Multisociety statement on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination as a condition of employment for healthcare personnel

Abstract

Society (PIDS), and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP), recommends that COVID-19 vaccination should be a condition of employment for all healthcare personnel.Exemptions from this policy apply to those with medical contraindications to all COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States and other exemptions as specified by federal or state law.The consensus statement also supports COVID-19 vaccination of non-employees functioning at a healthcare facility (for example, students, contract workers, volunteers, etc.). This recommendation is based on several points:The COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States (US) under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) have high efficacy to prevent symptomatic COVID-19, even higher efficacy to prevent serious COVID-19 (i.e., hospitalizations and deaths), and high effectiveness against symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 infection.The COVID-19 vaccines under FDA EUA have similar safety profiles to vaccines that are currently fully FDA-approved, shown by efficacy trials and effectiveness studies.Full vaccination against COVID-19 offers several advantages to patient and healthcare personnel (HCP) safety: individual protection against COVID-19 infection; further protection for patients and HCP who are unable to receive COVID-19 vaccination or are not able to mount an adequate immune response; reduced risk of asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between HCP, and from HCP to patients or patients to HCP; reduced risk of transmitting infection to household members and community contacts; increased protection for the healthcare workforce in the community setting.

COVID-19 vaccine confidence and hesitancy among health care workers: A cross-sectional survey from a MERS-CoV experienced nation

“…Hence, a phased approach for vaccine allocation has been developed, starting with Phase 1a or the “Jumpstart Phase,” which targets high-risk health care workers (HCWs) and first responders [ 22 , 23 ]. A multisociety statement indicated that COVID-19 vaccination should be a condition of employment for all health care personnel in facilities in the United States, with few exceptions [ 24 ].…”

Routine Antigen Testing Is Not a Substitute for Health Care Worker Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2

“…The potential costs of false-positive results, coupled with prior data that also raise concerns about false-negative results particularly in asymptomatic patients ( 7 ), suggest that mass asymptomatic rapid antigen testing should not be used to ensure safety of patients and health care workers. Kanji et al’s findings therefore provide additional support for emerging recommendations for vaccine mandates in health care settings ( 8 ). These professional society recommendations focus on the potential for vaccines to prevent transmission between and among health care workers and their patients and to preserve safe staffing levels in health care facilities.…”

“…These professional society recommendations focus on the potential for vaccines to prevent transmission between and among health care workers and their patients and to preserve safe staffing levels in health care facilities. Given the strong performance of existing COVID-19 vaccines with respect to prevention of both symptomatic illness and severe infection, both health care workers and their patients will be safer following implementation of mandatory vaccination policies, rather than relying on the use of flawed testing modalities that may detect even true positives after exposures have already occurred ( 8 ). If health care workers are all fully vaccinated, then testing would only be indicated for those with COVID-19 symptoms, when the test performance characteristics are better given the increased pretest probability ( 7 ).…”

COVID-19 immunizations in occupational medicine

“…ciężkich reakcji alergicznych na szczepionki lub ich składniki). Dane obserwacyjne z kilku narodowych systemów opieki zdrowotnej potwierdzają skuteczność szczepień mierzoną zmniejszeniem liczby zakażeń SARS-CoV-2 wśród pracowników ochrony zdrowia, aczkolwiek opisywano zakażenia osób w pełni zaszczepionych [40][41][42]. Po szczepieniu mogą wystąpić objawy związane z odczynowością szczepionki, w tym ogólnoustrojowe, takie jak: gorączka, zmęczenie, ból głowy, dreszcze, bóle mięśniowe i bóle stawów, których odróżnienie od objawów COVID-19 lub innych chorób zakaźnych może być trudne [43].…”