Weekly Poll: Required flu shots
Last week we blogged about a developing regulation in New York State that would require healthcare workers to receive the seasonal flu vaccine, and potentially the H1N1 vaccine if it comes out.
As you might imagine, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is not pleased with this regulation. They’ve added their testimony and some talking points about the issue, but it seems the State Hospital Research and Planning Council (SHRPC) is moving forward unflinchingly.
We’ve already received a number of comments regarding this issue, but it’s certainly worth a poll question if only to get an accurate temperature reading from OSHA Healthcare Advisor community. Should states require flu vaccinations for healthcare workers? As always, we welcome additional comments below.
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OSHA Healthcare Advisor Poll
The OSHA Healthcare Advisor Poll is our weekly questionnaire that is updated every Monday. It is a great opportunity for you to let us know what is going on at your facility, while also getting a look at what your peers have to say. Every week we will post a new question related to healthcare safety. As always, if you have any burning questions of your own, post them in the comments section below and it could become a featured poll question.
OSHA Healthcare Advisor Poll has written 156 posts.
Comments
I am a supporter of influenza immunizations but I also believe that this is a personal decision.
While I personally believe that all healthcare workers should be immunized I do not believe that making it mandatory it appropriate. In our practice I will offer the vaccines along with the overriding concern for being immunized but none will be forced to get the shot(s). I will, however, require those declining the vaccine to sign a declination statement that acknowledges that they have been offered and may change their mind at any time (similar to the Hep B statement).
As children and as nurising students we were required to have specific vaccinations for our own safety. I see no difference in the Seasonaly influence vaccine or the H1N1 vaccine when ready. For those working in Nursin home were the residents get annual influenza vaccine, why should their care providers not provide the additional layer of protection for them?
Vaccinations are required for a variety of activities. I feel that as employees of medical facitilies that our institutions should make this a condition of employment. They have requirements for MMR, chicken pox, Hep B, Tdap for school, why should our medical facitilies be any different. Additionally, we have an ethical obligation to our patients to do no harm, intentional or not bring flu to work (or taking it home for that matter) is doing harm. The risks are minimal..the pay-off is greater for us all.
too many immunizations these days-children who are vaccinated for varicella still get the chicken pox, yet now it doesnt resemble the familiar rash, and so we are likely infecting others unwittingly-imagine! oh we can fix that, lets make them have 2 varicella immunizations!
and lets us not forget all the great marketing for the guardicil vaccine. making it mandatory in some states went over so well that now theyd like to vaccinate their young men as well!
something is wrong here…
i have a right to make the decision. yes i do. are you going to put me out of work? do you know that less than half of all health care workers get a seasonal flu shot? what are you going to do when more that half of us are not permitted to work?
HOW DARE YOU MANDATE SUCH A THING
If your employer makes taking the flu shot and other shots a condition of employment then we will either have more immunized healthcare workers or some will choose to find other jobs. Just depends how soon re-imbursements gives our employers some backbone to carry thru.
Why should a healthcare worker have any less right as to what goes into their body than any other citizen?
Please mail, phone, or at least email your state representatives to state your opposition to this mandatory program. Stand up for your rights, or more will be taken away.
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