Professional Organizations Call for Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations Among Healthcare Personnel

On July 13, 2021, a coalition of professional healthcare organizations, through the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, published a statement recommending that hospitals and other healthcare facilities implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for employees. The statement explained that requiring vaccination as a condition of employment raises vaccination for healthcare personnel, improves protection of patients, and aids in reaching community protection.

The statement noted that mandatory vaccination programs had been effective in pre-COVID-19 circumstances. For example, for flu vaccination, when healthcare employers implemented mandatory vaccinations as a condition of employment, compliance rose to 94.4% compared to 69.6% in organizations without a requirement.

The coalition recommended exemptions for those with medical contraindications and other applicable circumstances. The statement includes an analysis of clinical, legal, privacy, and safety considerations for employers weighing the decision to adopt a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.

The following groups signed off on the statement:

• The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
• AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
• The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
• The Infectious Diseases Society of America
• The HIV Medicine Association
• The Pediatric Infectious Disease Society
• The Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists

More information about the multisociety statement can be found here.