Are nursery staff getting the vaccine? Here's who is eligible

Confusion over whether nursery staff could access jabs resulted in a number of workers being turned away from vaccination centres at the weekend.

This also happened at Salisbury City Hall, prompting the NHS to remind people that only those with an appointment will receive the vaccine.

In the past 24 hours, the Early Years Alliance has provided an update on the situation following a series of false reports circulating online.

It confirmed that the vast majority of early years staff will have to wait longer to get their jabs.

What caused the confusion? 

The National Careers Service suggested that, in some cases, childminders and nursery workers could be classed as ‘social care’ staff who are currently eligible for jabs.

This meant that nursery staff up and down the country were left wondering whether they too could book a vaccine appointment.

Ruth Owen, manager of Alderbury Pre-School, said: “On Friday we heard from other nurseries that the National Careers Service had a list of social care jobs and that nursery workers were on that list.

“I was surprised that out of the blue they'd decided that we were eligible.

“I emailed Wiltshire Council to get more information but it was already quite late so on Saturday two of our members went down to City Hall to check but they were told that they weren’t eligible and they were turning people away.”

Although it was “disappointing”, Mrs Owen was not surprised having previously spoken out about the lack of PPE and testing kits.

When are nursery staff eligible?

In order to qualify as care workers, who are among the top priority groups, staff in early years would need to be providing face-to-face care or support to children or adults who are clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid.

However, as it stands, clinically extremely vulnerable children are not able to attend early years settings so the vast majority of those working in nurseries and pre-schools are not eligible for vaccinations on the basis of their occupation, the Early Years Alliance has clarified.

The Government has also added that "in most cases people who are eligible, those who provide face to face care or support children or adults who are extremely vulnerable, should be contacted directly by their employer and be given a letter to say they are eligible".

"If you wrongly booked an appointment as you don’t fit the above criteria, you will be turned away at the vaccination service, so please cancel your booking so that someone in the eligible cohort doesn’t miss out on an appointment," the Department for Education has said.

Confusion and disappointment

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, has criticised the false reports.

He said: "It is heartbreaking to see such disappointment in the sector following false reports that the early years workforce was eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

"Unfortunately, when self-referral opened to social care workers, many practitioners were incorrectly told they could book, even through official channels such as the 119 helpline or their local council."

He added: "Throughout the pandemic, the early years workforce has walked an impossible tightrope between doing their utmost to care for and educate young children who cannot socially distance, and protecting themselves, their colleagues and their own, sometimes vulnerable, families.

"Their readiness to book these appointments, which they did in good faith, is a mark of just how concerned they are for their own and their loved ones’ safety.  

"The sector does not need false hope or mixed messages.

"It deserves a real assurance from this Government that they will be given priority access to the vaccine, at the earliest possible moment, so they can carry out their vital roles without fear."

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