More states are beginning to require healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, sparking responses from ASCs and physicians.
Brian Gantwerker, MD, of the Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles, spoke with Becker's ASC Review on why he feels mandating COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers is critical to slowing the spread.
Dr. Brian Gantwerker: I would say that the problems come because everyone has their own psychological baggage when it comes to this topic. I think we are right in pushing vaccinations for healthcare workers because we are stewards of public health. There's always reasons to not get it — maybe someone has a genuine medical exemption.
The fact is the more times the virus reproduces, the more chances are there'll be a mutation, and the more chances are the mutations will render the vaccines less effective. Folks are free, obviously, to work where they want to, and so I think healthcare systems have to lead the way and say, 'Okay, you need to be vaccinated because we're dealing with a fourth wave. We don't know what it's going to look like, maybe it'll be much less severe.'
It's going to come down to consistent and clear messaging from authority figures. We need to get our politicians in step with us. We have to put faith back in experts. We have to realize that political expediency is no longer an excuse to spread misinformation. And the best bet is to bet on health and the survival of our society in people who are trained and have no ulterior motives to keep people from getting sick and dying.