In response to the ongoing debate about whether healthcare workers should be mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine, Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, president and founder of Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS), states the following:
"Since COVID-19 emerged, ICCS has focused significantly on supporting nursing homes. While I believe there is merit to the COVID-19 vaccine being mandated, I understand why nursing homes are not yet taking those steps. It is a complex situation as I have learned from engaging in conversation with administrators.
"There is a critical shortage of nursing staff, particularly aides. When staff is lacking, care may be compromised. This is magnified in the COVID environment. Mandating the vaccine may drive staff away from the nursing homes, making recruitment and retention more difficult. While we have seen numerous employees continue to test positive, especially those unvaccinated or partially vaccinated, the highly successful vaccination of the elderly, particularly those in nursing homes, is resulting in a significantly lower incidence of illness and positivity among residents. Fully vaccinated staff are mostly asymptomatic. A significant sign of vaccine success is the overall lack of disease that leads to hospitalization and death in the elderly.
"Several factors contribute to vaccine hesitancy, including lack of understanding and education. Focusing efforts on educating the staff about the value of the vaccine for them personally as well as the residents is paramount.
"A higher priority in nursing homes should be performing infection control and prevention processes correctly. These practices ultimately keep residents safe during pandemic and non-pandemic times."