Eastbourne nursery workers turned away from vaccine centre

On Friday (February 12) nursery workers booked in for the vaccine with some jabs being administered on Monday (February 15). But now people are being turned away.

A nursery worker told the Herald that although they booked an appointment in the proper way, they were turned away at the door and told they are not eligible for the jab despite some of their colleague receiving the vaccine the day before.

They said they were told this was because the rules changed at 4pm the day before (February 15).

The nursery worker said, “The person I spoke to this morning said that they have already had 40 nursery workers who had booked in turned away over Eastbourne, which I think is really bad because actually those vaccines have been booked so what is going to happen to them? It is not like someone else can book an appointment that has already been booked. I get it if they change their mind but they should honour the ones that have already been booked in rather than getting us all to turn up just to be turned away.”

The nursery worker said they were told their category had been changed.

The nursery worker said, “I am thinking, out of these 40-odd people, are they actually going to get to use the vaccine that they have booked in for us and somebody else can have it or are they going to be binned at the end of the day? I don’t know that but what I am saying is what is going to happen to these 40-odd appointments that have been made?”

The nursery worker said their colleagues have still not been told they will be turned away.

The nursery worker said, “The man I spoke to said, ‘Can you please pass on to your colleagues not to turn up for their ones later in the week because we are all booked in.’ And I was a bit like, ‘It is not really my job to tell them but I obviously will. Why is it not you telling us not to turn up?’”

It is reported nursery workers in Brighton and Plymouth experienced similar issues.

The nursery worker said, “I think there is a similar thing which has been happening in Brighton over this weekend as well. So if you think about it being all over different pockets of the country, that is a massive amount of wasted travel, potentially wasted vaccine, I don’t know if they will get used, they might do, and also the stress of it as well because no one wants to show up not knowing if they are going to have it or not.”

A spokesperson for the Sussex vaccination programme said, “We are aware that misleading information has been shared nationally on social media which suggests that nursery staff, childminders and other early years workers are currently eligible for vaccination.

“At present, only those frontline health and social care workers identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation in priority cohort two are eligible.

“It does not include those working with children who do not have underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk of serious illness from Covid-19.

“In Sussex, we continue to vaccinate people in the priority cohorts set by the JCVI, and local authorities are helping to identify eligible social care staff. People who may have booked in error are asked to wait their turn so we can prioritise those eligible for vaccination, including older residents and those who are clinically vulnerable.

“People who are not eligible are urged not to book an appointment. If they do, they can expect to be declined the vaccination when they attend.”

The Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years, along with other professional associations, has said in a statement, “Despite this clarification, we are aware that a number of childcare and early years practitioners are still being given vaccination appointments via the NHS online booking system and 119 phone line. We continue to wait for clarification from DfE and DHSC as to why this is happening if practitioners are NOT prioritised and what should happen to those who have received an appointment.”