Unvaccinated Nanny

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lauriesinglemom

New member
Wife and I were going out to get our Covid vaccine today and the nanny mentioned she never had a vaccine and never had covid. I was surprised because we used an agency which is supposed to screen for that but obviously didn't. I asked her why she never got vaccinated and she said she just never did.Background: I was hospitalized w covid for over a week and out twins are 8 mos old and two months premature.We did have some trouble finding care though we are paying over $20/hr.Trying to weigh risk of getting covid vs possibly losing care. Appreciate some good advice.

Edit: Should have added I asked her further about getting the covid vaccine to protect herself and others and she didn't say anything, so I'm inferring she doesn't want to get the vaccine and doesn't want to come right out and say so/avoid being argumentative.
 
@lauriesinglemom For me personally, I would worry about her judgement. Not just about covid, but how she assessed other risks to my children in general. If she was working as a nanny to vulnerable populations though the height of covid without taking the best steps available to protect them I would worry that the way she assessed risk in other situations as well, as her risk assessment clearly differs from my own.
 
@danil999 Yes. We had a nanny that had questionable judgement. She was studying to be a NICU nurse yet she vaped, and even vaped around my child. . She did other questionable things. It is also not the case that higher pay = better nanny. Some people go into the profession because it pays relatively well and has a lot of down time but they actually should never be around children. Now we have a nanny that's fabulous and great with out child and whose judgement I trust fully. It has made a huge difference in that I now feel okay leaving my kid with her and knowing she will do the right thing.Nobody with good judgement survived 3 years of pandemic without learning about and getting the vaccine. Can't be chalked up to naivete or ignorance, this is just the first example of someone who doesn't care about others and makes poor decisions.
 
@lauriesinglemom I am a nanny and it goes beyond her getting the vaccine or not it is about her judgment.

I work (almost) exclusively with newborns and infants. I am vigilant about staying up to date on all vaccines because protecting them from infectious disease is within the scope of my responsibilities.

I’m not saying I’d 100% fire a nanny for not being vaccinated but it would matter as to why she is not.
  • She cannot. She either has an immune issue or allergy that would make it unsafe for her to receive the vaccine. I would not fire this nanny but ask she is extra precarious around flu/COVID/RSV season
  • She just didn’t think to do it. I would be a bit concerned that this never crossed her mind as something an employer of a young child would want their caregiver to have. Is there a financial reason she cannot? Is she uninsured? Is she open to it? Case by case basis as to whether or not I’d have her continue care.
  • She refuse to because she generally believes in anti-science rhetoric. This would be a red flag for me and I’d terminate. What other science based practices would she ignore? Safe sleep? Carseat safety? It shows not only a lack of judgment and I’d feel like they’d be more likely to ignore your parenting requests or a doctors request with a “well, I know best” attitude.
 
@katrina2017 I’m a peds trained doctor and second this. I would 99% sure (since those things mentioned are very rare exceptions) fire a nanny that wasn’t vaccinated, and complain to the agency for not screening properly.
 
@katrina2017 I think this is great answer. And I think it matters that I find it to be a great answer, as I have been a nanny, I have a BS in early childhood education, I did an internship with my county’s public health dept, I have worked as a family-nanny liason for an agency, and I am a parent.
ETA: Look at the agency agreement you signed, or anything on paper that shows they fucked up. Because oh man they sure did fuck up/they should take accountability/give you priority replacement, pay your nanny’s severance, etc….
 
@lauriesinglemom First of all, would absolutely not go with any childcare provider that didn’t have their COVID vaccine. It’s not even just that not having the vaccine is bad, but I wouldn’t want my kids being taught things but someone who may possibly be an anti-vaxxer / COVID denier.

Second you need to contact that agency and let them know. If they didn’t do their due diligence and it was part of their guarantee, they owe you either a refund or a new nanny.
 
@porcelainchild Personally I would call the agency and check if they actually asked about it and if she lied about it.

Like you, I'm less worried about the actually risk of transmission of covid and more about what it implies about her personally.
 
@lauriesinglemom So this is going to be an unpopular opinion on both fronts, but I actually think at this point in the pandemic the vaccine is only marginally beneficial. (And I say this as someone who enthusiastically had five shots before I got COVID and would do it again in a heartbeat.) However, I wouldn't hire a nanny who decided not to get it. To me, not getting the vaccine means they don't share the same priorities as me in terms of protecting themselves and those around them.
 
@fender57 I think it's a bit more beneficial than marginally, but just a bit, and totally agree otherwise. I just question the judgment and values of anyone who never got the vaccine, and I would need to trust those things in a nanny.
 
@graceseeker164 My understanding of the vaccine is that it was never intended to produce a durable or reliable immune effect against COVID, but rather to quickly and effectively produce some level of immunity in a largely naive population. This had myriad benefits, especially before Omicron hit. In the post-Omicron world, most of the population has encountered COVID in some form or another, which is why I think vaccination is far less urgent than it once was. I don't disagree that it is not without its benefits, just at this point in time I personally wouldn't consider the vaccination status itself to be make-or-break. The REASONING behind the lack of vaccination, on the other hand, is another issue altogther, and I'm with you on that one.
 
@fender57 Yeah, makes sense. For a daily caregiver of a child, I'd still consider it important given there is some benefit, but everyone's risk assessment is different there. We chose our daycare specifically because they required it of staff, but that was during omicron and I don't know that as many centers are even asking that question of their staff anymore (ours is part of a senior living facility, so they still are).
 
@lauriesinglemom We fired our birth doula for this very reason. She works with one of the most vulnerable populations there is and she wasn’t vaccinated against Covid and also wasn’t vaccinated for tdap, RSV, flu… it came down to us not being able to get behind or financially empower a person who would have such poor judgment and was so self centered. My father, immuno comprised with a chronic condition , died of Covid the year prior so it was a particularly sore subject for me.

She was disappointed we terminated our work with her but I guess not enough to be vaccinated. Ultimately, it’s your family, your call. If you’re not comfortable, that’s enough reason to not work with this nanny.
 
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