What is the point of mandatory vaccination to work in care?

[DontDrinkDontSmokeWhatDoIDo]

Of another industries, for that matter?

Months and months ago, when vaccines where just becoming available, I believed that being vaccinated against COVID would protect you from a: catching Covid, and b: passing it on.

I therefore thought that if you worked with vulnerable people, it seemed very reasonable that you should be vaccinated to protect them, even if you weren't concerned about yourself.

Now this has morphed into a vaccine that doesn't stop you contracting Covid, doesn't stop you being infectious, but should stop you getting very sick, I feel differently.

My family are all double vaccinated.
We've all contracted Covid over the last month or so, and early on, passed it on unwittingly.

AIBU to no longer see the reasoning in insisting care workers etc. MUST be vaccinated to keep their jobs?

@Athinginitself

My understanding is that it makes you less infectious, so less likely to pass it on. I havent got an issue with mandatory vaccination in healthcare settings (as long as exceptions are made for people unable to have vaccine for medical reasons) I work in healthcare and had to be uptodate with a number of different vaccines before I started.

It extends to anyone working in a care home unless it’s an emergency.

So our unvaccinated engineers can go out if there is a leak but can’t do the annual boiler service, even if they are working in a boiler house and don’t see a single resident.

The plural of anecdote is not data

**

Right, so you’re not actually interested in understanding all about vaccines, given this is your attitude. What’s the point of your thread?

what might be confusing is how big the health care sector is.
different area's and employers and professional bodies, as well as training schools may have different requirements.

The vaccine isn't going to stop you catching covid. It wouldn't be possible. It's not like it creates a magic force field around you that stops the virus from getting close!

Once the virus enters your body your immune system will now recognise it and start fighting it quicker and more effectively. For some people that will mean they will have it milder than they would have otherwise and for some it will mean they won't even know they have had it.

I work for the NHS. Some vaccines are mandatory and you cannot start work until you have provided evidence that you have had them. The Flu vaccine is not mandatory but it is very much encouraged.

@fallfallfall

what might be confusing is how big the health care sector is. different area's and employers and professional bodies, as well as training schools may have different requirements.

NHS standards are common though. Right throughout, if you are employed by an NHS body doing xxx or entering training where you will do clinical placements on NHS premises then the same requirements will be part of the deal. What doesn't seem to be understood is that most "care" either in private homes or in care homes, is privately owned businesses. Local councils (again statutory bodies but NOT NHS) used to have a fair amount of directly employed carers and directly owned care homes and supported living, but I think that has dwindled over the years, in the same way that ordinary council housing has. What this means is that its much much easier to require NHS staff to be vaccinated than it is care staff.