ABOUT 20 per cent of Slough’s social care workforce remain unvaccinated as the deadline for all health workers to be jabbed fast approaches.

From April 1, all health and social care workers in England, including volunteers working in face-to-face contact with users, will have to be double vaccinated unless they are medically exempt.

This means the deadline for staff to get their first jab is February 3 in order for them to get their second dose on March 31.

Despite a vast majority of healthcare workers being vaccinated, about 80,000 are yet to receive a single dose, prompting fears from public health bosses this could lead to mass shortages if the government doesn’t delay the deadline.

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At a Slough outbreak engagement board meeting, interim public health consultant Dr Sohail Bhatti believed all care home staff within the borough are vaccinated.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, January 20, Alan Sinclair, the council’s director for adult social care, said up to 20 per cent of Slough’s social care workers are yet to be fully jabbed.

He said: “We’re not hearing very much out of government in relation to this. Although they have published the guidance, there’s not very much happening in terms of sorting this out which makes me slightly more anxious.”

Meanwhile, Rhian Warner from the Frimley Clinical Commission Group, said the impact of this on primary care staff is “minimal” as only one per cent are yet to be vaccinated.

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According to Dr Bhatti, one in four people in Slough, which amounts to just under 39,000 people in the borough, who are eligible to be vaccinated not protected from coronavirus. 11:53.

He said: “We’ve got quite a lot of work to do in terms of vaccination. There are more than 70,000 vaccines we need to give.”

As of January 9, Berkshire Public Health data shows 65 per cent of Slough residents have been double-jabbed, making the borough the least vaccinated in Berkshire.

About 32,000 of the double vaccinated are still needing to be boosted.

Are you a health or social care worker? We would like to hear from you on how this mandate will affect you. Please contact james.bagley@newsquest.co.uk