){kind=link}
The announcement from Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare (with 70,000 employees in nearly 400 nursing homes and senior communities) indicated that the nursing home industry’s reluctance to force employees to be vaccinated may be changing due to fears of losing too many employees. Associated Press Report.
Insufficient staffing is a major problem in the industry, but concerns about the surge of delta variants may convince nursing home owners that they need to act quickly to vaccinate 40% of their unvaccinated employees. According to the company, voluntary vaccinations in the early stages of the pandemic are appropriate, but only 65% of Genesis employees are vaccinated. Employees must get the first shot by August 23.
Richard Feifer, Chief Medical Officer of Genesis, said: “To successfully combat the delta variant, a higher vaccination rate is required.” Associated Press“Our tactics in battle must be changed.”
Experts calling for mandatory vaccination in nursing homes warned that unvaccinated workers would endanger residents. Some workers avoid vaccinations because they think the vaccine has been developed hastily and is unsafe, or they feel protected because they have been infected with COVID-19, Associated Press Report.