Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has suggested that police officers, teachers and other critical workers will be in the “highest category of phase two” of the vaccine rollout.
He told Sky News that currently the programme is prioritising those most vulnerable at death from coronavirus.
He added: “Some police officers, of course, and teachers will actually get the vaccine (in phase one) because they are in those categories, but we will very quickly move onto those other critical workers in the economy and, of course, those who are doing an incredible job, like our policemen and women in protecting us and enforcing the rules at the moment, will also be in that highest category of phase two.”
Mr Zahawi has urged the public to follow the rules and wear masks and observe one-way systems in supermarkets.
He told Sky News: “We are concerned that, for example, in supermarkets, we need to make sure people actually wear masks and follow the one-way system rule, and when they are at capacity to operate safely for people to wait outside supermarkets.
“We don’t want to go any tougher because this is a pretty tough lockdown, but what we need is people to behave as if they’ve got the virus so we can bring this virus under control whilst we vaccinate.”
Mr Zahawi has said that 15 million people will be told a vaccine is ready for them by mid-February.
He told Sky News: “The top four categories, actually, for the UK is 15 million people, in England it’s about 12 million people, so we will have offered a vaccination to all of those people.”
Pressed on the difference between being offered a jab and being vaccinated, he said: “When you offer a vaccination it doesn’t mean a Royal Mail letter, it means the vaccine and the needle and the jab are ready for you.
“What you will see us publishing is the total numbers of people being vaccinated, not being offered a vaccine, and that’s the number to hold us to account to.”
