Don’t hug grandparents until vaccine impact is known, says government doctor

Until ‘we’re absolutely sure what the impact of that vaccine rollout has been’, children should not hug grandparents, even if they have been vaccinated

Children should not hug their grandparents until the science is absolutely clear about the impact of the vaccine rollout, one of the government’s top medical officials Dr Jenny Harries has said.

In a Downing Street press briefing the deputy chief medical officer for England stressed the importance of caution as the country eases out of lockdown - stating that even if their grandparents have been vaccinated, children should not hug them until it is known for certain that it is safe to do so.

Dr Harries added that due to the rise of the Kent variant of the coronavirus, which has proven to be more effective at spreading than over variations, it was right to take “additional precautions” by extending the use of face coverings in schools.

“The testing programme in schools is clearly going to mean that people, parents, grandparents and teachers and other schoolchildren, can be very assured schools will be as safe as they can be because we are trying to remove infection from that environment,” said Dr Harries.

“And of course, that will have a really positive impact on breaking chains of transmission in communities and in those families.

“But the slight caveat to that is, having got so far down the line with this and now on the road map, very, very carefully coming out, I would encourage children not to go off yet, even if their grandparents have had their vaccinations.

“Not to go hugging them too much until we’re absolutely sure what the impact of that vaccine rollout has been.”

Dr Harries added that she was sure the effect of the vaccine rollout would be positive, but added “we just need to take a steady course through the road map.”

According to the road map laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday, and clarified yesterday by Matt Hancock, the health secretary, hugging will be allowed under government guidance between members of different household no earlier than 17 May if the data suggests it is okay to do so.