Exclusive: Some early years workers set to receive Covid-19 vaccine as a priority

A spokesperson for Doncaster County Council has confirmed that ‘early years workers will receive the vaccination in line with priority health and social care frontline workers’. The spokesperson was unable to clarify a timescale but priority vaccinations have started in the area.

Doncaster childminder Nicki Randall said that she is ‘absolutely delighted’ and expects to receive the vaccination by mid-February, but is awaiting confirmation.

‘It is a recognition of the important work that early years are doing in allowing parents to continue to work while knowing that their children are safe and happy,’ said Ms Randall.

‘As a childminder who is actually clinically vulnerable anyway it is obviously a huge relief and I am delighted that Stephanie Douglas [head of service early years at Doncaster Borough Council] has pushed for us to get it. It’s a big weight off our mind feeling that you have got some sort of protection. Obviously in early years there is no social distancing and young children are often not displaying symptoms so this will give us extra confidence.’ 

Elsewhere, early years practitioners in Cambridgeshire have been left ‘feeling angry’ when emails sent by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group asking them to register for the Covid vaccination were retracted.

‘We were really excited to receive an email to register our details for the vaccine but two days later we received another email saying that it had been a mistake,’ said Claire Whitehead, deputy manager of Seesaw Pre-school in Cambridge.

‘There was nothing to say when we would be getting the vaccination. We were so disappointed because we really want to protect our families as well as ourselves but this is just another kick in the teeth for those who work in early years.’

A Cambridgeshire nursery owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said that she did not feel it was the fault of Cambridgeshire County Council who are ‘working incredibly hard’ to obtain vaccinations and testing for the early years sector.

‘I feel so angry about the whole situation,’ she added. ‘There was a little bit of hope for staff who are working on the frontline. To be told that and then have it taken away was obviously very demoralising and made us feel that our sector is pretty worthless. I feel we are disrespected by the Government.’

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said that it is following national guidelines laid out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). ‘Our top priority is to ensure the vaccine is offered to those who are most vulnerable,’ she said. ‘In line with JCVI national priorities, this includes residents of care homes, the over 80s and those providing frontline health and social care.

‘By offering to these groups, we are following the national guidelines and Cambridgeshire County Council, Peterborough City Council and the local NHS are working hard to ensure these groups receive their jabs and not a drop of vaccine is wasted.

‘As part of this work, other groups on the national priority list levels 3 and 4 are beginning to be invited to come forward for vaccinations. Today, we have clarified to schools and early years settings across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that at this stage, the eligibility for the vaccine will only include staff who provide personal care and support.

‘But we have also started to collect data from schools and other priority groups to be ready should the national guidelines allow us to provide wider vaccination at a later stage to people in these settings.’

Chief executive of National Day Nurseries Association Purnima Tanuku called for more local authorities to follow Doncaster’s lead to vaccinate early years workers as a priority.

‘This will be really welcome news for all early years staff in the Doncaster area,’ she said. ‘We have been pressing the national Government to make early years staff a priority because the work they are doing is so vital for children and families in an environment where we know it’s impossible to socially distance.

‘We’ve seen councils taking different approaches with early years on testing and vaccination and we hope more will follow Doncaster’s plans and vaccinate early years workers as soon as possible. At a time when nurseries and their staff are being asked to go above and beyond in this current lockdown it is only right that they get as much practical and financial support as possible.’

Commenting, Neil Leitch, Early Years Alliance chief executive said, ‘It is really positive that some councils are acknowledging the vital and frontline nature of working in the early years sector – and the risk that entails – and already offering staff the vaccine. Many working in the early years are extremely anxious about their own and their families’ health. While we recognise the difficult decisions councils are making during the pandemic, where supplies allow, we would encourage others to follow. 

‘That said, early years providers should not be subjected to a postcode lottery of vaccinations, at what is already a stressful and uncertain time. Those caring for young children have no option to socially distance and are actively discouraged from wearing PPE. It is therefore well past time for central government along with the JCVI to consider the specific circumstances of the early years workforce and plan for the whole sector to be vaccinated at the earliest possible moment.’

The Department for Education has been asked for a comment.