The NEU has called an error, in which a link to book a Covid-19 vaccination was wrongly shared with school staff, 'disheartening'.

On Saturday, it led to an apology from the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, via its website.

Peter Shreeve, Isle of Wight Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said: "To have hopes soar and to be so near to receiving a jab, only for hopes to be dashed is disheartening.

"This is what appears to have happened on the Island to some staff.

"Staff were eager to sign up, but then cancelled as they realised information had been circulated incorrectly.

"All were sympathetic to any error and no-one apportioned blame."

The booking system was 'shared more widely than was appropriate', said the NHS on the Isle of Wight, and a number of people who are not in the priority groups tried to book appointments.

It was not unique to the Isle of Wight.

Links to the Swiftqueue system, which is used to book jabs for NHS staff, were shared across the country.

Last week Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England regional medical director for London, told a government press conference that he was 'horrified' to hear that people in London had tried to jump the queue by booking without an invitation.

He said it was 'morally reprehensible' that “unscrupulous people” were looking to secure a vaccination before their turn.

NHS and Social Care staff on the Isle of Wight are among those in the top tiers who are eligible for a coronavirus jab.

Others allowed to have the vaccination first are Islanders aged over 70 years old and those who are clinically vulnerable.

Peter Shreeve cited reports, in Manchester and Norfolk, which said special school staff were being given doses of the jab to prevent leftovers being wasted.

He said other parts of the country had invited nursery education staff, among social care appointments.

He said: "There have been rumours galore about when Island school staff might be vaccinated.

"Island staff still do not know, but may be feeling comforted and more optimistic as there appears to be mainland progress, however ad hoc it may appear."

The Isle of Wight's Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is handing out the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and the NHS Trust, which is administering the Pfizer BioNTech jab, say waste is low.

Alison Smith, managing director of NHS Isle of Wight CCG, told the County Press this month: “Overall we are managing to use our stocks of vaccine very efficiently and wastage remains very low. These vaccines are precious and valuable, and we treat them as such."

The NHS Trust told us it was using a managed booking system.

But Peter Shreeve says the mix-up had left teachers disappointed and deflated.

He said one person had told him they didn’t 'want to take a slot if there are front line NHS staff or the more vulnerable still waiting.'