NORTH-EAST MPS have hit out after a Labour MP suggested prisoners should get priority Covid vaccines.

In Parliament yesterday, Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana asked vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi if the Government had considered prioritising prisoners for jabs - which she said would be a "humane approach to a completely disenfranchised population".

Ms Sultana said: “Prisons are a high risk setting for transmission as well as hospitals, nursing homes and schools.

"There would be considerable challenges if there was an outbreak in this setting and vaccinating detainees is both good for public health and a humane approach to a completely disenfranchised population.

"So has the government considered prioritising vaccinating detainees as well as those who work in prisons?”

Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison took to the question to Twitter via a poll.

The Conservative MP wrote: "I’m curious. Do you agree with the Labour MP in the tweet below that “prison users” (otherwise known as convicted criminals) should be prioritised in the vaccine rollout?"

At the time of writing, some 39,772 people responded - and the majority agree that prisoners should be prioritised. 

Yes saw the majority with 60.1 per cent of votes, while 17 per cent of respondents said no and 22.9 per cent voted 'No, but louder'.

Ms Davison added: "What do we think? Personally, I think our police officers, teachers, supermarket workers etc should be prioritised above convicted criminals.

"But then again, I’ve never been very woke."

Defending the suggestion, one Twitter user wrote: "Prison outbreaks are harder to manage from a public health perspective and resource-intensive.

!Prisons house the largest population of older people, whose access to NHS care is poor. Demographics v important for a vaccine that may or may not reduce transmission..."

  • Let us know what you think in the box below. 

Stockton South MP Matt Vickers, also a Conservative, called the suggestion "madness".

Also taking to Twitter, he wrote: "A Labour MP wants to see “prison users” prioritised for vaccinations.

"What about teachers, police officers, supermarket workers, prison officers and other key/critical workers?

"I think it would be madness to put criminals ahead of their victims."