The compulsory care vaccination is coming: facilities sound the alarm - "We can't do without anyone"

Created: 01/12/2022, 10:10 AM

From: Katrin Woitsch

All employees in the health and care sector must be vaccinated by mid-March.

© picture alliance / dpa |

Moritz Frankenberg

In two months there will be compulsory vaccination in the care sector.

The vaccination rates have increased - but not enough.

Many clinic or nursing service managers fear.

Munich - "Unvaccinated nurse seeks new area of ​​activity" - this job advertisement appeared a few days ago in the Traunsteiner Tagblatt with a slight variation dozen of times. In the region, 61 percent of people are vaccinated twice, 41 percent three times - the number of vaccine skeptics is significantly higher than in many other districts.

A spokesman for the local hospital dares to doubt that so many nurses are about to quit their jobs because of the mandatory vaccination *, which will come into force in mid-March.

“At least two ads even had the same phone number,” he says.

Very few nurses would probably describe themselves as “nurses” - this, too, points to an action by lateral thinkers.

The vast majority of the employees in the hospital are vaccinated against Corona *, says the spokesman.

There is no wave of layoffs.

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Compulsory vaccination in the care sector: The fear of the wave of layoffs is real

However, the fear that many caregivers might quit is real.

From March 16, the facility-related vaccination requirement * decided by the Bundestag comes into force.

Only vaccinated people will then be allowed to work in hospitals, old people's homes and care services.

This does not only apply to caregivers, but also to kitchen helpers or employees in administration.

But since there is already a shortage of skilled nursing staff, there is great concern that there will not be enough staff.

The Red Cross, the Workers' Welfare Association and Caritas report that there are still only a few layoffs.

"The consequences of compulsory vaccination cannot yet be assessed for us," says BRK spokesman Sohrab Taheri-Sohi.

In the Red Cross facilities, over 85 percent of employees have now been vaccinated, he reports.

Compulsory vaccination: readiness for the Piks in care facilities increased

The quota in the homes and the Caritas care services is similarly high.

"We are noticing that the willingness to vaccinate has increased in the past few weeks," says Taheri.

"But some nurses will probably not be vaccinated until mid-March." Even if these are individual cases: "We can't do without anyone."

Caritas looks to March with concern.

"Even if we had a vaccination rate of 95 percent by then, hundreds of people would be missing," says spokesman Tobias Utters.

Therefore, no facility will close, he emphasizes.

However, he cannot yet estimate how this will actually affect the everyday life of the vaccinated nurses.

Compulsory vaccination: Care company Benefvt takes a drastic step

Kaspar Pfister is already one step further.

His care company Benevit cares for a total of 3500 people at 29 locations in five federal states through care services or in homes.

As early as autumn 2020, he asked his employees whether they were ready to be vaccinated - and was alarmed.

Benevit managing director Kaspar Pfister anticipates the vaccination requirement for nursing professions and releases all unvaccinated employees.

© picture alliance / dpa |

Bernd Weißbrod

Pfister thought about bonuses and promotions.

Last October, 80 percent of its approximately 2,000 employees were vaccinated.

“That's a lot - but it's not enough,” he says.

Because there were corona outbreaks * and also 43 deaths caused by it in his facilities.

This is why Pfister has been making vaccinations mandatory for all employees since December 1st.

97 percent have now been vaccinated.

50 people not yet.

You are free *, but continue to receive your salary.

Until the nationwide vaccination is mandatory in March, there is no other option under labor law, he says.

Compulsory vaccination in Benevit nursing homes: boss receives hate and threatening letters

14 employees quit because of the vaccination.

he says.

"I'm sorry for every single one." Ultimately, however, the losses in the last few weeks were easier to compensate than during the vacation period, he emphasizes.

The hate and threatening letters he received also never left him in doubt about his decision.

“We have a responsibility for the people who are entrusted to us,” says Pfister.

“We have to protect them as best as possible - and that is only possible with the vaccinations.” Something else also encourages him in his decision: 240 of his employees who did not want to be vaccinated have since changed their minds.