Mandating Vaccinations

Angie SzumlinskiCompliance

President Biden has announced that his administration plans to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all nursing home staff. Everyone is getting very nervous, the associations are speaking out on our behalf and now we sit and wait for the final rule.

But, should we really be nervous? Should we be concerned that we will lose more staff? Staff that we don’t have to begin with? Maybe, but maybe not. If you think about it, many providers are already requiring vaccinations, including large hospital groups. The current situation of voluntary vaccination allows unvaccinated staff to move from a building that mandates vaccination to a building that doesn’t. If everyone is required to be vaccinated, it might level the playing field?

Remember, hospitals ARE requiring vaccinations for the most part, so moving to acute care won’t be an option for unvaccinated staff. Sure, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, and other fast-food establishments might not be requiring staff to be vaccinated, but do you really think they are far behind in mandating? At the end of the day, people need jobs, they need to support their families and there truly are many caregivers who do what they do because they love what they do. Mandating vaccinations won’t scare those staff away because they know it will assist in protecting their residents. Deep breath, ommmmm, stay well, stay calm and stay informed!