Why won ’t some health care workers get vaccinated?

Many Americans cannot wait to get the COVID-19 vaccine. They call hotline numbers. They search online for vaccine clinics. They wait for hours in line. Yet, others with ready access to the vaccine have declined it in large numbers. Staff in long-term care facilities were prioritized to receive the vaccine, but many are choosing not to get vaccinated. Why? Nobody is more familiar with the impact of COVID-19 than staff at nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have been ground zero for the pandemic. Large numbers of residents and staff have contracted the virus. Nearly 40% of the COVID deaths in the US have occurred among residents of these facilities. Over 1,500 nursing home staff have also died from COVID, making nursing home caregiver the most dangerous job in America. Nonetheless, many long-term care staff continue to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. In a recent CDC report, nursing homes had a median vaccination rate of 37.5% for staff during the first month of the federal vaccination effort; by comparison, a median of 77.8% of nursing home residents received the vaccine. This has surprised some policymakers. Recently, Maryland’s acting health secretary told state lawmakers that about one-third to one-half of staff offered the vaccine chose to have it –– nowhere near an expectation of 80% to 90%. In a bit of positive news earlier this month, a large national nursing home chain reported 61% of staff and 84% of residents had been vaccinated as of early February, ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Health Health policy Vaccines Workplace health Source Type: blogs