TEA-BREAKER POLL: MANDATORY COVID-19 VACCINES FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE STAFF?

摘要

By 9 May 2021, nearly one-fifth (17.9%) of staff working in adult care homes in England had yet to receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, despite being one of the highest-priority groups for vaccination1. By comparison, nearly all care home residents had been vaccinated, with just 5.1% not having received their first dose. In a separate study, care home staff state 'concerns about lack of vaccine research' among the key reasons for vaccine non-compliance2. In April, the government launched a consultation on making mandatory COVID-19 vaccination a condition of deployment in older adult care homes3. It proposed amending the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 so that older adult care home providers could use only staff who had either received a COVID-19 vaccination or had a legitimate medical exemption.The TUC is against compulsory vaccination, arguing that such a measure would be 'counterproductive'4.The Royal College of Nursing5 and UNISON6 are also opposed to mandatory vaccines.