By Chris Miller, Assistant Editor, Facility Market

A group of healthcare organizations are calling for a requirement that all healthcare workers get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to The Washington Post. Many healthcare workers are still hesitant to get the vaccine as safety and efficacy concerns remain. Other reasons for healthcare workers to not get vaccinated include a preference for physiological immunity, distrust in government and health organizations, and personal freedom.

The group of healthcare organizations wanting the vaccine mandate cited that infection control for other diseases like influenza have benefited from a vaccine requirement. This group, which is composed of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several other medical groups, stated that an adequate vaccination rate would not be met if not for a mandate.

The exact number of unvaccinated healthcare workers in the nation is tough to pin down. More importantly, it remains a fact that a portion of healthcare workers are still hesitant to receive the vaccine. 

An Atlanta investigation revealed that thousands of Georgia healthcare workers are still not vaccinated due to self-choice, according to WDB-TV Atlanta. At Grady Memorial Hospital 57 percent of the staff are vaccinated. Northeast Georgia Health Systems shared that the vaccination rates at its six buildings are between 42 and 61 percent.

Vaccine hesitancy on the part of healthcare workers has been there since the vaccine was created. A Mach 2021 analysis of 35 studies done by New Mexico State University found that almost 17,500 workers around the world were reluctant to get the shots.

The group of healthcare organizations calling for a vaccine mandate is hopeful its demands will be satisfied when the vaccine is completely FDA approved.