus rates in the country, said it had also now vaccinated more than 70 per cent of residents aged 80 and over who are living independently.

But younger frontline workers in the first priority category for jabs had not come forward at the same rate, Barking’s cabinet member for health Maureen Worby said.

“The good news is every resident in all our care homes has now had a vaccination,” she said. “Everybody in those priority categories has been offered the vaccine. But not everyone has taken it up.

“With the elderly, the uptake has been really, really strong, because they are vulnerable and they want to have the vaccine. There is a slower uptake among some of the frontline workers. There are some myths out there about the safety of having the vaccine and all I can say is it is safe.

“There are no risks — please if you are offered the vaccine, have it.”

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