Serial killer Rose West, 67, has had her Covid jab in prison
Serial killer Rose West has received her coronavirus vaccine ahead of prison staff because she is obese and classed as ‘extremely vulnerable’.
The 67-year-old inmate and her husband Fred abducted, sexually abused and murdered multiple young women and girls from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Fred West killed himself before his trial and his wife has spent the last 26 years behind bars.
Last night West, who is obese and has deteriorating eyesight, was given the vaccine at HMP New Hall, in West Yorkshire.
She is considered to be ‘extremely vulnerable’ leaving her in the same priority group as those who are currently shielding.
Sources told The Sun they were angry that West was not made to ‘wait until they’ve at least started vaccinating some over-65s’ who have not murdered anyone.
One said: ‘Rose is hugely overweight, getting older and has been locked up for years.
‘Her health isn’t great and she’s undoubtedly at greater risk of Covid than many on the outside. But does that really mean she should be the first in the queue?’
The Government’s policy is to vaccinate prisoners the same way they are vaccinating the public, by going through priority groups, and it insists inmates are not jumping the queue.
But some who are shielding said they have not been offered their first jab, despite being extremely vulnerable.
Angie Maddocks, from Essex, said she has been shielding since October because she is autoimmune but has not had ‘a hint’ of when she is getting her dose.
Similarly Mark, from Tottenham in north-west London, tweeted that he has not heard anything about his jab, despite being in the top four priority groups that are set to be vaccinated by Monday.
Yesterday the NHS confirmed that over-65s will now start being invited to get their doses.
West was said to have had a ‘bad reaction’ to the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine and has ‘taken to her bed’ with ‘lots of flu-like symptoms’.
Fred and Rose West kidnapped and abused 12 young women and girls before burying them in their House of Horrors in Gloucester.
Police found remains in the cellar, under the floor, beneath a fake chimney and in the garden.
Their victims included 18-year-old Anne McFall who was pregnant, presumably by Fred, Charmaine West, who was Fred’s own step-daughter, Charmaine’s mother Rena West, Fred and Rose’s own daughter Heather West and many more.
It comes as convicted paedophile Gary Glitter, 76, was given the vaccine at HMP The Verne, in Portland, Dorset last week.
A Government spokesperson said: ‘Prisoners are being vaccinated at the same time as the general public and in line with the priority groups set out by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.’
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