WSNA statement on COVID vaccine

The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) is committed to the health and safety of our nurses as well as other frontline caregivers, our families, patients, and communities. Our nurses on the frontlines of COVID-19 have witnessed the devastating impact of this pandemic. We believe that healthcare workers should be prioritized to receive the vaccination and strongly recommend that registered nurses be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a key component of a comprehensive prevention effort.

The balance of safety and efficacy and the perception of personal risk versus overall benefit are at the core of acceptability of immunization practices. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks. While WSNA supports the COVID-19 vaccination for nurses as frontline caregivers, we recognize that without a well-established safety profile, the risk benefit analysis could be such that nurses choose not to be vaccinated.

WSNA strongly supports and urges volun­tary efforts that aim for high vacci­na­tion rates. We are committed to educating our members and the public through a variety of mechanisms. Nurses should not be retaliated or discriminated against if they do not choose to be vaccinated and that COVID-19 vaccination should not be a condition of employment.

WSNA supports and expects enforce­ment of existing federal and state regula­tions including Governor issued proclamations and all public health directives. All employers must meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Occupa­tional Health and Safety Admin­is­tra­tion (OSHA), Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and Washington State Department of Health require­ments for personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, safety and prevention protocols in combatting COVID-19.

Approved by the WSNA Board of Directors

December 4, 2020