Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

Originally Posted by kbm318

So instead of "requiring" the H1N1 vaccine at the hospital my bf works at, they are adding an extra $20 a month charge to their health insurance if they choose not to receive the vaccine.

It seems unlikely that the hospital can enforce that! It will be interesting to see if the health insurance company can take it (and if they can't, where it might go), as any policy for employees in effect now, should cover the expenses for treatment of H1N1. Since the liklihood of hospitalization with it is extremely small (less than 1% of those with H1N1, most of whom are very young, stated in the news program "60 minutes" tonight) costs for care shouldn't warrant that.

Also since hospital employees are usually under 49 years of age and may not be with immunocompromised patients for a week after getting the attenuated flumist, I'd imagine that the hospital that makes it mandatory for those employees to have it, would have to pay their salary during the time they can't work with those patients.....

It's interesting to see the heat in the angry reactions on both sides of this controversy. I suspect there's been considerable distrust of employees and employers toward each other, for some time that built that anger. When the dust settles on this, exercises in trust building are definitely indicated!!

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

Originally Posted by jessiern

No one, not even my employer, has the right to tell me what to put into my body. PERIOD.

So they have no right to require you to be vaccinated against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, etc?

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

We were talking about this in class last week. One of my fellow students is furious that she was required to get the seasonal vaccination. We don't have a definite answer on H1N1 yet. We went back and forth for a while, and then I said, "Okay you have the right to refuse vaccinations....but your already sick patient has the right to be protected from their caregivers. PPE is only worn in the room. All it takes is one cough from you while a relative or visitor is nearby, and you've inadvertently exposed your patient to your virus."

She paused, thought about it a few moments, then said, "I can see your point now."

I see it as a way to protect my patients....and myself. We constantly have H1N1 cases running through my unit.

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

No one, anytime, anywhere, should be forced to accept any medicines against their will, not even- or especially not- at the risk of losing their job.

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

Originally Posted by allthemadmen

No one, anytime, anywhere, should be forced to accept any medicines against their will, not even- or especially not- at the risk of losing their job.

Not even for school?

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

Originally Posted by TheSquire

Not even for school?

Do you mean elementary and high school? All fifty states have some kind of exemption for school, and many private schools are more lenient even than that. But no, no one, anytime, anywhere, should be forced to take medicines they don't wish to. Their reasons are personal and must be respected as valid, and possibly even better-informed than those of us who have to toe a party line.

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

Not just that, the state of Illinois requires some for college as well. But, as far as I understand it, in many states the only valid reason to not get one's vaccines is a medical contraindication (though some do allow one for "religious" reasons, whatever those may be).

But yes, if someone is working in the healthcare field, where they may catch a vaccine-preventable disease and/or pass such a disease onto people who are already sick as it is, I have no ethical qualms with an employer making vaccination a condition of employment for those without medical contraindications.

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

As a skeptic about the vaccine, I was pretty adament about not taking the vaccine. Until all 3 of my kids and my husband got it. I am an acute dialysis nurse that switched from a chronic setting to the hospital setting. I can't tell you the countless number of people that have come into the hospital with "suspected" swine flu. We have to gown up, mask up, etc. And now they are not even testing any more because of the 70% false negatives they are getting. The hospital system I work in, stated that we either received the vaccine or we have to wear a mask until Feb. 2010. Now mind you, I hate masks but I also would hate to get sick with this critter even more. I have been reading on it and it seems that this virus is a compilation of 2 types swine, 1 type human and 1 type avian. This is a serious bug. I am just as scared of the side effects from this vaccine as everyone else, but I am scared of what can happen if I didn't take it and then I get it from the hospital setting. There are people in their 20's dying from this. I am in my latter 30's but I have still have a family and a career that I love. Sometimes, we have to outweigh the risks and the benefits in order to be objective and do what is best for us and our families.

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

What century are you working in purple scrubs?
Our hospital hasn't done TB tests for years~
not the standard of practice anymore?

Re: Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

The Squire~
Measles, mumps, etc. are proven vaccines~ do some reading on H1N1 before anyone dictates what other nurses do to maintain their health. There are plenty of other options besides getting an unproven vaccine. Some of our worst enemies may be our co-workers , employers, government.
I've worked ER charge nurse for over 15 yrs, have never gotten a flu vaccine & haven't gotten the flu.
Go figure, maybe it's the masks & handwashing....