ONS Response to Mandated COVID-19 Vaccinations for Nurses and All Healthcare Professionals
On July 26, 2021, the American Nurses Association (ANA) signed onto a statement (https://www.acponline.org/acp_policy/statements/joint_statement_covid_vaccine_mandate_2021.pdf) released by a large group of healthcare systems and other associations in support of healthcare employers mandating nurses and all healthcare personnel be vaccinated (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/covid-19-reference-sheet-vaccines) against the COVID-19 coronavirus. This is in response to increasing circulation of COVID-19 variants and lagging vaccination rates. Although ONS was not listed on the statement as a supporting organization because of a late request, ONS agrees that vaccinations are critical for healthcare providers, particularly those caring for immunocompromised patients (https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/covid-19s-implications-for-people-with-cancer-and-oncology-nurses).
“ONS supports the recommendation that all healthcare providers receive the COVID-19 vaccine, to not only protect themselves but the patients they serve,” ONS President Nancy Houlihan, MA, RN, AOCN®, said. “As the landscape quickly changes, ONS will continue to provide updated resources and information to help oncology nurses make informed decisions regarding COVID-19 protocols and vaccines.”
In addition, the ANA announced (https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2021/ana-supports-cdcs-updated-guidance-on-masks-to-mitigate-impact-of-delta-variant2/) its support of the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on the use of masks to mitigate the impact of the Delta variant. ONS also supports that all healthcare providers follow CDC's guidance.