P-05-1117 Give Police Officers the Covid Vaccination as a priority, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 12.01.21
Petition: Give Police Officers the Covid Vaccination as a priority.
Police officers are not on the priority list to receive the Covid-19 vaccination, even though they are in a high risk job.My son is a police officer who contracted Covid whilst arresting a member of the public. At present he has been off work for 4 weeks and is signed off until the end of December. He passed the virus to his heavily pregnant wife who ended up in the Covid ward in hospital. She had to have an emergency CS with the twins born a month early. Not only are police at high risk to themselves every day, they also risk their families. Additionally the loss of policing time is a great strain on the force when officers are off sick with Covid.
Since placing the above Petition on line, my son was signed off sick again with Long Covid until the 21st January 2021. Subject to him being fit to return then, he would have been away from his duties for over 10 weeks as he has not worked since 10th November. This situation is placing a huge strain on the police when officers are unfit due to Covid.
The signing of the Petition was rather slow to start with; however I understand from my son that the Police Federation came across the Petition and put a link to it on their Facebook Page, urging Offices to sign it. This Facebook Page is not a public site, so can only be viewed by the police employees. Over a couple of days there were up to 4000 signatures in a day following this link on the Police Federation’s Facebook Page. I think it fair to assume this surge in signatures was primarily a result of police officers signing it as they are worried for their health and that of their families.
On the 5th January 2021, BBC Wales and Powys County Time websites drew attention to the Petition which was strongly supported by the Police. Extracts enclosed.
I am 74 and I would happily give up my immunisation to a police officer. I keep myself safe and am unlikely to contract Covid; unlike the police who have to deal with those who put the majority of the public at risk.
Graham Bishop