Despite fears of a spike in Covid cases this winter, NHS staff will not be subject to a mandatory jab-or job choice requirement before April, claim health bosses.
The announcement of compulsory vaccinations for frontline personnel is likely to occur in the coming days. However, the actual rule is not expected until March.
The policy is part in an effort to control rising infections. Soon, the double-jabbed will be able to receive their third booster dosage a month earlier than originally planned.
An earlier consultation was launched on mandatory jabs for NHS staff. It is similar to the rules in place in care homes. It claimed it would protect patients as well as doctors during a winter period many anticipate to be especially challenging.
But Health Secretary Sajid Javid is rumoured to still have reservations about the policy, with insiders describing him as ‘genuinely split’ — despite publicly saying he was ‘leaning towards’ the mandate.
However, health officials insist that ‘no final determination’ has been made, and that an announcement is unlikely until next week.

Health bosses claim that NHS staff won’t have to choose between a mandatory jab and a job choice before April despite fears of a rising number of Covid cases this winter



Pressure is growing on Mr Javid to roll out the scheme, however, with one official telling the Telegraph: ‘We had this with the flu jab. We were interested to mandate the flu jab.
“There was always opposition from the NHS to it. The point is that if you have more people getting jabbed now by Covid, it will be easier for staff.
“It is one of the best ways for staff to relieve pressure.”
As concerns continue to grow we are making changes to the booster programme to get more shots before Christmas.
Patients across the country will receive invitations starting next week. This will allow them to receive their booster jab up to five months after their second dose.
According to the Sun officials are concerned that millions of seniors will be without protection over the Christmas period due to the slow rollout.
Mandatory jabs have been a consideration by the government for months in order to provide the greatest protection.
Critics say it is not necessary or proportionate, as 92 percent of NHS staff are already jabbed.
Care bosses warn that the compulsory vaccine mandate in their industry is futile. Only 35,000 people have volunteered to get vaccinated since it became a legal requirement.
Care home workers will need to take two doses starting November 11 to keep their jobs.
However, figures show that around 60,000 employees have not received their shots in time. Unions warn that a mass exodus could make some homes ‘no more able to function’.



Figures show that around 100,000 NHS workers have yet to receive at least one dose. The graph below shows the percentage of NHS workers who have received their first dose (blue) and those who have received both (orange).
It comes as Department of Health bosses posted 41,299 positive coronavirus tests in the last 24 hours, down six per cent on last Wednesday’s figure of 43,941.
Cases have fallen week-on-week every day for eleven days barring Monday — a blip that was down to Wales not publishing any infection numbers the previous week.
The latest data available shows that hospitalisations were flat on Saturday. There were 888 cases of the virus in the hospital, which is a drop of 0.7% compared to the week prior.
Deaths are still rising, with last week’s total jumping by 4.8 per cent to 217. Due to the long time it can take for severely ill patients to develop, changes in fatality levels often lag behind cases by several weeks.
The figures were published after Professor Jonathan Van-Tam warned Britons yesterday that another Christmas lockdown could be on the cards if people act like the pandemic has finished.
England’s deputy chief physician officer stated that there were upcoming ‘hard’ months and that the country’s infected rate was ‘running high’ as we head into what is expected a challenging winter for the NHS.
He said, in one of his famous analogies: “The final whistle on Covid still hasn’t blown yet.”