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Ministers will meet later to decide whether or not to scrap mandatory Covid vaccinations for NHS staff in England, BBC News reports.

Front-line NHS workers in England must be fully vaccinated by 1 April, meaning they need a first dose by Thursday.

If they are not jabbed by April, they will be redeployed or dismissed. Around 77,000 have had no jab at all.

Last week, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the jabs requirement was being "kept under review" but that it was the "duty" of NHS staff to get vaccinated.

The policy was proposed when Delta was the dominant variant that was circulating and evidence showed being vaccinated significantly cut the risk of catching and spreading the virus.

Since then, a more contagious and slightly milder variant called Omicron has emerged. It has led to an increase in breakthrough infections among people who are vaccinated, although the jabs are still doing a great job at preventing severe cases.

Mr Javid told the Health and Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday that it was right to "reflect" on the policy now Omicron was dominant.

But it is understood no final decisions have been made.

The government has been under pressure from some within the health service to scrap the mandate, arguing that it would lead to a staffing crisis.

The Royal College of Midwives warned the policy could have a "catastrophic impact" on maternity services, while the Royal College of GPs and Royal College of Nursing called for the deadline to be delayed.

But the Department of Health and Social Care has previously insisted the policy was "the right thing to do to protect patients".

The UK Health Security Agency says vaccines have proven to be effective against hospitalisation, mortality, infection and transmission.