AHA supports mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for hospital staff

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is adding its voice to the chorus of organizations supporting vaccine requirements for healthcare personnel.

According to a policy statement, the best available scientific evidence indicates that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at safeguarding against infection and spreading the disease. It also shows that COVID-19 has a significant risk of transmission before and after symptoms show and that unvaccinated people pose substantial risk of severe illness and death.

“To protect all patients, communities and personnel from the known and substantial risks of COVID-19, the American Hospital Association strongly urges the vaccination of all health care personnel,” the policy statement says. “COVID-19 vaccines protect health care personnel when working both in health care facilities and in the community. They provide strong protection against workers unintentionally carrying the disease to work and spreading it to patients and peers.”

The AHA joins several other organizations which last week also called for healthcare personnel vaccine requirements.

In that statement, AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the Association for Professionals in Epidemiology and Infection Control (APIC), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP) joined to call for hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities to require their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. The organizations also express support for vaccinations being required for non-employees such as students, contract workers, and volunteers functioning in a facility.

The joint statement also included information on what to consider when developing a policy to require COVID-19 vaccination for employees and ways to engage stakeholders to improve vaccination rates before implementing the policy.

That full statement can be found here.