The Government is expected to announce mandatory Covid-19 vaccines for frontline NHS staff in England, with a deadline of next spring for both doses.

The Department of Health said it was not commenting on speculation around the timing of the announcement, which the BBC said would be later today.

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However, NHS officials said they expected the move to happen, which would affect the thousands of unvaccinated staff working in the health service.

Care home workers in England have already been told they must be fully vaccinated by the deadline of this Thursday.

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said that if mandatory vaccination for NHS staff is approached in the right way it could actually result in a rise in the take-up of jabs.

He said there are between 80,000 and 100,000 NHS workers in England who are unvaccinated against coronavirus and he expects a Government announcement on the issue “today”.

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But care groups have called for the mandatory vaccine policy to be axed or delayed so providers can get through winter challenges without more staff leaving.

Unison head of health Sara Gorton said: “The NHS has more than enough on its plate without the Government adding more to its to-do list.

“Vaccination rates are already high across the NHS. Instead of compulsion, ministers should be looking at redoubling their efforts to boost voluntary take-up, which is already more than 90 per cent.

“Mandatory jabs in social care have prompted an unprecedented staffing crisis.

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“The Government should be careful not to make the same mistake twice. It should also consider practical alternatives like daily testing.”

Are any other vaccines mandatory in the NHS?

Flu vaccination has been recommended for staff and vulnerable groups in the UK since the late 1960s.

National flu vaccination rates in the health service have increased from 14 per cent in 2002 to 76 per cent last year. In some settings, however, rates are as low as 53 per cent.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is required for those undertaking exposure-prone procedure – such as surgeons.

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