I'm in two minds on the subject of compulsion for care workers. But that isn't my biggest concern...
I'm in two minds on the subject of compulsion, because on the one hand I generally don't agree with compulsion but on the other hand, we aren't talking about the general public, we're talking about professionals doing their job. And just as medical professionals are obliged to wear masks, gloves, etc, as part of their job to protect their patients, I think it's also reasonable to expect that they won't operate on, or care for, people if they themselves haven't been vaccinated.
But that dilemma is not my biggest concern.
My biggest concern is that medical and care professionals, people who have proper training to some level or other, and who are caring for people, don't have confidence in the treatments that the NHS is giving out.
These people are largely responsible for delivering medical care at some level or other. Perhaps not doctor level, but these people are responsible for making sure the people they are caring for are taking the medicines that doctors have prescribed and such like.
What does it tell you when these people shun the vaccine themselves?
To me, I just can't help feeling significantly concerned when such a significant proportion - I think some suggestions I've seen say 10 to 15% - of care staff don't have the confidence or understand it enough, to rush out and take the vaccine voluntarily.
Are these people being swayed by social media and fringe groups?
If so, that doesn't say much for the quality of training or the quality of people being employed in that sector, if that number trust social media more than they trust the profession in which they operate as (supposed) professionals themselves.
If these people are being swayed by conspiracy theories and hearsay regarding the vaccine, so much so that they'd unnecessarily risk giving their patients covid, how can we have confidence that they are doing their jobs properly in other aspects?
What other conspiracy theories are they reading? Are they basing the care they give daily, on their training, or on what some anonymous person told them on the t'interweb the other week.
Maybe it would be for the overall good, if some were barred from working in the sector if they aren't vaccinated... but for the reasons mentioned above, not the simplistic 'if they aren't vaccinated, their patients could catch it'.
IMV, if 10 to 15% do end up refusing the vaccine, then I think the government should seriously look to open a broader investigation into whether medical and care workers really have confidence in, and are really following the science and their training when they go about their daily jobs in general (nothing specific to covid).