Telegraph is reporting vaccine to be compulsory for care home workers

[bathsh3ba]

www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/03/22/care-home-staff-face-compulsory-covid-vaccination/

I feel quite uncomfortable with the idea of making any vaccine compulsory....

Thoughts?

Yes I’d be up for that. Why wouldn’t everyone have a flu jab? Flu is awful. I’ve been having mine for about 7 or 8 years when I realised I had no good reason not to & was being an idiot.

Have you noticed the death & infection rates fallen massively since the peak in January? When the vaccine roll out started.

It's not forcing anyone to get it, they have the option of quitting their jobs. I can't see what the alternative is really, elderly people need to be cared for by people that aren't vulnerable to Covid.

These vaccines do stop you getting and catching covid

Almost all the people who have covid and vaccine caught covid with 5 days of their vaccine

You have a 30% lower chance of catching covid if one person in your house has been vaccinated

Just because the trials didn't measure this , it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. See Israel

@midgedude. No it doesn’t stop you getting covid. At best it’s a 72% chance of not getting covid. No vaccine is 100% guaranteed to prevent you catching the disease.
@aSofaNearYou then also make it mandatory for flu vaccines and other vaccines to had by all carers. Yes they can quit - and honestly why should they stay for minimum wage and losing the ability to say what medical interventions they would or would not wish to have? Less carers in the industry is not what is needed - but yep, let’s make it even less palatable for people to enter the profession. What do you suggest for the unpaid carers - removal of their spouse or child or parent if they do not want the vaccine?
@Fluffycloudland77 yes deaths have gone down - but not infection rates in our locality. And it’s been done by choice not legal force. There is a difference. As I said, education and choice.

Why wouldn’t a hcp or carer get a flu jab?. Do they want the residents dead?.

Yes I expect that explains it. Seems the most likely explanation.

When I asked this question on a similar thread I got caught out as I asked the most eco person in the country but I can't be that unlucky again.

Have you given up your car and flights Fluffycloudland77? Because they contribute to climate change which is going to kill not just humans but penguins and polar bears!

Why wouldn't everyone give up their cars. Do they want penguins to DIE!!!!?

@Fluffycloudland77

Yes I’d be up for that. Why wouldn’t everyone have a flu jab? Flu is awful. I’ve been having mine for about 7 or 8 years when I realised I had no good reason not to & was being an idiot.

Have you noticed the death & infection rates fallen massively since the peak in January? When the vaccine roll out started.

Nobody is worrying about the flu because COVID has taken priority ohhh and we are still locked down. So how people can claim that the vaccine is working and once you have been vaccinated you won’t catch COVID... is really astonishing!

I don’t have the flu jab. Many people don’t and they are fine every year. Just because you have it doesn’t mean we all should.

I actually have an electric car and a renewable energy tariff & I’ve never flown. We were too poor to travel when I was young and dhs health means the drive to Dartmouth is a trial so he’s not getting on a plane.

We also couldn’t have kids due to dhs health so my carbon foot prints pretty low.

Dh says if a baby polar bear doesn’t knock on our door to say thank you it’s all for nothing.

Do you want to hear about my vegan breakfast & lunches?.

Apandemicyousay

Ultimately I think the vaccine may need to be mandated, but there should be concerted effort at gentle persuasion and addressing fears in community.

I think none of us can predict how big a risk Covid will be 5 years from now or which way the vaccination trend will go. In my home it's creeping up. If the fertility myth gets debunked by lots of vaccinated women, preferably insta famous BME women, showing the world their adorable babies then that could make a big difference but on the other hand if covid death rates are tiny people may not see the point of getting the side effects. But by then most of the people on this thread who care so passionately about the role of care workers at the minute will have no interest in us again.

Since this government is generally libertarian I reckon it's the owner of Barchester who has texted Matt Hancock. They probably don't want the hassle of a test case so will be looking to him to sort it.

Sorry that was to @PreachyGreen.

Lightening can strike twice. Honestly I’d give up asking about cars right now there’s about 4 electric cars in my road.

Fluffycloudland77

Oh my word! I am that unlucky again. Oh, ok you can preach to me about saving lives but the other polar bear murderers can just shut up.

Got to go now, clocks changing, 8 am but really 7am start with a load of killers. I don't know how i do my job working with such evil colleagues.

Good evening one and all.

Fluffycloud I've not had a flu jab since I work in the local hospital some 18 yrs ago.

Where I work they advise that we have the flu jab.

This is what I have to evidence you start my new job. I fully anticipate having to evidence covid vaccination

@19down where do you access one of those?

As previously stated, despite many years in care I've never been asked to have a vaccination until now, actively refused the flu vaccine unless paid for. I've certainly never been asked for proof of other vaccinations, I can only assume I'd have to approach my doctor and pay for it, which considering care workers generally aren't regarded as HCPs because of their lack of registration and degree, and that is used as a reason to keep wages low (the least you can legally pay someone ) seems rather unfair.

I'm hoping to get my vaccination card at my second jab, I have nothing to prove that I've been vaccinated.

Why wouldn’t a hcp or carer get a flu jab?. Do they want the residents dead?.

Of course we want them dead, what else would you expect from a bunch of unskilled minimum wage workers? I, personally enjoy watching people suffer, it's why I do the job, it's what makes the shit pay and conditions all worth it.
Seems like the above is what society thinks we are, and what they want too hear us say, to justify disliking care workers so much.

But in answer, the reason I didn't get a flu jab until recent years is because I could only have one if I, or my employer paid for it. I couldn't afford it, my employers didn't see it As important enough, the NHS didn't either.
I suppose though that my employers and the NHS answers are fair enough, and I was being unreasonable not paying for it myself as it seems government, employers and the NHS don't need to be socially responsible, Despite greater education, training and resources, but minimum wage care workers are expected to be socially responsible and demonised should they not have the means to do that.

@Maverickess I'm a nurse so I asked my previous occy health department to send over their records to me when I started my new job

@Maverickess

Totally agree. I know that something like 19down has would be charged for by my drs. I suspect around the £25 mark, as the charge that for an exception letter from wearing masks. It’s a lot to pay out for on top of having to pay £60 for a dbs (as charged by the company I once worked for). Just for privilege of maybe getting a minimum wage job. It’s crap.

Why should carers have to get the jab when families and friends will be able to visit with zero control on their vaccinations status? If covid outbreaks in a home after visiting resumes I suspect that carers will be blamed again for something that they are not responsible for.
I really feel for those carers who want to remain in the profession, I certainly wouldn’t recommend it as a career.

[quote 19down]@Maverickess I'm a nurse so I asked my previous occy health department to send over their records to me when I started my new job [/quote]
None of the homes I've ever worked for have had occupational health departments, nor things like HR, many won't recognise unions either.
If you (generic you) are wanting to bring care workers in line with HCPs with regards to health, vaccinations etc, to ultimately protect the people we work with, then it really should be a proper effort, with support and guidance, rather than a half arsed, vote winning law, that hands over responsibility to minimum wage workers who until now, have had no expectation of this on them, and have zero guidance, support and training for it either.
Don't get me wrong, I support the idea of protecting the vulnerable people we work with, however comparing care assistants to nurses, doctors, dentists and surgeons is like comparing apples and oranges.

As @Bargebill19 says, currently the cost is going to be passed on to the individual to prove their vaccination status, as there are no mechanisms in place to support this, and no hint towards creating them.

I also agree with Barge that even if this happens, and all care workers working with vulnerable people are vaccinated, when outbreaks occur from visits, other HCPs, other settings etc, care workers will still likely carry the blame, despite their vaccination status.

Just to clear up a few points. Flu vaccinations have always been free for care workers, I've had mine in the Tesco pharmacy for many years. If you are sick with covid, self isolating or have a vaccine reaction you are paid through the infection control grant, full pay. Out of 160 vaccinated where I work only two felt unwell the day after vaccination, they were back the next day.

@Astrabees

Just to clear up a few points. Flu vaccinations have always been free for care workers, I've had mine in the Tesco pharmacy for many years. If you are sick with covid, self isolating or have a vaccine reaction you are paid through the infection control grant, full pay. Out of 160 vaccinated where I work only two felt unwell the day after vaccination, they were back the next day.

We are paid full pay once, for one incident of SI, and my employer insists on a positive test before they will pay you. I don't know if that's their rule or the general rules, but the result is the same. So if you need to SI with symptoms or because you live with someone with symptoms/has tested positive and test negative yourself, no pay. If And as for the flu jab, many have already commented that they've not even been spoken to about it by employers, never mind offered. My mum is a nurse, she spoke to me about it, I enquired and was told no, not unless I or my employer paid for it. This is part of the problem, experiences, employers and NHS trusts vary all over the country with what they do/don't do and what they offer, and as we see here, people working in the NHS (as have already commented up thread) are comparing HCPs in NHS trusts with care workers in all different private employment. If the whole thing we're standardised, it would go a long way to improving care across the board.

Fluffycloudland77

You have cheered me up with your posts. Just done a weekend of 2 12 hour shifts. Thanks needed the laugh

I know I’m right though Vivana & I know I’ve done everything I can to protect my patients who are in care homes.

I put the patients health first because they rely on us. If we don’t we’ve let them down.

Exactly I do the same specially the service workers I support are extremely vulnerable.