Representative of South Yorkshire police officers calls for Covid vaccines for cops

The organisation, which represents rank and file police officers, said they are putting their ‘health on the line’ to help others and should be protected.

Police Federation bosses are calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ‘do the right thing’ and ensure police officers receive priority access to vaccines.

South Yorkshire chairman Steve Kent said: “As well as the fact officers who put their health on the line should be protected by the vaccine for their own well-being and to prevent losing our front line officer numbers to sickness, it’s ludicrous that officers who have no choice but to go to numerous households aren’t given the maximum chance to stop them unwittingly spreading it themselves.

“The government needs to stop ignoring the police as they have on occasions during this pandemic and get our officers and staff protected ASAP.”

National Police Federation chairman John Apter said: “It’s time for the Prime Minister to do the right thing for police officers in the thick of this pandemic. I am calling on him to back my colleagues in their time of need as more are absent from work after contracting the virus or having to self-isolate.

“This is certainly not about jumping the queue in front of the most vulnerable members of society or those on the NHS frontline. It’s about ensuring policing is resilient enough to cope with the demands of the pandemic and that my colleagues can continue to support the public during these exceptional times.

“If we expect police officers to continue to police in the way that we do then it’s essential they are given the protection they deserve.

“Getting hands on and working in close contact with members of the public is often unavoidable. This creates a risk, not only for our members and the public they are dealing with, but also for the officers’ families.

“I formally request that the National Police Chiefs Council makes representations to ensure that police officers are prioritised as part of the COVID vaccine programme.”