Healthcare workers shun COVID, flu vaccines amid growing distrust in health agencies

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a significant drop in the number of healthcare workers receiving the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2023-24 cold and flu season, continuing a trend of declining vaccine uptake in the wake of the pandemic.

According to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), only 15.3% of acute hospital workers and 10.5% of nursing home personnel received a COVID-19 vaccine in the latest season, down from 17.8% and 22.8%, respectively, in the previous year.

The data highlights ongoing challenges for public health authorities, with vaccination rates for both COVID-19 and flu showing signs of stagnation or decline among healthcare professionals.

Flu vaccine uptake was notably higher, with 80.7% of acute care hospital workers and 45.4% of nursing home personnel getting their flu shot.

However, both figures remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels — for instance, 91% of hospital workers were vaccinated against the flu in the 2019-2020 season.

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The CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network, which collected this data, also reported that nearly 1 in 100 healthcare workers cited a medical contraindication to receiving either the COVID-19 or flu vaccine, though the report did not provide specific data on the incidence of vaccine side effects among healthcare personnel.

The decline in vaccination rates among healthcare workers, who have traditionally been early adopters of vaccines, signals growing skepticism and distrust toward public health messaging regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Experts suggest that this trend may reflect broader concerns about vaccine safety, particularly in light of reports of adverse reactions and questions over the effectiveness of the COVID-19 shots.

Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), stated that the declining vaccine uptake was predictable, noting that many healthcare workers who had contracted COVID-19 or experienced adverse reactions to the vaccine themselves were less likely to get vaccinated in subsequent seasons.

“It is no longer possible to deny safety signals and lack of effectiveness,” Orient said. “A large percentage of healthcare workers have either had multiple episodes of COVID or know someone who did, which further undermines confidence in the vaccine.”

Pulmonologist Dr. Pierre Kory, who is also a co-founder of the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance, expressed hope that the trend would continue, interpreting the data as a sign of healthcare workers’ growing disillusionment with regulatory bodies.

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“Healthcare workers’ tremendous erosion of trust in our regulatory agencies is evident,” Kory said. “Allowing this distrust to continue will further undermine the public’s confidence in our healthcare agencies.”

The CDC’s latest findings also underscore the complex relationship between healthcare workers and vaccine mandates.

Some healthcare professionals, including those who experienced adverse effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, have become vocal critics of the mandates and the public health narrative.

Danielle Baker, a hospice nurse injured by the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, remarked, “The events of 2021 forever shook the core of even standard vaccine practices in healthcare.”

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Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, an ear, nose, and throat specialist suspended for treating COVID-19 patients with ivermectin, believes the low vaccination rates among healthcare workers reflect a broader understanding of the risks involved with the COVID-19 shots.

“85% of healthcare workers are opting not to get the COVID shots because they know these shots are all risk and no benefit,” Bowden asserted.

While some professionals believe the CDC data vindicates those who opposed vaccine mandates, others, such as Canadian Frontline Nurses co-founder Sarah Choujounian, argue that they are still facing professional consequences for their stance.

“This news does not bring vindication,” Choujounian said. “I am still in court being dragged through a disciplinary hearing for standing up for what I believe is best for our communities.”