Problem:
Respond to the discussion below in one or more of the following ways:
- Share an insight that you gained from having read the initial discussion.
- Share advice that you would provide to the CEO in the scenario regarding techniques used to increase voluntary immunization among their patient care staff.
How can they help to ease tension between a healthcare professional's personal autonomy and public safety? Need Assignment Help?
Mandatory vaccination policies can have a significant impact on patient and public safety. In healthcare organizations, these policies increase personnel vaccination rates, reducing the likelihood of staff illness, absenteeism, and patient exposure to preventable disease. For example, recent research has shown that state-level COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers were associated with increased vaccination (Wang et al., 2024). Higher coverage among staff reduces the potential for outbreaks, while organizations without a policy may risk increased infection rates and service disruption. The measles resurgence in the United States, 35 outbreaks in 2025 compared to 16 the prior year, underscores how declining herd immunity compromises public safety and creates operational strain for hospitals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2025a). The decision to mandate anything can inevitably introduce conflict. From an organizational perspective, mandating vaccines may lead to conflicts between rights related to staff autonomy versus the importance of patient