[crissrn27]

Hi all, wanted to get advice about this situation. My hospital has said it will begin mandating the flu vaccine for all direct care staff next year. I get the vaccine every year, but I know that some people don't and I respect that it is their body, their desicion. Can they really force people to do this?

[KellNY]

I'm not 100% sure of the legalities, but I can tell you this: If there were not a simple waiver to sign, I would be faxing my resume to more hospitals than I care to list.

[GooeyRN]

What if you say you have an allergy? I would assume you could claim a religious exemption if you had to. But then you would have to avoid all other vaccines, too.

[Sabby_NC]

Hmmmmm not sure legally they can insist you do this but others would know if this is so.
My work place offer and encourage employees to take the Flu Vac. I don't after having one and getting very sick.
I am 50yrs old and have had x3 three true flu's in my life time. Not bad odds I feel. Even so after having the flu vac once I believed dying was a good option. LOL (I would have been better getting the flu) I was in bed for over a week. I would never have it again.. Ewwwwww
No one would be forcing me to have something I did not want let me say! There are plenty of nursing jobs out there eh?

[bopps]

They can't make you , period. Many people refuse them due to health and/or religious reasons. A religious reason doesn't have to be about God per sea, it can be a decision you feel very strongly about for whatever reason.

[crissrn27]

These were my thoughts, too. But they seem very sure that they will be able to do this, even said it in an offhanded kinda way, during a staff meeting. I know alot of people feel very strongly about vaccines, and I can't imagine "making" someone put something in their bodies they don't want to.

[KellNY]

Just wanted to throw it out there that a religious exemption is not the easiest thing to obtain, especially if you've been vaxed in the past or are not against getting other types of vaxes.

It's not just a "Well, sorry, I'm religiously exempt". There are forms that have to be filled out, explanations of *specific* religious backing, and this has to be approved and sometimes lawyers must be involved. It can get quite messy.

...which is why it bothered me so much on the Gardisil vax thread. There were so many people saying "Well, for those who are so against it, they can just get an exemption, so really it's not mandatory".

Not to take out my frustrations on you, bopps.

[Batman24]

I'm allergic to eggs so I would never be able to get one. My mother is a nurse and she nor my brothers and I ever had one.

I don't think this is something they can legally enforce. I would think they would know this, but perhaps are trying to strong arm employees into being afraid to reject it. I would refuse and offer to sign a waiver.

[TiffyRN]

So being the stubborn person I am I have to ask; what's the penalty? I read in your other thread about this that employees faced penalties if they called in sick with the flu when they hadn't had a vaccination that season. How do you enforce that? Do they do viral cultures on every non-compliant person with sniffles? (doubt that knowing how everywhere I've worked is too cheap to spring for that). How else would they know if you had the flu vs. a bad cold, pharyngitis, or a great variety of diseases that are always preceded by "flu-like symptoms". Or are they having a mass firing at the hospital on Nov. 1st if not vaccinated?

Having said that; I support the idea that nurses should be vaccinated for flu; but I HATE to be forced to do anything.

[zacarias]

That happened at a hospital where I used to live. The union came to the rescue of nurses and this was overturned and they didn't HAVE to get the vaccine. I love WA state.