Exclusion zones to prevent anti-vaxxers protesting outside schools are being considered to bar "idiots" from spreading lies about Covid jabs, Sajid Javid has said.
The Health Secretary said children have been injured in clashes with protesters, who are spreading “vicious lies” about the safety of the vaccine.
Labour has also called for councils to be able to use exclusion orders to prevent harassment of staff and pupils by anti-vaxxers outside schools.
Mr Javid said those measures could be an option for dealing with the growing problem.
It comes as the Government is battling to speed up the lagging jabs rollout for 12 to 15-year-olds amid mounting concern about the spread of Covid infections.
Questioned on Sky News about protests in which three children were hurt, he said: “These people are doing so much damage.
“First of all, here you have three children that are injured, actually physically injured, and that’s heartbreaking to see – children going about what they should be doing, going to school every day, and you’ve got, frankly, these idiots outside their school spreading vicious lies.
“It is becoming a growing problem as time goes by.”
He said there are options for tackling the problem – “in terms of whether it’s an exclusion zone, or other potential action, I think it’s got to be done at a local level”.
“If you’ve injured children, that is a criminal act and I hope in that case police are able to track those people down.”
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) revealed earlier this month that most of the schools surveyed by the union (79%) have been targeted by anti-vaxxers.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said it is “sickening” that those against vaccinations are demonstrating at school gates.
“Labour believes the law around public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) urgently needs to be updated so that local authorities can rapidly create exclusion zones for anti-vax protests outside of schools.”
PSPOs have been used to ban protesters from standing outside abortion clinics, or to allow police to confiscate alcohol in some public areas.
But they can take time to acquire and require significant consultation.
Labour wants to process to be sped up so rapid orders can be granted within five days to stop harassment outside schools.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “No child should be made to feel scared or intimidated on their journey to and from school.
“Pupils have endured enough disruption to their education in recent months, so there is absolutely no place for angry protests outside school gates.”
