Do doctors have to have the covid-19 vaccine? | The BMJ

Abi Rimmer asks four experts whether doctors must be vaccinated against covid-19 Vageesh Jain, public health specialty registrar, University College London, says, “As it stands, legally, you don’t have to have a covid vaccine. But ethically, clinically, epidemiologically—whichever way you slice it—I would argue you do. “The ethical case is grounded in the professional duty healthcare workers have to protect their patients: do no harm. Although everyone has the right to decide whether to take a vaccine or not, patients (often elderly or unwell, and therefore vulnerable to covid-19) also have fundamental rights to be protected from avoidable harm. When these principles come into conflict, actions that safeguard the best interests of patients must be favoured. “The evidence on covid-19 vaccines is clear: they are safe and they work. Some are understandably concerned about a lack of long term data, but the importance of this can be overstated. For other vaccines, mild side effects can occur in the first few months but serious and longer term problems are largely theoretical for most. On the other hand, the clinical risks of covid-19 (including long covid) are real, especially for those working in healthcare, where the chance of encountering an infectious disease is relatively high. “Vaccines don’t just protect you and your patients, but the wider population too. Hospitals and community practices are amplifiers of transmission: one or two cases can rapidly …

Abi Rimmer asks four experts whether doctors must be vaccinated against covid-19 Vageesh Jain, public health specialty registrar, University College London, says, “As it stands, legally, you don’t have to have a covid vaccine. But ethically, clinically, epidemiologically—whichever way you slice it—I would argue you do. “The ethical case is grounded in the professional duty healthcare workers have to protect their patients: do no harm. Although everyone has the right to decide whether to take a vaccine or not, patients (often elderly or unwell, and therefore vulnerable to covid-19) also have fu