Mandatory Covid jabs for care workers in England unworkable, warn bosses

[Northerner]

Matt Hancock’s mandatory Covid vaccine policy for care home workers in England will turn managers into jab “bouncers”, sector leaders have warned as growing numbers of staff say they would rather quit than be vaccinated.

The health secretary’s announcement that tradesmen, visiting NHS staff, hairdressers and other workers who serve sites on a daily basis will also have to be double jabbed by the autumn, will leave care homes struggling with an “unworkable door policy”, according to the National Care Forum (NCF) which represents not-for-profit care homes.

It threatens to become a “logistical nightmare”, said the NCF, which has identified 35 other types of key workers, from entertainers to legionnaires’ disease inspectors, which care homes will not be allowed to admit unless they are double jabbed.

The body fears the new regulations, drawn wider than first expected, will leave care homes legally responsible for verifying vaccination status of people over whom they have no employment oversight. Other care operators have warned it will exacerbate an existing national care worker shortage by driving some staff away.

Mandatory Covid jabs for care workers in England unworkable, warn bosses

Warning care homes may be legally liable for enforcing policy while some staff say they would rather quit

www.theguardian.com

Sounds like a good point about all the non-staff people who go into care homes for other reasons.

 

[Eddy Edson]

Here, you're not allowed into a care home for any reason unless you've had a flu shot. Doubt that the enforcement is very tight, but I expect that it'll end up being the same for Covid shots.

 

[nonethewiser]

Surely by autumn well over half population will be double vaccinated anywat, logistical nightmare is complete rubbish, NFC making song & dance over nothing.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Surely by autumn well over half population will be double vaccinated anywat, logistical nightmare is complete rubbish, NFC making song & dance over nothing.

I'm hoping it'll be over 90% (of the adult population), and cases will be really low (as they are in Israel). In which case nobody will care.

But it seems possible that that won't be enough on its own. I still feel optimistic (though I was optimistic about summer and that's not working out too well).

 

[nonethewiser]

I'm hoping it'll be over 90% (of the adult population), and cases will be really low (as they are in Israel). In which case nobody will care.

Couple days back figure was 30%, surely should be 70%+ by autumn, son had first dose yesterday & gets second dose first week in september.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

Couple days back figure was 30%, surely should be 70%+ by autumn, son had first dose yesterday & gets second dose first week in september.

Yes, the UK has about 8% who really don't want to (with another 6% uncertain), so I think over 90% is plausible if we have supplies. (I think they're changing the website to make it easier to reschedule the second dose, so I hope many people will be able to move their second appointments a bit forward. (Still 8 weeks rather than the 3 or 4 weeks that most countries use.))

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