Government are to launch a consultation on whether vaccination is to be a condition of work in care homes. A 5-week consultation will be launched looking at requiring care home providers, caring for older adults, to deploy only those workers who have received their COVID-19 vaccination to further protect residents who are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19.
SAGE have released figures that only 53% of older adult homes in England are currently meeting the recommended numbers of vaccinations. To be a safe working environment the social care working group of SAGE recommend that 80% of staff and 90& of residents need to have been given the vaccine, as a minimum, to offer protection against outbreaks of COVID-19.
The staff vaccination rate is currently below 80% in 89 local authorities and all London Boroughs. There are 27 local authorities with staff vaccination rates below 70%.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said ‘’Older people living in care homes are most at risk of suffering serious consequences of COVID-19 and we have seen the grave effects the virus has had on this group.
‘’Making vaccines a condition of deployment is something many care homes have called for, to help them provide greater protection for staff and residents in older people’s care homes and so save lives.
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.’’
CareUK and Barchester, two of the largest care home providers in the UK, have already made vaccinations mandatory for all new staff. They are also encouraging all current staff to have had the vaccine when offered by April 23rd.
Barchester Healthcare chief executive Dr Pete Calveley said ''Barchester believes the vaccination programme has transformed the outlook for the vulnerable residents in older people care homes, a significant proportion of whom will not acquire full immunity despite being vaccinated.
''We have not lightly introduced our vaccine policy, but we take the view that providing safe care for those we care for is our paramount Obligation.’’
Photo by Georg Arthur Pflueger on Unsplash
