Protecting Healthcare Workers in Low- & Lower-Middle-Income Countries through Vaccination: Barriers, Leverages, & Next Steps

Healthcare workers play a vital role in providing medical care to individuals and communities. Compared to the general public, healthcare workers are at a higher risk of exposure to infectious diseases, including vaccine-preventable ones, due to the nature of their work. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends healthcare workers be vaccinated against tuberculosis (BCG), hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, meningococcal, influenza, varicella, pertussis, and COVID-19; yet, despite clear guidelines, these are not always implemented, especially in less wealthy countries.

Importance of Routine Vaccination of Healthcare Workers

Routine vaccination of healthcare workers not only protects them from contracting infectious diseases but also helps prevent the spread of diseases to their patients, reduce healthcare costs associated with treating infected individuals, and reduce the risk of outbreaks that overburden health systems and increase costs. Moreover, healthcare workers who are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases are less likely to miss work due to illness or infection which can improve confidence and increase overall productivity. This, in turn, is essential for providing quality healthcare and improving the efficiency of the overall healthcare system. Similarly, vaccinated healthcare workers would be more confident in their ability to perform their duties as they are less likely to experience stress and anxiety related to their work.

Despite its importance, the implementation of policies for routine vaccination of healthcare workers in low- and lower-middle-income countries faces several challenges. In a recent article published by the researchers of the WFPHA and its International Immunization Policy Taskforce, they analyzed the barriers and recommendations for policy implementation and the role of partnerships.

Main Barriers to the Implementation of Policies for Routine Vaccination of Healthcare Workers

According to the article, lack of funds, lack of specific schedules for healthcare workers, lack of evidence-based data, hesitancy, beliefs, and low literacy are the main barriers to the implementation of policies for routine vaccination of healthcare workers in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Recommendations for the Implementation of Policies for Routine Vaccination of Healthcare Workers

Expanding the COVAX initiative to cover healthcare workers, building partnerships with WHO, GAVI, governments, universities, and communities, mandatory insurance for healthcare workers, including vaccination, utilizing COVID vaccination infrastructures to vaccinate healthcare workers, collecting national data focusing on healthcare workers vaccination, increasing awareness and literacy from the university partnering with health-related student organizations, advocacy at different levels, providing specific schedules and funds addressed to healthcare workers (as done for children and pregnant women), and considering healthcare workers vaccination as part of the Occupational Safety Plan are the main recommendations for the implementation of policies for routine vaccination of healthcare workers in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

It is crucial to remember that the primary requirement for implementing the recommendations is the genuine commitment of governments to protect healthcare workers. Regrettably, numerous governments are yet to prioritize the protection of healthcare workers as essential for the well-being and prosperity of their nations. Consequently, this lack of prioritization hinders the successful implementation of the proposed recommendations, despite their potential for positive outcomes.