THE number of care home staff worried about the Covid-19 vaccination will "reduce significantly" with education, a union leader has said. 

However, Deborah Clarke, a Unison secretary, says she expects some workers to launch legal action over mandatory immunisation. 

Ms Clarke believes employees have too easily found antivax theories online and been given little information from bosses. 

It comes after a Sunday Times investigation found nearly 30% of social care workers in Glasgow had voiced concern about being inoculated.

Ms Clarke told BBC Radio Scotland: "The problem is there is very little information out there and the antivaxers are winning.

READ MORE: Covid-19: Care workers 'avoid vaccine over anti-vax theories'

"If you do a Google search or look on social media, which our members do, the first things you see are the antivax information.

"In the care sector, employers are notorious for not giving staff the information they need. 

"There is a reason behind these high figures of refusals and that includes a lack of education and the fact staff aren't getting a choice of which vaccine they can have.

"Most members I speak to say they just want to wait a couple of weeks to see what happens as they just aren't getting the information they need.

"There should be more leaflets. You have to remember what these staff have been through in the last nine months. They are worn out. 

"I think as time moves on that figure will reduce significantly and we all have a part to play in terms of education and choice of vaccine." 

Ms Clarke added: "Towards the end of last week we started to see the dilemma from members in terms of vaccine or dismissal.

"I would prefer to see that we sit down with employers to understand why somebody is refusing the vaccine. We need to remember they have the right to do that.

"Some employers are taking a threatening and bullying approach to it. Some staff feel this is something else they are being bullied with.

"We do expect we may have to take some cases through the employment tribunal. We need to sit down with employers and staff to understand why.

"Putting out messages which say it's the vaccine or dismissal is unhelpful." 

In a bid to quell concerns, Glasgow City Council has announced plans to hold a questions and answers session with staff. 

READ MORE: Glasgow health chiefs reveal strategy for beating Covid vaccine sceptics

 A spokesman for the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership said: “The best way to keep our staff and service users safe is for everyone who is recommended to have the vaccine to have it.

“Unfortunately, right across the world we see people spreading misinformation.

“The way to tackle this is to be sensitive to people’s fears and help them to understand that it’s safe and that the vast majority of their colleagues have decided to protect themselves, their families and the people they care for.”

An investigation carried out by the Sunday Times found that up to 30% of social care workers had voiced concerns about getting the vaccine.

The paper reported that, across Scotland, the uptake of the jab was just 55% for staff in contrast with a rate of 80% of residents.

But the picture in Glasgow is different. The council confirmed that 97% of elderly residents had been immunised so far and 76% of workers.