Nurse fired for refusing flu shot

Published

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/12/29/pregnant-nurse-fired-after-refusing-flu-shot-due-to-miscarriage-fears/Just Just curious. What are your thoughts on this? Should an employer be able to force an employee to accept a medical intervention?
Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
So because there are flawed studies...we just follow them? And saying do this or you are fired feels forced to me...especially when this is happening all over so that hose who do not want it have no employment options.

All studies are flawed, there are no perfect studies, it doesn't mean that the data is, by necessity, invalid.

It's not forced at all. The nurse chooses to not get vaccinated. The employer chooses to not employ that individual. Both have freedom of choice.

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She could have just talked to her ob and gotten it from the OB or gotten a MD note for work stating contraindications.

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.

The theory that I'm supposed to get this vaccine just because I'm a healthcare working is asking me to give up my right. Why don't we just mandate it for all humans? Sound good? Oh while we are at it mandate any vaccine they want. Sound good? We always argue rights on both sides for any topic. I mean doesn't the hospital have a right to not hire short people because they are an inconvenience? We had one nurse who couldn't reach stuff. They should fire her because she needs assistance. They have that right...correct? Same idea.

Forced vaccination of healthcare workers isn't okay.

But again...I'm lucky because it can't get it according to my doctor. Thank goodness!

So are you saying the healthcare workers should be able to refuse Hep-A and B vaccinations too? If so I hope not to have that nurse.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
She could have just talked to her ob and gotten it from the OB or gotten a MD note for work stating contraindications.
She got two notes and neither note stated a specific medical reason not to get the flu vaccine.
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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
The theory that I'm supposed to get this vaccine just because I'm a healthcare working is asking me to give up my right. Why don't we just mandate it for all humans? Sound good? Oh while we are at it mandate any vaccine they want. Sound good? We always argue rights on both sides for any topic. I mean doesn't the hospital have a right to not hire short people because they are an inconvenience? We had one nurse who couldn't reach stuff. They should fire her because she needs assistance. They have that right...correct? Same idea.

Forced vaccination of healthcare workers isn't okay.

But again...I'm lucky because it can't get it according to my doctor. Thank goodness!

How is anyone being forced to get vaccinated? They are not being tied down and injected against their will. They may refuse the vaccine and the employer may refuse to continue employment. There is still a choice, but as with every other choice people make, it has consequences.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
How is anyone being forced to get vaccinated? They are not being tied down and injected against their will. They may refuse the vaccine and the employer may refuse to continue employment. There is still a choice but as with every other choice people make, it has consequences.[/quote']

Because we are being threatened with our jobs. Flu shot and career or unemployed.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Because we are being threatened with our jobs. Flu shot and career or unemployed.

I find this no different than someone who doesn't want to give blood transfusions or participate in abortions/circumcisions/etc due to personal religious or moral reasons. If one is going follow these personal religious or moral reasonings in practicing nursing, they need to be responsible for finding a facility that is in line with their reasonings. This extends to required immunizations.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I find this no different than someone who doesn't want to give blood transfusions or participate in abortions/circumcisions/etc due to personal religious or moral reasons. If one is going follow these personal religious or moral reasonings in practicing nursing they need to be responsible for finding a facility that is in line with their reasonings. This extends to required immunizations.[/quote']

Not wanting something injected into their body is far different than not wanting to participate in other things. FAR different. I know a nurse with a permanent condition from the flu vaccine she felt she had to get to work.

Where do we draw the line? Why don't our patients get one upon admission?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Because we are being threatened with our jobs. Flu shot and career or unemployed.
Flu shot or go work somewhere else. This is no different than countless other things you have to do for your job, college, or nursing school.
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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Not wanting something injected into their body is far different than not wanting to participate in other things. FAR different. I know a nurse with a permanent condition from the flu vaccine she felt she had to get to work. Where do we draw the line? Why don't our patients get one upon admission?
I doubt that is true, but that is whole other debate. The line is drawn when you agree to not do undue harm to your patient which is exactly what is happening when a healthcare provider is not vaccinated whether it be for MMR, Hib, influenza etc. if healthcare providers are not willingly to take a negligible risk to protect their patients then pick another career field.
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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
I doubt that is true, but that is whole other debate. The line is drawn when you agree to not do undue harm to your patient which is exactly what is happening when a healthcare provider is not vaccinated whether it be for MMR, Hib, influenza etc. if healthcare providers are not willingly to take a negligible risk to protect their patients then pick another career field.

You doubt what is true? That I know a person who suffered a severe reaction to the flu shot and continues to have issues from it? Or that injecting something into one's body is different than a task?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
You doubt what is true? That I know a person who suffered a severe reaction to the flu shot and continues to have issues from it? Or that injecting something into one's body is different than a task?

Both…I wouldn't believe the issue about ongoing problems from the flu shot without a lot of medical records and proof.

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