Unbelievable: Many Healthcare Workers Unsure About COVID Vaccine Boosters

Wouldn't you think healthcare workers of all people would know better than this?  

Years ago I was in the hospital during a flu epidemic, and they ended up firing nurses who refused to get the flu vaccine. I was relieved they weren't MY nurse!

---------------

Here's an excerpt from CIDRAP:

Many healthcare workers unsure about COVID vaccine boosters for themselves, kids 

A survey of more than 4,100 healthcare personnel (HCP) at a New York healthcare system from 2021 to 2022 reveals that 17% were hesitant to receive the recommended COVID-19 vaccine booster, and 33% were unsure about vaccinating their children. 

Many of the HCP polled held unsubstantiated beliefs not only about COVID vaccines but also childhood vaccines.

Almost two-thirds had patient contact

The Northwell Health–led study, published in Vaccine, involved 4,165 HCP who completed the mandatory COVID-19 primary vaccine series, had intact immune systems, and took electronic surveys from December 2021 to January 2022. The aim was to identify links between sociodemographic and employment factors and perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines among HCP overall and a subset who had children.

New York state mandated that all HCP, regardless of job role and title, receive the first dose of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series by September 27, 2021, as a requirement for employment. During the study period, the booster dose was recommended but not mandated.

Respondents were primarily women (83.1%), and age, race, and languages spoken were evenly distributed. Of the respondents, 42.4% had high patient contact, and 22.9% had some contact. The largest percentages of HCP were nurses (26.0%), clinicians (10.5%), and other providers (4.4%).

The study authors noted that while HCP recommendation has been the main method of overcoming patient COVID-19 hesitancy, understanding vaccine reluctance requires a more integrated rather than a "top-down" approach, because HCPs are more hesitant than ever about vaccination.

"Provider recommendation is compromised at point of care when surrounding HCP, despite having already received their standard COVID-19 doses, still question the need for vaccination and subsequent booster doses," they wrote. "Furthermore, high vaccine hesitancy among HCP for COVID-19 vaccination and booster doses parallels high vaccine hesitancy for pediatric COVID-19 vaccination, thereby having a downstream community impact."

--------------------------

If you are "more hesitant than ever about vaccination", then maybe you ought to think about getting a job that doesn't involve contact with patients!