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Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, explains why vaccination of care staff provides protection for us all
19 July 2021 was an important date in the calendar for all of us. It marked our cautious reacquaintance with many of the freedoms we took for granted before the pandemic […]
Published on 30/07/2021 in News
| 19 July 2021 was an important date in the calendar for all of us. It marked our cautious reacquaintance with many of the freedoms we took for granted before the pandemic arrived on our shores. As care colleagues, the nation owes you the greatest thanks and respect for the amazing efforts you have made to keep our loved ones safe in the long and arduous journey to this moment. |
| For many of you, particularly those of you working in care home settings, this final easing of restrictions has brought mixed emotions, I’m sure. On the one hand, you will be taking pleasure in restoring some sense of normality to the lives of residents, their families and friends (although we recognise challenges remain in managing visits safely in some settings). On the other, you may well be wondering ‘what next?’ The virus is still out there, people are still falling ill, which means we must continue to keep our colleagues, residents and communities safe by following the highest standards of infection prevention and control, testing regularly and isolating when needed. Many of you, your colleagues and residents will have already been vaccinated with one, hopefully two doses, of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Thank you for being part of our collective efforts to unlock the country – it is hugely appreciated. While nationally, the majority of care home staff have been vaccinated, according to the latest published data, only 65% of older care homes in England are currently meeting this minimum level. While we want to see all care homes pass the SAGE thresholds, the over-riding imperative is to maximise and maintain protection across the board. With this intent in mind, the Government, following wide consultation with the care sector, has taken the difficult decision to make vaccination a condition of deployment in care homes. I understand the misgivings some have expressed about this. However, I believe this is not about limiting freedom of choice, but about protecting those in society who are most vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19. The new regulations come into force on 11 November this year (see the next story for a useful timeline). Care providers and their staff need time to prepare, which is why a 16-week grace period has begun, allowing colleagues who haven’t been vaccinated to arrange to have both doses. You can book and manage your vaccinations on the NHSE website. I know that taking up the offer of vaccination will still be a difficult decision for some of you, but I believe it is ultimately the right one. Speak to your managers, get the information you need to reassure yourself about the vaccines, and book your jabs today. I feel confident it will be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. |
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