COVID: Shadow Defence Minister Wants 'Clear And Concise' Plan For Personnel Vaccinations

The Labour Party has called for the Government to set out clearly how and when Armed Forces personnel will receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Latest Ministry of Defence (MOD) statistics show 3,291 personnel have tested positive for coronavirus.

Shadow Armed Forces Minister Stephen Morgan told Forces News the Labour Party is calling on the Government to end the "dither and delay" and set out a "clear and concise" plan to provide "some certainty for troops".

"If people are stepping up and putting their lives at risk in any profession, it's absolutely right that the Government sets out a plan for when they will get the vaccination," he said.

"That is absolutely right for our Armed Forces as well."

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson has said there is a strong case for military personnel to receive the vaccinations as a priority in phase two of the UK rollout.

However, that decision will be made by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Mr Morgan added that the vaccine is particularly "crucial" when personnel are helping with both testing and vaccination.

Last week, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the British military was establishing which service personnel would be prioritised for the vaccine.

Mr Wallace did explain he expects "them to be a small group at first", and said so far no defence personnel had received a vaccination as "they are not in the priority groups one to four".

Around the UK and overseas, the Armed Forces are assisting with the nation's battle against the coronavirus – the UK's biggest ever homeland military operation in peacetime.