NHSE ‘will not stand for’ protests at Covid vaccination sites

NHS England ‘will not stand for’ disruption by anti-vaccine protesters at Covid vaccination sites, its primary care director has said.

Dr Nikki Kanani issued the warning at a Downing Street press conference on Tuesday, after learning that protestors held a livestreamed demonstration outside a Covid vaccine bus in Nottingham earlier that day.

Appearing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Dr Kanani warned the public that interference with the programme could disrupt the return to normal life.

Thanking ‘all of those staff, volunteers, everyone involved in delivering our vaccination programme’, she urged the public to ‘make sure you look after our staff at this really challenging time’.

She said: I heard today that a group of people were protesting outside a mobile vaccination bus in Nottingham. I want to say now that we will not stand for it.

‘It is of vital importance that you allow our colleagues to do the job that they need to do. That you allow them to save lives by vaccinating people and, as the Prime Minister said, you allow our teams to get us back to the lives that we love and that we miss so much.’

GP vaccination centres have also been targeted by anti-vaccination protests during the programme.

This included the Alwoodley Medical Centre in Leeds, which was vandalised with anti-vaccine graffiti messages.

GP practices have also had to put up with abuse from patients who are anxious to get the Covid jab.