Unvaccinated caregiver in France allowed to return to work
Photo AFP, Ali Al-Daher
Western Europe
French healthcare workers who did not get a full Covid vaccination will soon be allowed to return to their jobs again. "However, they won't be received with flowers everywhere."
The French Minister of Health announced earlier this week that unvaccinated healthcare workers are welcome at their work again. He said so during an interview with Le Pays. According to Minister François Braun “discussions have taken place and the statement is ready.” He promised to sign the document next week so that the unvaccinated care workers can go to work again sometime in the middle of this May. With that, Braun follows the recommendation of the High Authority for Health, which advised in March to lift the vaccination obligation for health professionals.
According to Valeurs Actuelles, some of the unvaccinated health care workers have been suspended for more than 18 months. In total, there would be about 4,000 of them, constituting 0.3 per cent of the French hospital staff.
Mistrust
However, not everyone rejoices about the return of these healthcare workers. The National Union of Nursing Professionals is not pleased, it said earlier, as reported by France Info. "As health care professionals, caregivers have a duty to their patients to do everything in their power to protect them against disease and infection." The Union added that it "is unacceptable to entrust patients' health to professionals who, by refusing vaccination, express a significant mistrust of science and evidence-based medicine."
Infectious disease specialist Benjamin Davido does not expect many healthcare workers to return after being suspended on vaccination grounds. He says to France Info that many of them did not work for three years, and changed jobs. "Above all, they lost confidence in science, in vaccination and healthcare", he adds.
Motion
The return of unvaccinated healthcare workers is also one of controversy among politicians. In April, some deputies of the National Assembly had rejected a motion of the Communist group that wanted to lift the vaccination obligation, Valeurs Actuelles wrote. However, Minister Braun says that discussions should end. "Things will be done."
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