Hospital Employee Health – October 1, 2021
October 1, 2021
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FDA Approval of Pfizer Shot Opens Floodgates for Mandates
Many hospitals and healthcare facilities are expected to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for employees now that the FDA has removed the emergency use authorization label and fully licensed the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. It is expected the full licensure will now encourage vaccine mandates and requirements beyond healthcare settings. -
Fauci: Vaccine Booster Should Spark Strong Immune Response
Healthcare workers are expected to be a priority for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots this fall, providing more protection against the highly transmissible delta variant and likely reducing breakthrough infections. -
Inadequate Staffing Caused Nurse Burnout Before Pandemic
Nurses already experienced high levels of burnout before the pandemic, primarily because of chronic understaffing. A regression to the mean in the coronavirus aftermath would greatly hurt the profession and the patients they protect. -
Before the COVID-19 Vaccine, Most HCWs Infected in Community
Researchers found during the pre-vaccine pandemic in 2020 that 11.5% of healthcare workers who acquired COVID-19 in their hospital were occupationally infected. Thus, as has often been observed by employee health professionals, the lion’s share of exposures and SARS-CoV-2 infections in hospital staff have occurred in the community. -
Pediatricians Urge FDA to Approve Shots for Kids
The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging the FDA to work aggressively to authorize a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than age 12 years as soon as possible.