LISTEN: Calls for PSNI officers to be vaccinated as new powers granted

By Brett Campbell

There are calls for police officers to be vaccinated against Covid19 as a matter of urgency.  

It comes as the PSNI is given new powers to enforce the new Stay at Home order now in place across Northern Ireland. 

Officers will be able to direct rule-breakers back home and remove people from illegal gatherings such as house parties. 

The chair of the Police Federation NI, Mark Lindsay, says police need to be protected. 

The PSNI, Public Health Agency and Department of Health have been able to specify a date for when members of the PSNI will begin receiving the vaccine. 

Health minister Robin Swann has previously stated the rate of progress on the roll out will be governed by the supply from manufacturers.  

''We do not have enough supplies to vaccinate everyone right now,'' he said. 

''Supplies will inevitably come in batches. And that means we have to prioritise. In that we will be guided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. There is no defensible alternative to that.

''Protecting care homes and their staff, protecting health and care staff and protecting the health service. Prioritisation will inevitably create tensions.

''I have been pressed by some Members to move different workforces and sectors up the list. Understandably, there are rival demands from across society. And I stress that word rival. When supplies are limited, greater access for one section of the community means another section misses out. That’s basic maths.

''Let me make clear again, I will continue to take my lead from the JCVI. In the coming weeks, the primary focus will remain on protecting those members of our community most at risk of serious illness and death from the virus. I don’t see how anyone could argue against that.''