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MHCA Board Votes to Support AHCA/NCAL Statement on Vaccinations of Long Term Care Workers

The Board of Directors for the Maine Health Care Association met earlier this week and voted to support the AHCA/ NCAL Policy Statement regarding vaccinations of long term care personnel. In the statement issued today, AHCA/NCAL strongly urged the vaccination of all health care workers to protect all residents, staff and community members from the known and substantial risks of COVID-19.

The statement highlights that COVID-19 vaccines protect health care personnel when working in health care facilities and in the community, and provides strong protection against workers unintentionally carrying the disease to work and spreading it to patients and peers.

Long term care providers have worked tirelessly to improve uptake among both residents and staff and we recognize you continue to work with your staff and residents to educate, offer, and encourage COVID-19 vaccinations.

AHCA/NCAL also supports providers that adopt mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for health care workers, with applicable state and local regulations shaping how policies are implemented. Each state and facility must make the best decision for their specific circumstances. 

In Maine, 70.7% of nursing home workers and 73% of assisted housing personnel are vaccinated so we still have work to do. We recognize the significant workforce challenges our long term care providers are facing, and we must ensure that we have enough caregivers to support our residents. We continue to focus on educational efforts to increase vaccination confidence and increase rates. Vaccines are the best tool we have to bring an end to this pandemic.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org