New York among US states imposing compulsory jab rule for home care workers

Across the United States, more and more home care workers are being required to receive a Covid vaccination to keep their jobs, sparking anger amongst home care providers.

An emergency law passed by the New York State Health Department now requires New York’s home care staff to have their first Covid jabs by 7 October.

The fast-approaching deadline and lack of consultation with home care agencies has shocked Al Cardillo, the President of the Home Care Association of New York State (HCA).

Al Cardillo has said as much as half of all home care workers in New York are unvaccinated and he estimates the new rule could see 300 home care providers losing home care staff to other industries.

While the UK has not introduced a compulsory vaccination mandate for home care workers, in England, compulsory vaccination for care home workers comes into force on 11 November.

Like England, mandatory staff vaccination rules are exacerbating an existing recruitment crisis in the nation’s care sector.

“The pandemic has left home care in a dire worker shortage”, said HCA President Al Cardillo testifying at a Senate workforce hearing in July.

Highlighting chronic workforce recruitment and retention challenges, lost workforce capacity in the pandemic, greater patient care referral demands and inadequate state reimbursement, Mr Cardillo said: “Immediate support is needed.

"We ask your urgent action to help these agencies and workers who provide for New York’s medically needy and vulnerable individuals every day.”

More and more US states are passing emergency rules on Covid vaccination with deadlines set for September and October.

Analysis by LeadingAge, which has tracked vaccine mandate trends across America, reveals some 24 states (to date 20 August) have a form of vaccine mandate.

New York’s compulsory vaccination rule for home care workers, follows a compulsory vaccination rule imposed by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on care home and hospital staff.

Other US states requiring ‘vaccination or termination’ for care staff include Washington or New York.

US states like California, Delaware and Mississippi require ‘vaccination or testing’. Others such as Illinois stipulate ‘vaccination or testing and masking’.

Meanwhile, nine states have actually banned vaccine mandates for staff.