James O'Brien ponders mandatory vaccines and 'no jab no job' policies

16 June 2021, 11:54 | Updated: 16 June 2021, 13:30

James ponders mandatory vaccines

By EJ Ward

'I feel wary of the idea of mandatory vaccines': James O'Brien reacts to possible mandatory Covid vaccines for some workers.

With the news, Covid jabs could be made compulsory' for care home staff in England LBC's James O'Brien pondered the issue.

James said he was left feeling "wary" by the idea of compulsory vaccinations, as he explained to his audience why.

"I don't get spooked by phrases like 'state sanctioned' or 'ordered by the state', I think it should be all about context."

James pointed out that the government often order people to do things that they might not like.

He also said there were "certain things that you can't give to other people to ingest."

"You have to educate your children, you have to prove you're looking after them properly, you have to feed your children, if you don't feed your children they'll take them away."

"Bloody interfering government."

James said he did not understand the "knee jerk emotional objection" to mandatory vaccines.

He also then raised the BCG vaccine which all children are given in school.

"A lot of vaccinations over various years have been mandatory," James said. Asking, "would we have eradicated SmallPox if the vaccination was entirely optional?"

The Vaccination Act 1853 made it compulsory for all children born after 1 August 1853 to be vaccinated against smallpox during their first 3 months of life.

Care home staff already said they are quitting over compulsory jabs

Boris Johnson has thrown his support behind mandatory Covid vaccinations for frontline workers and is said to have the support of ministers, a report in The Times has claimed.

Likewise, a piece in the Guardian says the government will hold two consultations into the controversial measure for the health service in the coming days.

A separate consultation for only employing inoculated care home staff has already been held, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed.

She added that the DHSC will publish its response to the review "in the coming days".

However, back in December, the prime minister said in the Commons that "it is not part of our culture or our ambition in this country to make vaccines mandatory".

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