Britain’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured) has decided to revoke regulations making COVID-19 vaccines compulsory for health and social-care staff in the country’s National Health Service (NHS).

A legal requirement for such staff to be double-jabbed, which had been due to take effect from 1 April, is to be removed, “subject to consultation and parliamentary approval”.

The plan had sparked protests from some NHS staff, and concerns that it would exacerbate staff shortages in the sector.

Javid told MPs that the condition was no longer “proportionate”, while a statement from his department said that “the balance of opportunities and risks” of the policy had now changed with the dominance of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

‘Professional duty’

The department added that two vaccine doses against Omicron became less effective over time, leading to a campaign for people to receive a booster shot being launched in December.

"This, coupled with the lower levels of hospitalisation and mortality, suggests the population as a whole is now better protected, with the latest evidence suggesting that the risk of presentation to emergency care or hospital admission is approximately half of that for Delta,” the department stated.

“As a result, the government has re-examined the policy as it considers how best to achieve public health and safety with the minimum number of restrictions or requirements on people’s lives,” it added.

While the legal requirement is set to be revoked, the government has continued to urge NHS staff to get vaccinated.

“Some basic facts remain: vaccines save lives, and everyone working in health and social care has a professional duty to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” Javid said.