As COVID-19 vaccines became available earlier this year, nursing home residents were among the first to roll up their sleeves for the treatment. After the coronavirus killed over 180,000 residents of long-term care facilities since March 2020, millions have received the vaccinations and prevented further spread of the disease. However, there are still some workers at these facilities dealing with vaccine hesitancy. Some nursing home operates have mandated employees get these shots. As the spring turns to summer, that could mean workers lose their jobs.
Overall, more nursing home workers have been vaccinated, along with the general public. The group is known for not getting flu shots every year, over concerns of side effects, and lags other front-line medical cohorts on coronavirus vaccine levels. Many with vaccine hesitancy have similar objections to the COVID-19 vaccines, like risk to future fertility. This has put some nursing home operators in a tough position: protect residents by mandating these shots for care providers and other front-line staff and possibly further coverage shortages, or let the employees decide and continue the risk to the most vulnerable population of residents. Some have chosen the former and given deadlines of July 1st to get the vaccination. While these mandates have convinced most workers to get their shots, some are concerned the ultimatums are illegal and will not survive court challenges.
It can be difficult to trust loved ones to nursing home workers. There are many stories of abuse and neglect of residents, even before the pandemic, and most of those accusations were initially ignored or drew retaliation. If you believe someone you care about has been the victim of poor care at a long-term care facility, the nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys at East Coast Trial Lawyers have the expertise to help with your complaint and bring the justice you deserve. Call today at 757-352-2237 or contact us online for your initial consultation. Based in Virginia Beach, we are proud to serve our neighbors in Chesapeake, Eastern Shore, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.
