CGDent and BADN call for deferral of mandatory vaccination as survey suggests a quarter of dental nurses are not fully vaccinated

Regulations came into effect earlier this month that will make it unlawful from April 1, 2022, for a CQC-regulated employer to deploy staff who are not fully vaccinated to work face-to-face with patients. The rules, which will apply to NHS and private providers alike, will effectively force dental practices to dismiss staff who have not received their first dose of an approved coronavirus vaccine by February 3, and second dose by March 31, unless they are clinically exempt, under 18, taking part in a covid vaccine trial or can be redeployed into a non-patient-facing role.

Both the CGDent and BADN are unequivocal in their encouragement of dental professionals to take up the offer of coronavirus vaccination. However, interim results from the BADN covid vaccination survey, based on the responses of over 1,000 practising dental nurses to date, show that 26 per cent have not yet received two vaccination doses, and 24 per cent will not have been double-vaccinated by the deadline.