Nursing

In the mix: Flu vaccine policies initiate protests

Stressed Out Nurses Weekly, October 5, 2009

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In August I posted about a survey of UK's National Health Service nurses that showed only 37% of the 1,500 respondents planned on getting the H1N1 vaccine. The UK's Department of Health had issued a statement letting nurses know that those who refuse the vaccine are putting their own health and patients' health at risk. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all healthcare and emergency medical services personnel be vaccinated as well. As a result, a number of U.S. hospitals have taken action.

Three major hospitals in Oklahoma City (OU Medical Center, Edmond Medical Center, and Oklahoma Surgicare) told healthcare workers to get the seasonal flu shot by October 1st, or wear a surgical mask for their entire shift, according to KFOR.com. The compromise to wear a mask is one way hospitals are getting around potential issues with unions. It's difficult for hospitals with union employees to require flu shots without a state mandate, which led the New York state Hospital Review and Planning Council to approve a mandate requiring that all healthcare workers receive both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccine by November 30. New York healthcare workers have protested by the hundreds, most arguing that the FDA-approved H1N1 vaccine has not been adequately tested for safety, according to USA Today.

Is your hospital requiring either the seasonal of the H1N1 flu vaccine? Do you think states or hospitals should require the shots? Let your opinion be heard. Visit StressedOutNurses.com and post a comment.



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