Opinion: Vaccinate all health care workers now
Covid-19 has killed over 600,000 Americans and sickened many more. It’s hard for me to understand why people would refuse a vaccine that could save their lives and those of their family. But as a nurse, what I find even harder to understand is why some health care workers choose not to get vaccinated and put patients at risk as a result.
In my view, personal choice must surrender to professional responsibility if someone’s choice endangers patients. That is why I support a national mandate requiring the Covid vaccine for all health care workers who work with patients, including nurses, doctors, dietary workers, home health aides and others.
On Monday, amid a disturbing rise in Covid-19 cases in the US, more than 50 health care groups — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Nursing and the American Nurses Association — issued a joint statement calling for all health care and long-term care employers to mandate their employees be vaccinated against Covid 19.
A mandate that specifically requires front-line health care workers to be vaccinated against Covid is the right thing to do for patients.
