School staff should be moved up the Covid-19 vaccine priority list, it has been suggested by Cheshire East Council leadership.

It was revealed at Tuesday's (January 12) CEC cabinet meeting that senior councillors had asked the authority's Director of Public Health — Dr Matt Tyrer — to speak with NHS officials over the move.

Prompted by a question from Conservative Cllr Jos Saunders, Labour cabinet member for children and families Kathryn Flavell said: "I am very concerned about the situation in schools, as we have had a much higher attendance than we would have hoped in this lockdown with the extension of the critical worker list and less use of furlough.

"I do know that staff in secondary schools have been tested once a week. With regards to vaccination, I would agree they are a priority group.

"Frontline health workers are being vaccinated as a priority and teachers should come somewhere on that list, certainly after the February half term when children come back."

Cllr Jill Rhodes, her cabinet colleague in portfolio holder for public health, added: "We have already raised this issue with our Director of Public Health, and we can ask him to take it back to the NHS. We recognise the concerns of teachers."

Yesterday, Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said that teachers, police officers, and other frontline public sector workers would be in the 'highest category of phase two' of the inoculation programme.