Covid vaccine for police 'must be a priority'

Dr Alan Billings said the public "need a force that is immune" from coronavirus

A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has echoed calls for officers to be prioritised for a Covid vaccine.

South Yorkshire PCC Dr Alan Billings said the public "need a force that is immune", reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

He said front-line officers risked exposure to the virus on a daily basis due to close contact with the public.

It would not be in the public interest to have a police force "seriously debilitated by illness", he said.

"My own view is that we need those in the front line to be protected as soon as possible," Dr Billings said.

His call follows a request by the Welsh Police Federation and Chair of the Met Police Federation in London who also called for officers to receive a vaccine as a priority.

Dr Billings said: "Front-line officers come into contact with the public on a daily basis. Where there is a domestic incident, for example, they may have to enter a house where there may be children as well as adults.

"When someone is arrested and taken to a custody suite, they and the custody officers, will be in close contact while processes are gone through.

"In these and many other instances officers run the risk of contracting the virus and passing it to their colleagues and families and members of the public."

The government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said in its report on 30 December that first responders may be prioritised in the second phase of vaccinations alongside others at increased risk because of their occupation.

However, no decisions have been made.