With coronavirus cases rising again, more hospitals are now implementing COVID-19 vaccine requirements. Joining these numbers is the nation’s largest hospital group, the American Hospital Association. Mandates are generally being issued with no declinations except for approved medical or religious exemptions, or if granted a deferral for pregnancy. In these cases, health workers are required to wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines.
Due in large part to the emergence of the Delta variant, new requirements are part of urgent efforts to prevent illness and death. Health organizations also run a legal risk if patients become infected from contact with an unvaccinated worker.
Some caregivers have challenged vaccination mandates, arguing that COVID vaccines are “experimental” because they only have emergency use authorization (EUA). However, judges have increasingly sided with hospitals in the interest of public safety, citing statistics such as those from Virginia Department of Health showing that “since vaccines became available in January, 99.4 percent of cases, 99 percent of hospitalization, and 99.3 percent of deaths have occurred in people who have not been vaccinated.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also assert that vaccines approved under EUA are “safe” and “effective.” The FDA requires six months of data for full Biologics License Application (BLA) approval and could take several months for full licensing approval—a designation already sought by Pfizer and Moderna. Once this occurs, which experts predict at least by January 2022, court challenges will likely diminish.
Tips: Your healthcare staffing company should list when vaccination requirements are necessary with hospital clients, so that you understand guidelines before selecting assignments. With COVID-19 continuing to influence early retirement or staff relocation, look for employment opportunities to increase.
A number of hospitals have set vaccination deadline dates beginning as early as August (the date you will need to have had your second shot in the case of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines). Be sure to check with your advisor about facility guidelines for proof of vaccination, and for any questions you may have.
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