The government are 'absolutely thinking about' the measure - which would mark a dramatic U-turn.
Coronavirus jabs could become compulsory for NHS workers, the vaccine minister has confirmed.
Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News on Sunday morning: ‘It’s absolutely the right thing and it would be incumbent on any responsible government to have the debate, to do the thinking as to how we go about protecting the most vulnerable by making sure that those who look after them are vaccinated.
‘There is precedent for this, obviously surgeons get vaccinated for hepatitis B, so it’s something that we are absolutely thinking about.’
The Government has previously insisted that people in the UK should have a choice of whether to be vaccinated or not, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeatedly saying it will not be mandatory.
Others suggest persuasion is a better route that making jabs mandatory and Labour suggested the move would amount to ‘threatening’ health care staff.
Around 10% of NHS staff are currently not vaccinated, according to reports.
But jabs could soon become a condition of employment with the health service, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
The UK’s rapid vaccine rollout has so far seen just under 40 million first doses and 25 million second doses administered.
The rollout has been entirely voluntary, with ministers surprised about the high level of take-up among Brits, despite some anti-vaccine and vaccine hesitancy on the margins.
Mr Johnson said in November: ‘There will be no compulsory vaccination. That’s not the way we do things in this country.
‘We think it (vaccination) is a good idea, and you know I totally reject the propaganda of the anti-vaxxers, they are wrong.’
Labour shadow cabinet minister Thangam Debbonaire said ‘threatening’ NHS staff to have the vaccine was not a good idea.
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The shadow Commons leader told Sky News: ‘Given we have got a recruitment crisis in parts of the NHS I think it’s far more important we try and work with staff rather than against them.
‘Threatening staff, I don’t think is a good idea.’
Public Health England and the NHS had been successful when they had worked with people to address their doubts and answer questions about the jab, she said.
‘I would like to see the Government work with the NHS and social care staff.’
Meanwhile, Mr Zahawi said British regulators were still considering whether to offer jabs to children.
He told Sky News: ‘Our own regulator has not yet approved giving vaccines to children.
‘You have to make sure the vaccines are incredibly safe before you give them to children.’
The Pfizer jab has been approved for use in 12-year-olds by regulators in the European Union, US and Canada and Mr Zahawi said the ‘infrastructure’ was in place to jab children in the UK if required.
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