With medical or religious reasons as the only exemptions, the American Nurses Association is now advocating for everyone, including registered nurses, to be vaccinated for vaccine-preventable diseases.
Previously, the ANA had supported "mandatory vaccination policies for registered nurses and healthcare workers under certain circumstances."
This position change stemmed partly from the measles outbreaks in the U.S. this year that affected unvaccinated adults and children. It also aligns the ANA with recommendations from the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
"ANA's new position aligns registered nurses with the best current evidence on immunization safety and preventing diseases such as measles," said Pamela Cipriano, PhD, RN, president of the ANA. "A critical component of a nurse's job is to educate patients and their family members about the effectiveness of immunization as a safe method to disease prevention to protect not only individuals, but also the public health."
If a nurse wishes to be exempt from vaccinations, they should provide documentation that supports their request, and those who are granted an exemption may need to adopt measures or practices to reduce the chance of disease spread in the workplace, according to the ANA's policy.