Caller's warzone analogy explains why NHS workers should get Covid vaccine first

4 December 2020, 11:53

This caller told LBC why he thought NHS workers should get the Covid vaccine first

By EJ Ward

This caller had an analogy for why he thought NHS workers should be among the first to get the new Covid vaccine.

After the news emerged that NHS workers will no longer get the coronavirus vaccine first after a Government rethink about who should be given priority, David Lammy spoke to one caller who had an analogy which summed up why he thought they should.

Paul in Shepton Mallet told LBC he is the son of a doctor and a nurse who are both in their 50s.

He branded the decision to take NHS staff off the priority list as "summing up this Government."

He said "they say one thing and then change their mind."

When David asked the caller if he was worried about his parents Paul said he was.

"I know my parents themselves are worried about it,"

Then came his analogy, Paul said while he did feel sorry for older people, "if you're going into a war zone you give the body armour to the soldiers."

Acknowledging the fight against Covid in NHS hospitals was akin to a war zone, David agreed with the caller.

Paul went on to say that the vaccine finally provides "some protection to the people "on the frontline fighting, and then we're told they're not going to get it."

Nick Ferrari challenges Sharma over vaccine prioritisation

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises ministers, recommended on Thursday that the vaccine should be prioritised for the elderly and health workers.

The group have published their list of who they believe should get the vaccine first.

Setrting out the priorities for who will get the vaccine, chairman of the JCVI Professor Wei Shen Lim said: "Vaccines are offered to protect people who are most at risk from dying of Covid-19, as well as to protect health and social care services, because by doing so we also protect lives."