H1N1 Vaccine - Required or Fired
Sassy Scrubs is interested in learning your opinion on the new flu vaccine regulation recently approved by the Department of Health in New York State. In mid-August, the State of New York approved an emergency regulation requiring mandated influenza vaccinations for healthcare workers. In addition to seasonal flu, the regulation could apply to H1N1, commonly called the Swine Flu, if a vaccine is available in sufficient supply. The regulation requires employers of hospital, home care, and hospice workers to require vaccination. Those workers not complying by the end of November may have their employment terminated. Regulation of this type can and probably will affect you whether you live in New York State or not.How do you feel about this mandated vaccination regulation? Is this a necessary move to protect our healthcare workers and the general population, or a radical measure which infringes upon the rights of healthcare workers? What do you think?
Labels: H1N1 Vaccine, Influenza, nursing scrubs, Swine Flu
posted by Sassy Scrubs.com @ 10:24 AM
14 Comments
14 Comments:
No one should be required to receive any vaccine, ever!!!! What happens if they get sick from it, or worse die or are permanently disabled from it. This is just plain crazy. What about the increasing incidents of Gillian Barre associated with flu vaccines?
Absolutely not! No one should be required to be injected with a chemical in order to retain their employment. My employer here in NC has just made the same mandate, and I am seeking another job.
No mandatory flu shots - this is just somebody making a lot of money in profits. I & every American citizen has the right to decide for themselves. They threw this vaccine together too quickly - I don't think we can assume that it's safe.
Mandatory vaccinations are just one small part of the thousands of regulations that nurses have to deal with daily. Each of these rules came about as a reaction to something bad that happened, or an attempt to prevent errors or illness. Every year hundreds of new rules are shoved onto us. Enough is enough already. I'm starting to feel like I work for nazis.
I am not even sure that the flu vaccine is safe and effective. Thankfully, I had a severe allergic reaction last time I had a flu shot, so I am permitted to sign a declination and refuse the shot.
aBSO;UTELY NOT/There will be enough "volunteers" of those that want the vaccine to provide mucho herd immunity. Vaccines are as dangerous as they are helpful, so choice is necessary.
Really? Mandatory? hasn't happened in PA yet(that I know of) - but if so....... I guess I'm out of a job. I have a chronic medical condition that can be exacerbated by a flu shot causing me permenatent disablity. I'll take my chances and not get one. "Knock on wood" I've been very lucky so far (and I have a pre teen son who had the flu 2 years ago and I was the one who took care of him - never did get sick - washed my hands and Cloroxed off all the things he touched). How can they make this mandatory? What about the common cold, pneumonia and for those of us who work with the pediatric population - RSV! Like I preach to my family - Wash your hands!, Wash your hands!, Wash your hands.......it does work!! :)
I don't think anyone should be mandated to receive a vaccine by their facility. I personally get a flu shot every year though I do not have allergies nor have I ever had a reaction to a vaccine. I think it should be up to the individual whether they want the vaccine or not, not to retain their job. JM
In BC, Canada, to force a flu shot on an employee would be considered an assault and is illegal.
It could be argued that employees aren't "forced" as they have the choice to lose their jobs - yet how can that supported on a human rights level - unless being able to have a job and feed your family isn't a human right.
If the entire point is for the safety of the patients, then why not "force" the PATIENTS to have the shots and leave the workers to decide for themselves? Give the patients a choice too - they can always refuse, go home and forfeit treatment...just like the workers would be forced to make an unacceptable choice. What's the difference, really! And while you're at it, force all hospital visitors to be vaccinated as well. They're as likely to infect patients as much if not more so than a hospital worker who washes hands, gowns up and wears gloves and mask.
I am not in favor of anyone having to submitt to a mandatory vacination of a new vaccine. Who knows what possible side effects there are, and is the State of NY going to cover any complications?
The article doesn't say staff are required to get the H1N1 (yet), only seasonal. Every seems to be assuming H1N1 is or will be mandatory. I'll venture 50/50 right now.
I have no problem w/ being req'd to get a seasonal flu shot. I'm already required to be vaccinated against MMR, varicella (or (+) titer), Td, hep B and probably something I forgot. I needed these to nurse in VA, Wash. DC, MD, and MA. How is this any different?
I am training as a health care worker. Two weeks ago one of my classmates came to class sick and coughed for a week. A week ago Monday three of the nine students came to class sick because what the first student had was very contagious. I went home sick on Monday and stayed home for three days.
There are individuals, including health care workers that are just not going to stay home when they are sick. I told our instructor thank goodness we are not scheduled to go to the nursing home at this time because our class would have spread a very serious upper respiratory infection to a venerable population. We are scheduled to go a week from now.
So I agree with the State of New York. There are just too many health care workers, including students, that are going to refuse to take the vaccine, get sick, and be a source of infection rather than a cure to the population they are working with.
There are always 2 sides to every story.
Healthcare workers are not only exposed daily to viruses, but run they also run the risk of exposing their patients – some of which are prone to serious consequences from contracting a flu virus.
My question is this: Why make mandatory only ONE alternative to each of those 2 parties? I haven't yet heard any discussion regarding offering another mandatory alternative to the mandatory vaccination.
Let’s say you are a healthcare worker and decide not to partake in the vaccination, shouldn’t you perhaps be responsible for wearing a mask and gloves at all times while working. And what about the patients and visitors who aren’t vaccinated and are exposing the healthcare workers? Should we make anyone entering those facilities either get the vaccination or at least require them to wear a mask and gloves while they’re visiting?
Does anyone recall what happened in China in 2002 and 2003 with the SARS virus? I personally recall seeing news coverage of the majority (if not all) of the people of the Guangdong province of China wearing face masks and gloves - no matter if they were in the subway or hospital. Were those people given only one alternative to battling SARS?
While the H1N1 flu vaccination may be one alternative to stop it’s spread, it certainly can’t be the only means. Masks, gloves, proper hand-washing techniques seem to be like viable alternatives to me. Let’s give people a choice, by making options available that “we” can ALL live with. Is that too much to ask for? I think our government is big enough to handle that. Do you?
I'm a LPN that works at a Rehabilitation center located in Queens, NY. I was very happy to hear from my NCC yesterday that I'm not required to take the H1N1 vaccine. I feel sorry for my fellow nurses that work in hospitals that are being forced to take the vaccine. Very unfair!
Get over it, its a flu shot. You have a larger chance getting injured in a car accident
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