Covid-19 vaccination for medical students: the grey area
BMJ 2021; 372 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n261 (Published 28 January 2021) Cite this as: BMJ 2021;372:n261Read our latest coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
- Nikki Nabavi, editorial scholar
- The BMJ
- nnabavi{at}bmj.com
In December 2020 and early January 2021, many UK medical students reported they had not been offered vaccination against covid-19. This was in spite of guidance from the UK government’s advisory committee, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation,1 which states that students in clinical years should be prioritised as health and social care staff.
This disparity, and delays in the distribution of vaccines, has led students to call for a more organised, robust vaccine rollout. Currently, provision of vaccination lies with students’ base hospital trusts rather than their medical schools, and many students find themselves lost in a grey area between the two, missing their vaccine invitation.
This has raised a broader question of who is responsible for the occupational health and wellbeing of students.
Disparity
The sentiment “right place, right time” rings true for many students on clinical placements, who have noticed that they need a bit of luck to be offered the vaccine, and cannot rely on getting the formal invitations that senior doctors, nurses, and reception staff have received.
In the BMA student newsletter, Tinaye Mapako and Becky Bates, co-chairs of the BMA Medical Students Committee, mentioned concerning anecdotal evidence of students who had been refused the vaccine in some trusts.
“As with all frontline health workers, medical students in patient-facing roles must be included in the vaccine rollout,” they wrote. “Your education is essential—the NHS workforce has clear numbers of doctors it needs to graduate each year. Aside from this, we know you also rotate frequently and we need to ensure this can continue to happen safely, in order for you to gain all the experience you need to be safe, competent doctors. We …
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