COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for Healthcare Professionals in the United States

Abstract

Healthcare workers (HCWs) need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because they care for vulnerable patients. Hesitation to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine stems from the argument of bodily autonomy, novel mRNA vaccine technology, and conspiracy theories. However, vaccinations may prevent thousands of hospitalizations and deaths. HCWs have previously complied with other required vaccinations to care for children, elderly, and immunocompromised patients. Yet, COVID-19 vaccination mandates in the healthcare setting have been faced with resistance and subsequent staffing shortages. As HCWs display their hesitation to the vaccine, the community loses trust in its efficacy and safety. Speculation on pharmaceutical profiteering has also contributed to vaccine mistrust. As the pandemic continues, the healthcare field must decide on a course of action: adhere to vaccination mandates and cope with decreased staffing, repeal vaccination mandates to recover staff, rely on personal protective equipment (PPE) alone for protection, or do nothing and expect survival through herd immunity. To date, the United States has chosen to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for any healthcare worker employed by Medicare and/or Medicaid-accepting facilities, allowing allergy and religious exemptions. This COVID-19 vaccination mandate for HCWs ethically protects the vulnerable people who HCWs vow to care for.

Healthcare workers’ attitudes on mandates, incentives, and strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake: A mixed methods study

“… 39 In the United States, Texas has banned healthcare worker mandates, however the state still has difficulty obtaining enough nurses to cover their patients. 40 Another study using data from the California Health Interview Survey evaluating COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy observed that initiatives such as mandates may not support vaccine uptake, citing that community level outreach should be prioritized, 41 a finding echoed by a further study finding that public health efforts to improve access to vaccines should be prioritized over mandates. 11 Similar to our findings, a survey study evaluating attitudes of healthcare workers in the UK reported that a large proportion of the sample favored education and building public trust over vaccine mandates.…”