Hospital’s friendly huddles persuade more staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations – CBC
Sunnybrook Hospital trained peers to address concerns over the COVID-19 vaccine
Nov 27, 2021
Dr. Adina Weinerman is on a mission to get her fellow health-care workers at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Hospital vaccinated against COVID-19.
Although 75 per cent of eligible Canadians are now fully vaccinated, others are still reluctant to get the jab, including health-care workers. Regulations over workplace vaccine mandates vary across the country, and at a time when health-care providers are already stretched thin, losing staff who aren’t vaccinated puts more pressure on those who remain and may affect patient care.
So Weinerman, who is an internist and the medical director for quality and patient safety at Sunnybrook, worked to reassure workers about the vaccine’s safety. Sunnybrook doesn’t have a strict vaccine mandate, but staff who haven’t provided proof of COVID-19 vaccination must undergo regular testing.
The idea is that while vaccine mandates by themselves can generate angry compliance, some friendly persuasion can change minds.
