A HEALTHCARE professional who is set to lose her job because she won’t have a Covid vaccine has spoken of her ‘fears and frustrations’.

The woman is one of thousands of people who are being told to take the vaccine. At present, healthcare workers will need to have received their first jab by February 3 in order to be fully vaccinated by the March 31 cut-off point. The policy comes into effect on April 1.

Those that do not meet that deadline are at risk of dismissal. One healthcare worker from East Lancashire who did not wish to be named said the policy was ‘unfair’ and ‘discriminatory’.

She said: “I love my job but I have not been left with a choice.

“I have no issue with vaccines just do not feel this vaccine has been tested enough. “Eighteen hundred people have died and others have had adverse reactions taking the vaccine so I do not feel this is something that should be forced on someone.

“It also does not stop me from catching Covid or stops me from spreading it.”

It comes as another protest against the mandatory vaccine policy was held on Vivary Way, Colne, today (Saturday January 29).

The health worker said she had no objections to other people taking the vaccine.

“I think it is up to them and it is their choice. “Some of my family have taken it, while others have not. I have had Covid and I am healthy and feel I have built up anti-bodies against it.

“I am not against vaccines and have had injections for other illnesses.” She said the issue had caused a great of anguish for other people in her team.

“There are a number of people within our group who risk losing our jobs that we love and are good at. We have got an email saying that we have until February 3 to get our first jab.

“We are not going to do that, so will have to look for another job. Some of us have been working in healthcare for decades. Some people work on the frontline and would not be permitted to enter places such as hospitals and care homes.

“We have worked through the lockdowns and pandemic through difficult working environments.

“At the same time some of us have worked remotely so I can’t see why we now being forced to take a vaccine when it will not have an effect on our jobs.”

Mandatory jabs could have a significant impact on staff retention and put further pressure on the NHS while marginalising the vaccine hesitant, according to the Royal College of Nurses (RCN).

The Royal College of GPs and the RCN have encouraged the take-up of vaccinations among NHS workers but are among those who have expressed concern over the rapidly-approaching deadline.

Across England, 94% of healthcare workers had received at least one vaccination by December 31, meaning more than 85,000 were still unvaccinated at this point. Nearly three-quarters of staff have received a booster jab nationally.