Tradespeople must be next on the vaccine priority list

The government is doing a great job getting the UK population vaccinated, with more than 13 million elderly and vulnerable people, as well as those in vital frontline roles, already having had their first jabs.

Following the science to vaccinate those most likely to be hit hardest or even die from Covid is a no-brainer. The sooner we get this group as well insulated from the virus as possible the better.

But it’s not enough to concentrate on those most likely to suffer severe symptoms or death from Covid, while ignoring those whose essential work takes them into contact with large numbers of people and households. This is why I think certain occupations should also be vaccinated sooner rather than later, irrespective of the age or medical history of individual workers.

If I had anything to do with doling out vaccines, I’d be making them available to teachers and emergency services workers early on in the campaign. Speaking of teachers, wouldn’t it be a good idea to vaccinate them now while the schools are off, so they will have a relatively high level of immunity once their students return?

And once those vitally important groups are protected, it would seem to make sense to move onto other essential occupations, such as tradespeople, who routinely move between households and workplaces, coming into contact with many people, as they go about their work.

If the aim is to stop the spread of this ruthless virus, then vaccinating those who provide vital services, who have contact with the most people, has to be as much of a strategic move as prioritising the elderly and vulnerable. In fact, getting the jab into people who must continue to move around a lot and come into contact with others is another very good way of protecting the vulnerable. The less chance an at-risk person has of coming into contact with an infected person the safer they are, surely?

We have learned that the Covid virus can make victims of all ages ill, but that it’s particularly merciless when it infects an elderly or unwell person. To stop it in its tracks we need to be smart and block off any opportunity it might have to find its target. So far we’ve locked down the whole country three times, closed schools, shut pubs, theatres, and restaurants, all to reduce the virus’ chances of finding a victim, by jumping from person to person.

The government is on totally the right track by getting jabs into people as fast as is humanly possible, and looking at the news from abroad, I think when the dust settles on all this, those responsible for securing the vast quantities of vaccine we now have before it was even clear they would work, should be knighted.

But until then we need to be as strategic as possible about who we vaccinate and when.

Charlie Mullins is the founder of Pimlico Plumbers