HUNDREDS of health care workers in north Essex are yet to receive a coronavirus vaccine, figures reveal.

The Government is soon to announce its decision on whether to make vaccines mandatory for frontline NHS staff, though several leading health bodies have cautioned against doing so.

And figures have shown hundreds of health care workers at East Suffolk and North Essex Trust are still without a first jab.

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NHS England figures published for the first time show of the 10,738 health care workers at the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester, Harwich and Clacton hospitals, 526 were still unvaccinated as of the end of September.

It does mean, however, 95.1 per cent had received their first jab by that date.

This figure is above average for NHS trusts across England and it also showed 91.9 per cent had taken both doses.

Across England, 110,000 healthcare workers have not had a vaccine.

A Government consultation on whether to make vaccines mandatory for health workers closed on Friday.

The Royal College of GPs strongly urged all health and care professionals to be vaccinated, saying it will help protect them, their colleagues and their patients from contracting Covid-19.

However, Professor Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, added: “While we understand the desire of some people to make vaccination mandatory, we don’t agree with it as informed and educated choices about health interventions would be more beneficial long-term than enforcing them, which risks leading to resentment and mistrust.”

Care home workers must also be fully vaccinated by November 11.

All 64 staff members working at Edensor Care Centre, in Orwell Road, Clacton, have been fully vaccinated, as have all employees at Corner Lodge, in Jaywick.

A spokeswoman for Corner Lodge said: “We are proud to say the Corner Lodge staff have all received their Covid-19 vaccinations.

“We did not lose any staff as a result of the vaccination requirement.”