Healthcare workers could be forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19
Healthcare workers could be forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19
Hospitals across the country and in Central Florida are beginning to implement safety measures in response to the COVID-19 resurgence, which is primarily among the unvaccinated and linked to the delta variant. Some hospitals have said they are even considering requiring employees to get vaccinated against the virus.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Thursday said she worries the rise in new coronavirus cases could soon overwhelm the nation’s health care system.
Hospitals across the country and in Central Florida are beginning to implement safety measures in response to the COVID-19 resurgence, which is primarily among the unvaccinated and linked to the delta variant. Some hospitals have said they are even considering requiring employees to get vaccinated against the virus.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) put out a statement on Thursday on the topic.
"The AHA also supports hospitals and health systems that adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for health care personnel."
That statement could pave the way for hospitals across the country to mandate the vaccine. In Orlando, the top brass at AdventHealth has discussed the issue but so far has not made any final decision.
The move is considered highly controversial with some saying an individual’s right to decide whether or not they want to get the vaccine would be violated. Meanwhile, others feel getting the vaccine to work in a hospital setting only makes sense.
Orlando employment attorney Anthony Hall says hospitals would be within their right to mandate the vaccine for their employees.
Amid the concerning rise in cases of the delta variant, The National Nurses Union asked the CDC to reinstate universal mask-wearing guidelines and implement more robust data tracking citing an increase in cases across the country, according to a letter sent to the agency on July 12.
Following state reopenings which resulted in rollbacks of preventative health measures such as mask-wearing, the NNU called on the CDC to reverse its updated COVID-19 guidelines released in May.
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