INMO Call For Booster Jab To be Extended to Frontline Workers

The INMO has said that every effort must be made to include frontline workers in the booster vaccination programme and has urged the National Immunisation Adviory Committee to revisit its decision.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation INMO has called for the COVID-19 vaccine boosters to be provided to frontline healthcare workers.

This comes in the wake of confirmation from the HSE that over 1,800 healthcare workers are currently out of work.

INMO General Secetary Phil Ní Sheaghda commented: “ We are now requesting an immediate decision to include frontline healthcare workers in the vaccine booster programme.
"We cannot afford to have huge swathes of nurses and midwives infected with COVID-19 and out of the workplace when hospitals are overcrowded and waiting lists continuing to grow.

“From the HPSC figures published last Friday in the last month the number of COVID infections has increased amongst healthcare workers, with nurses and midwives representing the highest cohort of those infected. In the last month over 371 nurses and midwives were infected. This accounts for over 26.2% of all healthcare workers infected in the last month.

“The level of infection rate of healthcare workers is going in the wrong direction, and it is especially concerning given the time of year. The reported workplace outbreaks are highest in workplaces that are described as health care settings including acute hospitals, clearly this increases the risks for those working in these environments," she said.

Ní Sheaghda said that the over-60 cohort have been recommended to receive a booster in the coming weeks, but would have received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, she stressed that many healthcare workers received this vaccine in late January and February.

“Nurses and midwives are now exhausted from working since February 2020 in this pressurised environment, wearing PPE and in many instances unable to avail of annual leave due to high absence levels.

"We know exhaustion adds to their vulnerability and coupled with exposure to very high levels of this virus in their workplace, it is now imperative that they are afforded the maximum protections available including booster vaccine,"she insisted