Bereaved families criticise Covid-19 vaccine rollout at public inquiry
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Bereaved families have criticised the “haphazard” rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, including concerns over who was classed a key worker and access for rural communities. At the UK Covid-19 inquiry on Wednesday, campaigners whose family members died after contracting the virus discussed issues related to the vaccination programme including disparities in how it was implemented across different areas of the UK.
Fiona Clarke, representing the Northern Ireland Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, was asked by counsel to the inquiry Daniel Mansell about her witness statement where she highlighted that in June 2021 the Government in England indicated vaccines would become compulsory for care home staff but that this approach was not adopted by the devolved government in Northern Ireland.
“It was so haphazard. Nobody knew what the other one was doing,” she replied. Ms Clarke, who was previously taken to hospital with Covid and whose mother died aged 90 after testing positive for the virus in January 2021, went on to say she thought there should have been a different approach for vaccinating those in rural communities.
She said: “They should have had a mobile, a doctor on call to go out and administer the medication, administer the vaccines, it would have been so much more helpful.”. Giving evidence, Melanie Newdick, whose mother died after contracting Covid-19, criticised disparities in the speed of the vaccine rollout across the different parts of the UK, including Scotland.
