This is a public statement issued by the American Nurses Association\California Executive Director on September 30th, 2021.
The American Nurses Association\California supports the California Department of Public Health's vaccination mandate announcement Tuesday, Sept 28th, for all workers in adult care facilities and direct care workers as it aligns with our previous immunization statement on July 26th, and the ANA's Immunizations Position Statement from July 22, 2020. This is an ethical commitment for all health care workers to take the necessary steps to ensure the health and well-being of in-home patients and residents of senior care facilities.
Currently, more than 520,000 Californians provide in-home supportive services, according to the Department of Social Services, which include employees in certified home care aides, hospice workers who work in people's homes, and workers in the state’s regional centers that serve people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
Evidence-based practices have shown immunizations protect members of the public in high-risk settings from highly communicable and deadly diseases. And, while we recognize some workers cannot be vaccinated because of identified medical reasons and should be exempted from a mandate, they constitute a small minority of all workers.
ANA\California calls for all in-home health and senior care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be subject to regular testing. The health and safety of California's workers, families, and communities depend on it.
Respectfully,
Dr. Marketa Houskova, DNP, MAIA, BA, RN
Executive Director