LETTERS

Vaccine mandates: A valuable policy for healthcare workers, general public

Posted 12/16/21

To the Editor, The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) announced in August 2021 that all employees, interns and volunteers in RIDOH-licensed healthcare facilities must receive their final by October 1, 2021. Unvaccinated workers will not be

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LETTERS

Vaccine mandates: A valuable policy for healthcare workers, general public

Posted

To the Editor,

The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) announced in August 2021 that all employees, interns and volunteers in RIDOH-licensed healthcare facilities must receive their final by October 1, 2021. Unvaccinated workers will not be allowed to enter a healthcare facility unless they provide proof of a medical exemption. The Rhode Island Department of Health director Dr. Alexander-Scott announced “the most effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including the Delta variant is vaccination”. WPRI highlighted in September, 2021 how dire the situation has become in Rhode Island hospitals and how workers, particularly nurses, are leaving an already strained industry and impacting patient care.

The question is whether or not the mandated deadline is the right thing for the state of Rhode Island and that would be a resounding yes! It is important to have all healthcare workers vaccinated and to educate unvaccinated health care workers so as to achieve the ultimate goal of obtaining herd immunity. The American Journal of Infection Control notes that as of September 15, 2021, seventy percent of healthcare workers in the U.S. hospitals were fully vaccinated, leaving nearly one third still unvaccinated.

Why is it important that we have health care workers vaccinated? One unvaccinated worker poses a big threat and can set off an outbreak. As we know, COVID-19 has killed over 747,000 Americans and sickened many more adults and children. It is the responsibility of healthcare workers to become vaccinated to prevent spreading COVID-19 to vulnerable patients. Although some healthcare workers believe the mandate violates their personal rights, it is the very essence of being a care provider who puts patients first.

Furthermore, the vaccine is safe. It has gained support from the American Hospital Association and The American Nurses Association. There have been 409 million doses of the vaccine given in the United States with 1.52 million doses given in Rhode Island with side effects reported as short-lived and mild.

People look to physicians, nurses and other health care providers for answers to questions about their health care. If they see health care workers are skeptical about the vaccine, this can have a detrimental effect. Vaccine hesitancy is best overcome through education and support.

We also need uniformity among health care providers. In July, 2021, The American Medical Association released a new survey that showed among practicing physicians studied, 96% were vaccinated. Conversely, the American Nurses Association reports 83% of the nursing staff received their vaccination and this drops even more when including nurse’s aides. It is unclear as to the reason for the gaps in healthcare providers. The best way to bridge this gap is to continue mandating the COVID-19 vaccine and educate health care workers. Moreover, healthcare workers have an obligation to become vaccinated, remain in the workforce to support their already stressed and burned-out colleagues by adhering to workplace vaccine mandates. The pandemic has placed a heavy toll on the front-line workers and any shortage in staffing puts patient health and safety at further risk.

It is certainly important to understand the barriers preventing a minority of healthcare workers from becoming vaccinated. The best immediate strategy is to vaccinate the healthcare workers in Rhode Island. This will ultimately protect and retain our healthcare workers, protect our patients, and ultimately serve as a model to the general public.

Emily Brazel

Hingham, Massachusetts

Emily Brazel is a health policy and management major at Providence College.

vaccine, mandates

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