MP Gordon Henderson has stepped in after some school teachers in Kent were offered the coronavirus vaccine ahead of others.

Invitations were emailed to schools in Sittingbourne yesterday asking for teachers' mobile telephone numbers so they could attend The Chestnuts Surgery in East Street today to have a jab.

According to Government policy only those in the first phase of the priority group roll out, such as those aged 80 and over and frontline health workers, are entitled to the vaccine at the moment.

But one head teacher said schools were late responding because they were not certain that it was genuine.

Alan Brookes, executive head at Fulston Manor School who also chairs the Kent Association of Head Teachers, confirmed: "Some schools in Sittingbourne received an email yesterday morning suggesting teachers could go for a vaccination today. But it asked for everyone's mobile numbers and that threw up data protection concerns as we could not supply these without permission.”

He added: "When we followed it up, the surgery initially said it didn't know anything about it, so we contacted the local education authority who carried out checks to confirm the validity of the original email.”

It is understood health bosses turned to other key workers to ensure the vaccines, which have a limited shelf life, did not go to waste.

Mr Brookes said: "We have since discovered the offer was genuine and have asked all our teachers if they are happy with us sharing their personal data so we can take up the offer in the future should the opportunity arise again.

"It seems to have been a case of miscommunication arising from a need to act quickly in order to ensure that no vaccines were unused. Although it would be good for teachers to have the vaccine it does not solve the problem of transmission between children who may then take home the virus to their families.”

One woman, who did not want to named, told us: "Teachers in Sittingbourne have started receiving Covid vaccinations today, even though that's not Government policy and they haven't done all their over-80s yet. Some teachers in their 40s have had the vaccine."

Shaun Potter, the practice manager at The Chestnuts surgery, said: "We are holding 22 patients on a reserve list each day for the morning clinic and afternoon clinic to ensure no vaccinations are wasted.

"For example, by lunch today more than 500 patients had been vaccinated and we have another 400 to go today and 22 reserves to ensure we use all stock. The reserves are made up of teachers, police and key workers."

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson said: "I was not aware that teachers, or anybody else, were being vaccinated locally ahead of people who are on the priority list drawn up by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations.

"However, I have now investigated the situation and can confirm that a very small number of key workers, including police officers, firefighters and teachers, have been offered vaccinations in order not to waste doses of the vulnerable Pfizer vaccine - which has to be used within three days of being received - left over when appointments made for patients on the priority list were fulfilled.

"I have been assured those remaining doses were only given to key workers as a last resort when other patients with a higher priority had been contacted and had confirmed they were unable to take advantage of the vaccine, because of the short notice given. The doses must be administered within a half-hour window."

He added: "I can confirm that local GPs are fully aware of the JCVI priority list and are following its guidelines. Of course, when everybody on that list has been immunised, which hopefully will be by the spring, the JCVI will set out a further priority list for vaccinations which hopefully will include police officers, firefighters, prison officers teachers, childminders and other workers who come into direct contact with the public."

The Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, which plans and pays for the area's healthcare, has not replied to requests for a comment.

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