A care home worker has kissed goodbye to her near 15-year career after refusing to get vaccinated.
Determined Louise Akester says she still won't get the jab - despite caring for sick and vulnerable elderly residents all day.
Earlier this year, England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty told care home workers they have a “professional responsibility” to get a Covid-19 vaccine when invited.
Addressing people who had not had the jab, he said they must step up and also 'protect you and your family’ - but thousands across the UK remain reluctant.
Akester has slammed the employment decision and says if visitors are not required to have both doses, staff shouldn't be either.
The 36-year-old will leave her job on November 11 and says it will break her heart to say goodbye to the residents at Alderson House in Hull, east Yorkshire.
HullLive report that she has not ruled out getting the Covid vaccine in the future - but isn't willing to get it now and save her job.
After starting as a carer back in 2007, she is now faced will a career change.
The government now requires all care home workers to be double vaccinated against coronavirus inside three weeks, unless medically exempted.
The anti-vaxxer said: "I'm still standing by my decision. My heart has been in that role of work for such a long time.
"I'm at a loss about what I'll be doing after I lose this job. I just feel so heartbroken.
"My manager has been quite emotional over it all as she really does not want to lose me.
"We should have freedom of choice. The only choice I've been left with is either having the vaccine against your freedom of choice, or lose your job.
"It's absolutely destroying me."
She says she has been tested three times a week for Covid, wears PPE gear and follows "all guidelines relating to infection control".
There is no mandatory requirement coming in also for care home residents, or their visitors who are family and friends, to be double vaccinated.
Louise says that is double standards - and says people shouldn't have to choose.
"There can be unvaccinated visitors," she said. "It seems unfair how they can do it, yet I can't.
"I genuinely love my job with all my heart, I only earn minimum wage so believe me it isn’t the money keeping me there.
"It will be one of the hardest days of my life when I have to say my goodbyes to all my lovely residents.
"When I have to leave that building at the end of my final shift knowing that I can no longer return as an employee, all because apparently now I’m not good enough to protect them due to refusing the vaccines.
"This choice should be my basic human right. I do not deserve to be punished for saying 'no'.
"I'd rather wait until we know more about the potential long-term side effects."
Jeremy Brown, professor of respiratory medicine at University College London Hospitals and a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), has said health workers should get vaccinated "as a matter of professional pride".
A government impact assessment in the summer of the double vaccination requirement for care home workers by November 11 suggested around 40,000 staff would be unvaccinated by the cut-off point.
But the GMB union say they have seen a rise in the number of enquiries from carers who are reluctant to get jabbed, seeking information on their employment rights.
