Covid vaccine should be mandatory for healthcare staff-Nursing Homes Ireland CEO

Tadhg Daly CEO Nursing Homes Ireland said a risk assessment is taken when a staff member declines a vaccine. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has said he would back legislation making it mandatory for healthcare workers to get a Covid vaccination.

Some nursing home staff have declined offers for the vaccine, though the HSE has said the uptake is still "extremely good".

It had emerged earlier today that some nursing homes conducted raffles and offered cash prizes in a bid to encourage staff to get vaccinated.

Speaking on Newstalk's The Hard Shoulder, Tadgh Daly from NHI said if the government moved to make the vaccination mandatory, his organisation would support it. 

The NHI CEO said a risk assessment is held when a staff member does not agree to be vaccinated however he does not think it is appropriate for a healthcare worker to refuse the jab. 

"I personally would feel no it is not appropriate, I think that as a society we should have a zero-tolerance in some respects towards the vaccination, particularly given what we have been through as a country over the last 12 months.

"Yes absolutely if appropriate I think that if the legislators were to move and legislate for Covid vaccination then that is something that we would absolutely support."  

Mr Daly is pleased however that there is such a high uptake of the vaccine and said many workers across the sector are anxious to be inoculated. 

"People are very, very anxious to get the vaccine," said Mr Daly, "Anecdotally, we're hearing figures north of 90%, so I suppose it will take some time."

Mr Daly said that the healthcare sector would continue to promote uptake of the vaccine among staff as a clearer picture of immunization emerges in the near future. 

He said this would guide further strategic decisions made in the vaccination rollout.