Should health workers wear medical gloves during VAS administration? What about medical gowns?

Health workers should always follow national and local guidelines on appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Guidance from WHO and UNICEF describes the appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions—including PPE such as medical masks, gowns and gloves—required for different health care activities. While the guidance does not specifically mention VAS, it explains that health workers are not required to wear medical gloves and gowns when conducting activities similar to VAS administration [3]. For this reason, GAVA did not include a recommendation for the use of medical gowns or gloves by health workers administering VAS. In accordance with global guidance, the GAVA guide emphasizes the importance of frequent hand hygiene for health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic as a critical IPC measure to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Section 3.1 of the GAVA guide details the critical times for hand hygiene during VAS administration.