A petition to prioritise grandparents who provide childcare for COVID vaccinations has been launched by a St Albans church-goer.
Fliss Lane, a former pastor at St Albans Vineyard Church, plays a key role in enabling her daughter to work as a teacher by looking after her grandchild, but isn't likely to receive her vaccination until later on in the year.
She has now launched a campaign calling on the government to recognise the crucial role played by grandparents in allowing key workers to continue in their critical roles.
She said: "As grandparents in our sixties we look after our granddaughter in a childcare bubble. Our daughter is a teacher in a London college and her students are classed as vulnerable. She cannot work from home and she also needs to take public transport. Her partner is also a key worker. The COVID infection rate is rising rapidly with this new variant and the risk of getting ill and passing it on is particularly high.
"The current prioritised order to receive vaccination seems good but grandparents in this situation will not be due their vaccine for many months. Grandparents providing childcare for teachers, NHS and key workers on the frontline should have priority to receive the vaccine."
Fliss added: “It’s very important because they are not only enabling teachers and keyworkers to work and keep everything running - but they are in a higher risk age group.
“Government and society is dependent on NHS workers, teachers and all other key workers carrying on working - and if they have children they need to be looked after.
Nurseries are still open but most keyworkers can’t afford to pay - they rely on the grandparents. They don’t want to put their parents at risk but have no choice if they are to feed their families and keep their jobs.”
Comments from those have already signed the letter include: "I look after my grandson while my daughter in law is a carer for the elderly."
And "I'm a keyworker but my mum is at risk for providing me with childcare."
To sign the petition go to https://bit.ly/2LJcIVC
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