industry & reform
Listen , don ’ t label
Why some health workers are vaccine hesitant , and how we can support them .
Holly Seale interviewed by Eleanor Campbell
With reports of nurses in New York burning their scrubs in protest against vaccine mandates and footage of workers protesting in Melbourne against lockdown , the divide between ‘ vaccine mindsets ’ is growing .
With a small group of health workers thought to be hesitant or against receiving the COVID vaccine , Associate Professor Holly Seale , an infectious disease social scientist from the UNSW School of Population Health , recommends that employers adopt mindful language to avoid “ finger pointing ”.
Seale joined Aged Care Insite to discuss ‘ anti-vaxxers ’, safe discussions around vaccines in the workplace , and the rights of patient safety versus the rights of health staff .
ACI : What are the distinctions between being vaccine hesitant and anti-vax ? HS : It ’ s important to note that ‘ vaccine hesitancy ’ is a term that has been formally recognised for many years . And certainly we apply it to other vaccine programs , not just for COVID .
When we think about vaccine acceptance , we know that it happens on a spectrum , that there are certainly those in the community who will roll up their sleeve and receive their flu vaccine , including many of our healthcare workers . There will be those who are happy to receive some vaccines , but may either delay or decline to receive others .
And then there are those at the other end of the spectrum , who really either decline all vaccines or even , to the furthest point , actually advocate against vaccination . That might be for a range of agendas , including where people believe that natural remedies or even natural immunity is preferable to receiving a vaccine .
Looking at how we refer to each of these groups , I feel that it ’ s really important not to use the term ‘ anti-vax ’, because it can be quite stigmatising . And certainly what we don ’ t want to do is push people in
8 agedcareinsite . com . au