Healthcare companies struggle with staff vaccination mandates

Several studies reveal that a significant portion of the healthcare workforce has some qualms about getting a Covid-19 vaccine, and healthcare companies are struggling with the decision to mandate vaccinations for their staff.

That’s according to a recent report from The Washington Post, which dived into the nitty-gritty of requiring coronavirus shots.

March 1 marked the first time a senior care facility required its staffer get the COVID-19 vaccine, but more such facilities and healthcare operators are likely to follow. The decision, which was made by Virginia-based Silverado, likely caused some friction and set off alarm bells elsewhere, as a portion of healthcare workers have noted they oppose such mandates.

Last month, a survey of healthcare workers from The Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation found as many as 1 in 3 healthcare workers say they were skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available. There are three vaccines available in the U.S.––from Pfizer, Moderna-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson. 

The question of whether healthcare facilities should require vaccination for their workers is a tricky one, although more are cracking down. The Houston Methodist health system recently required its staff to receive at least one dose of a vaccine-–or risk being laid off, The Post reported.

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Amy Baxter

Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."

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