Vaccine for those not WFH

[Rosebel]

So it sounds like lockdown is going to happen tonight. This will mean people WFH although I know that's happening a lot at the moment.
Am I alone in thinking that any worker (regardless of if they're a key worker or not) who has to go out to work should get the vaccine?
I'm a key worker but can't have the vaccine as I'm on blood thinners so it doesn't affect me personally but I can’t help thinking that all people who aren't working from home should be a higher priority. What are other people's thoughts?

I agree! There’s just not enough to go round though and probably won’t be for some time. Would be great if they were operating quick drive-through versions of a vaccine hub for working people who are able to get themselves to a slot easily and save the hospital / drs surgeries appointments for people who require a bit more time or help. I am hopeful things will ramp up dramatically over the coming weeks. Also with more vaccines coming to the end of their trials we may be in line for more supplies in the not too distant future ...fingers crossed.

Absolutely not, currently the list prioritises by risk and that will cover people wherever they work.

No because in the first instance we are trying to protect the people most at risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and death.

There has been talk of prioritising certain workers once all the over 50s and vulnerable people have been vaccinated. At that point it would make sense.

I agree, I WFH and am a heathy 40 something, I don't need it until way down the line. However, I think it would be too difficult to roll out the vaccine based on job type except for the obvious important exceptions like care/medicine/school.

The attached graph shows why it is important to vaccinate certain groups. Vaccinating people who can’t WFH ahead of those high risk groups will not resolve the issues we currently have with hospitals not being able to cope.

How would it help the NHS if we prioritise getting the vaccine to millions of delivery drivers, supermarket staff, construction workers, postal staff and gardeners, instead of the elderly and vulnerable who are more likely to need a hospital bed if they catch it?

Meant to say, that's just a snapshot of workers who can't WFH. I do feel that police and community NHS staff should get the vaccine asap though. They are in such close contact with the public - moving between multiple members of the public too.
I have huge sympathy for anyone who can't work from home and lives with an elderly or vulnerable person. The stress of not passing it in must be immense.

I work in a factory. I'm not bothered about the vaccine, I'm 30 years old and healthy so I don't feel like I should be priority.

DH’s colleague was 30 and ultra fit/healthy, he had covid in March and is still on part time work because of long covid destroying his lungs.
Teachers should all be vaccinated, they should have been on the list right after HCPs and before 80/90 year olds.

There are only so many people that can be vaccinated within a certain time frame.

DH works out of the home. But he is young and fit and healthy and whilst I know that's no guarantee, I'd much rather us all just prioritise getting the most vulnerable done so we can start to get back to some semblance of normal as quickly as possible.

I imagine vaccinating every worker outside of the home whether they are 18 or 70 will take much longer and tbh I find it a bit unnecessary if you're not in a vulnerable category. We don't vaccinate people for the flu every year for example (I know it's not the flu) and we all still manage to get on with our lives with the most vulnerable receiving the vaccination and the rest of us not.

I'm a police officer and we have no vaccine priority. According to the calculator, I'll get it in Feb 2022.

@GenderApostate19

DH’s colleague was 30 and ultra fit/healthy, he had covid in March and is still on part time work because of long covid destroying his lungs. Teachers should all be vaccinated, they should have been on the list right after HCPs and before 80/90 year olds.

But he’s an outlier.

Your plan only works if you leave all the old people to just die where they are without treatment. Is that what you propose?

and before 80/90 year olds

But isn't the point of this so that those 80/90 year olds who are at much higher risk of needing a hospital bed, will no longer need to take one up i.e. reducing the strain on the NHS?

It's not about who's in closer contact with more people surely. It's about who is more likely to need the NHS should they catch it. And, whilst I appreciate it's not the same for every single fit healthy 30 year old, statistically they are going to be at much less risk of needing a hospital bed than an 80 year old.

Unless your suggestion is we just don't treat people of such an age?

Completely completely agree.

I get the point about hospitals and not overwhelming but as soon as it's possible police, teacHers, food workers should get it.

@GenderApostate19

DH’s colleague was 30 and ultra fit/healthy, he had covid in March and is still on part time work because of long covid destroying his lungs. Teachers should all be vaccinated, they should have been on the list right after HCPs and before 80/90 year olds.

And then bloody hope that they don't have a car accident as they won't be able to get a bed thanks to all the unvaccinated 80 and 90 year olds in hospital

Ffs, do you think they are vaccinating by age and vulnerability for a laugh?

@GenderApostate19

DH’s colleague was 30 and ultra fit/healthy, he had covid in March and is still on part time work because of long covid destroying his lungs. Teachers should all be vaccinated, they should have been on the list right after HCPs and before 80/90 year olds.

Sorry, but I do not agree. I understand that teachers feel unsafe- I would too, and I think they have been treated dreadfully. But I could not support mostly fit and probably low risk teachers getting it before the ECV. If they are covered in a priority group, then they will get it more quickly. Otherwise they need to wait. The schedule has been made by scientists with the aim to reduce the number of deaths and hospital admissions to keep everybody safer - and probably the only reason that otherwise healthy HCPs are prioritised is so that there are people in the hospitals to care for those who are being admitted now.

I'm not saying older people shouldn't get the vaccine I'm saying if it's a choice between a say 50 year old who's fit and healthy and WFH and 40 year old who is working outside the home and in contact with lots of people why should the 50 year old get it first?
Okay they've decided to do it by age but I don't think it's the best approach.

I'm of the view that all health and social care staff and school classroom staff, as well as other front line staff who are working in enclosed spaces where they cannot socially distance, should have the vaccine first; in the order of the risk of them catching the virus associated with their job. One avoidable work related death is one too many; and so far there have been over 500 health and social care workers who have died following covid infection during this pandemic in the uk; including some in their 20s and 30s. After front line staff have been vaccinated then the vaccines should be given out in order of risk should Covid be caught.

Because people want to get back to normal life as quickly as possible and the best way to do that is to vaccinate those who are statistically the most vulnerable.

It's not as simple as saying 'why can't a 40 year old who works out of the home be vaccinated before a WFH 50 year old' because where do you draw the line? Should it be 35 and upward who work outside the home, 30 and up? 20 and up? If you're talking about every single person who works out of the home whatever age they are, that will take a long time.

@Rosebel

I'm not saying older people shouldn't get the vaccine I'm saying if it's a choice between a say 50 year old who's fit and healthy and WFH and 40 year old who is working outside the home and in contact with lots of people why should the 50 year old get it first? Okay they've decided to do it by age but I don't think it's the best approach.

It is. Risk goes up with age (and other factors) By protecting the highest risk categories, they free up the hospitals for those who may require hospital beds, but are most likely to survive treatment.

I can see why teachers should be next in the phase 2 but as a nearly 50 year old who wfh I would like to be fairly up the phase 2 list, wfh doesn’t mean people never go out out .

Teachers and transport workers next yes. Then in age order .

OP, a 50 year old WFH might have DC at school, will go out to supermarkets and might have caring responsibilities. People who WFH aren't shielding.

@tootyfruitypickle

I can see why teachers should be next in the phase 2 but as a nearly 50 year old who wfh I would like to be fairly up the phase 2 list, wfh doesn’t mean people never go out out .

Teachers and transport workers next yes. Then in age order .

So you’d put a fit healthy 35 year old teacher ahead of someone who’s been shielding since March? Sorry but that is not acceptable.

We need to vaccinate those who are statistically most likely to use up the resources of the NHS or die from it, not those most likely to catch it.

There is a huge difference between those who will spend 2 weeks in bed and those who will spend 2 months in hospital.

Ideally we would vaccinate everyone yesterday, but we can’t. We cannot identify those outliers who are young and fit, but sadly die. We can identify those who are most likely to die.

Why would we vaccinate a young healthy teacher, before a severely asthmatic shop worker? The greatest danger has been identified as age, then pre-existing illness. That is the order we should use to vaccinate.

I think those not able to WFH should get it before those who can, once all higher risk individuals have been vaccinated. The current priority list is absolutely right though.

As a teacher I think we should have it, but mainly to enable schools to stay open. If not we will be looking at endless cycles of isolation and disruption for children. For me it’s more about that than personal risk.