SAJID Javid will force NHS staff to have two Covid jabs as Britain battles with a fresh wave of infections.
The health minister is planning to introduce laws that will make vaccines mandatory for all NHS workers and will be enforced “as soon as possible”.
According to The Times, Javid believes the moves will protect vulnerable patients from catching the deadly virus.
However, health groups have warned that it could force hospitals to fire or remove staff from the frontline.
In England, 106,351 NHS workers have yet to be vaccinated – which amounts to seven per cent of the entire workforce.
Javid, who has set up a “war room”, has been chairing daily meetings on the Covid pandemic.
The minister has drawn up new measures to ease the pressure on the NHS as the number of new infections skyrocket.
Meanwhile, Javid ordered health chiefs to allow over-50s to book in their third vaccine a month earlier than planned to speed up the vaccination programme amid growing fears of a winter lockdown.
Government sources told the Daily Mail that the new plan will be put into effect as soon as possible.
The updated booking system will allow Brits to book in advance so they can secure the booster as soon as the first day they are eligible.
It comes after SAGE scientists warned of a Christmas lockdown.
Professor Peter Openshaw, a member of Nervtag and SAGE subgroup CO-CIN, said that the current death rates are “unacceptable” and people need to act now.
A joint statement from unions including the TUC, Usdaw, Unison, Unite, the GMB and Aslef representing three million workers have also demanded the Government bring in policies including the return of home-working and mandatory face masks.
The unions say there are already “hundreds” of outbreaks in workplaces as the national case and death toll continues to rise.
Professor Openshaw, of Imperial College London, told BBC Breakfast: “I’m very fearful that we’re going to have another lockdown Christmas if we don’t act soon.
“We know that with public health measures the time to act is immediately. There’s no point in delaying.
“We all really, really want a wonderful family Christmas where we can all get back together.
“If that’s what we want, we need to get these measures in place now in order to get transmission rates right down so that we can actually get together and see one another over Christmas.”
