Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent disease

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

The only instances where a healthcare worker shouldn't get vaccinated is if they have an allergy to the shot and also do not qualify for the flu-mist immunization (live nasal spray vaccination) and if the immunization may conflict with their religious beliefs.

Working directly with patients who are most likely seeing you because they are sick puts you at risk for contracting the virus. If you work in a physician's office and say you interact with 25 patients a day, how many of them do you think are there for flu-like symptoms that may indeed have the flu? All it takes is one person taking cash or a credit card as a receptionist (even taking a pen) or being a tech/nurse physically touching the patient or being in close proximity when they cough or sneeze. In pharmacy there is an interaction between the patient's payment and the exchange of giving them medication. As the pharmacist you will be required by law in states to counsel patients on all new prescription (interacting with them).

However, the biggest risk is the healthcare worker potentially infecting someone else. The fact is that there are deaths related to the flu. We think of it being a 1 week of misery but it does kill. Patients with compromised immune systems (like cancer patients on chemo), the elderly, diabetics, and others are at risk. The flu can develop into pneumonia and the risk of an elderly person falling due to their physical weakness fighting off the virus is a real concern. The primary reason to get vaccinated is to protect at risk patients that may potentially die if they contract the flu, and because they are directly interacting with you all healthcare workers should be forced to get vaccinated. Even as a student everywhere I go I have to bring a folder with me to each site that contains my childhood vaccination records, an antibody titer proving I am immune to chicken pox, and a record that I received this year's flu vaccine. The main reason isn't to protect me (I typically have to sign papers saying I won't sue and am not covered under workers comp), the main reason is to make sure that I don't spread disease to others and the only reason why I should be allowed to refuse is if the vaccine is contraindicated in me or for religious reasons (and for religious reasons places will require you to wear a mask, gloves, etc).

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

The health of the patient takes prescient over that of the doctor/nurse.
Those who accept this not are in the wrong field....
They may scream "rights" but are being selfish and childish..

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

Your Star said:

I don't want to be forced to get a flu shot.

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Are you a health care worker? Seems the choice is still there. Much the same way someone who doesn't want to take a test isn't going to be a lawyer, someone who doesn't want to wear gloves isn't going to be a surgeon, etc... the choice is there. Someone that doesn't want immunizations isn't going to be a healthcare worker.

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

Your Star said:

I'm not against vaccines, I'm glad I was vaccinated as a kid, and will vaccinate my kids, but I'd rather not get a flu shot, never have, don't get sick that often, just no point really.

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As a future health care worker, that seems very, very short sited.
Potentially transmitting airborne disease is the opposite of what you should be doing.

Don't get sick often, is not an excuse.

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

If protecting patients is paramount to the point that we would require health care workers take the vaccine, then why would a worker's allergies and/or religion make a difference? The patients are not more or less protected depending on the status of the worker's inability to take said vaccine.

Or, are we willing to sacrifice a few patients in the name of political correctness by not offending or inconveniencing the allergic worker?

Re: Should health care workers be required to receive injections meant to prevent dis

You have every right to refuse the shot. One nurse at my old job did. I fired her.

The doctors backed me up.

But hey, it was her decision.