Care home staff may be forced to have vaccine
CARE home staff could be forced to get a coronavirus vaccine under Government plans to address low takeup and protect residents.
Some providers already have a ‘ jabs for jobs’ policy but ministers are considering making vaccines a condition of work for staff across all older adult care homes in England.
Nearly half of these care homes – with 150,000 vulnerable residents – are not meeting the minimum level of protection to stop a Covid outbreak, experts believe.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies said 80 per cent of staff and 90 per cent of residents need to be vaccinated to stop the virus wreaking havoc.
But just 78.9 per cent of older adult care home staff have had a jab, according to NHS England.
The staff vaccination rate is below 80 per cent in 89 out of 150 local authority areas – including all London boroughs.
Less than 70 per cent of staff have had a jab in 27 of these areas. The Government’s five-week consultation, launched yesterday, will look at proposals which suggest that everyone caring for older residents in care homes must get a jab unless they are medically exempt. It will seek views from staff, stakeholders, residents and their families on the scope of the proposals and any potential impact it could have on staffing and safety. Health Secretary
Matt Hancock said: ‘Older people living in care homes are most at risk of suffering serious consequences of Covid-19... Making vaccines a condition of deployment is something many care homes have called for, to help them provide greater protection for staff and residents...
‘The vaccine is already preventing deaths and is our route out of this pandemic. We have a duty of care to those most vulnerable to Covid-19, so it is right we consider all options to keep people safe.’
But Unison said that mandatory jabs were the ‘wrong approach and a massive distraction’.
Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: ‘ Targeting adverts at care home staff, lining up already-jabbed colleagues to offer reassurance, tackling misinformation and giving staff time to make the right decision is where the Government should be concentrating its efforts.’