Job Offer withdrawn, Vaccination question

[EtienneM]

Hello all,

I recently had a job offer for a PCA position at a hospital withdrawn in Minnesota because I am unable to receive the MMR vaccine due to being on Remicade. I am immune to measles and Rubella, but not Mumps.

My doctor advised that I absolutely cannot receive the vaccine because it is live. My only option is to be weaned off Remicade which will take a long time, so I have lost a great job opportunity.

My question is whether this is common practice at healthcare facilities? I am very nervous to be taken off Remicade since it is keeping me healthy and able to work. I'm between a rock and a hard place and am working on how I want to move forward. My goal was a nursing degree, but I may need to change my education goals.

Thank you for any comments and advice!

Disappointed,

Etienne

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Did your physician give you a written medical exemption from the MMR?

[EtienneM]

Yes, my doctor gave them a written exemption, which was what triggered the action. My doctor thinks this situation is odd. He thinks there must be many people who either cannot get vaccines or refuse on religious grounds, etc...

Health services and HR have told me they don't hire those who cannot receive or refuse vaccinations. I find this hard to believe.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Yes, my doctor gave them a written exemption, which was what triggered the action. My doctor thinks this situation is odd. He thinks there must be many people who either cannot get vaccines or refuse on religious grounds, etc...

Health services and HR have told me they don't hire those who cannot receive or refuse vaccinations. I find this hard to believe.

There may have been a risk to benefit question. Do you live in an area with a nearby measles outbreak or low vaccination rates? The risk of you contracting measles with a negative titer plus being on remicade may be too high of a liability for the facility. You need to rely on herd immunity and people not coming to work ill.

I know in my sisters area of the country she was able to get free vaccinations due to a low vaccination rate and near outbreak conditions. The hospital where she did her practicum would not accept anyone without a positive titer or unvaccinated (even if valid medical exemption) as the risk to the potential student of employee was too great. They had no way of knowing the actual exposure risk since patients were not disclosing their lack if vaccination and recent exposure to measles so it was difficult for staff to take the extra precautions needed to reduce risk.

So yes if you have a negative titer, are medically exempt from MMR &/or varicella and live in a high risk area you can be refused employment as the risk is too great to your health .

[llg, PhD, RN]

I don't know the laws in Minnesota, but where I live, it is legal to refuse employment because of a failure (for any reason) to get vaccines. Where I work, you must be up-to-date with vaccines (including influenza each year) or you do not work here -- no exceptions for any reason. Our position is that you have the right to choose not to receive the vaccine -- but not the right to endanger our patients by bringing those diseases into the hospital.

[EtienneM]

Thank you for your thoughts and advice, I appreciate it.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Interesting variances between states on this issue.

However, I doubt whether you will be able to convince them to grant you an exception because of the potential consequences re: the Federal employment laws on discrimination. Basically, if an organization has any sort of 'rule' for employment, they have to apply it to everyone in the same manner. If they make an exception for anyone, it opens to door to discrimination lawsuits from everyone that that was previously excluded based on that rule. Yep - strange but true.

[elkpark]

Interesting variances between states on this issue.

However, I doubt whether you will be able to convince them to grant you an exception because of the potential consequences re: the Federal employment laws on discrimination. Basically, if an organization has any sort of 'rule' for employment, they have to apply it to everyone in the same manner. If they make an exception for anyone, it opens to door to discrimination lawsuits from everyone that that was previously excluded based on that rule. Yep - strange but true.

Not strange at all -- I'm not at all litigious by nature, but if I were refused employment because I couldn't take a particular vaccine and then found out the organization made an exception for someone else, you betcha I'd be talking to an attorney about the situation PDQ.