Here is the order requiring NYS health care workers to get their flu vaccines:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/press/releases/2009/2009-09-24_health_care_worker_vaccine_daines_oped.htm


The order extends past nurses to include Home health care aids. In other words, it covers anyone with close patient contact.

The order clearly states that the vaccine requirement is in place for the protection of the patients.

We expect the Health Department to enforce standards and to educate people based on currently accepted science. This doesn't mean that standards never change. For example, I was taught to place my babies on their stomachs. Now it's "Back to sleep" to prevent SIDS.

This is something health care workers must do to keep their jobs. Among other things, they must also meet education standards, continuing eduction standards, work within generally accepted best practices, show up to work sober and alert etc.

There is a lot of talk about simple handwashing preventing the spread of the flu. While handwashing helps, it is not a complete answer. A lot of flu virus is spread when people exhale or simply open their mouths and talk. Moreover, if handwashing prevents the spread of disease, and if health care workers all engaged in proper handwashing every time, why is hospital based infection such a major problem?

I'm with the folks who say asking them to be virus-free is wrong, and I demand that we further enact enforcement that all hand-washing is optional, sterilization is optional, and wearing scrubs is optional - health care workers should be free to express who they are, and if they want to come in wearing overalls covered in the goat shit they were pitchforking that morning, then so be it.

then they should find another line of work

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I'll be there to change your IV as soon as the kids are fed :rofl:

you're a Fascist.

between patients, before invasive procedures or after peeing. And not regulating that causes patient deaths - maybe a patient bill of rights could include it but that means regulating cleanliness and hand washing.

Jesus Tapdancing Christ... what the hell kind of bullshit is that?!

I think it's a state regulation here that healthcare workers have to wash their hands all the freaking time.

absolutely ensure the safety of any vaccine, or that a person receiving it will not have an adverse reaction or a complication because of a condition they may not be aware of. That's the difference between vaccines and hand-washing and mask-wearing. Risk vs. risk free precautions. And the H1N1 is a newly-developed vaccine, which makes me personally leery of it. Don't want the flu, but don't want to be a guinea pig either. And let's not forget the hoards of visitors and non-patient care workers who come in contact with patients and with hospital surfaces, and are making god-knows-what airborne with their coughs and sneezes. I was recently hospitalized, my visitors hugged me and held my hand and THEY probably hadn't even washed their hands first. So I think the answer is not mandates with penalty of firing, but carrot and stick. Maybe reassignment away from patient care if one can't/won't be vaccinated, maybe a small bonus for the vaccinated, maybe the requirement to have the unvaccinated wear a mask during the entire shift (mega-uncomfortable). I have increased sympathy, because my husband, as active-duty military, is required to have all manner of vaccines, including anthrax. One year he had a terrible reaction to the flu shot, he was pretty dang sick (flu-ish) for a few days. I tried to convince him that it wasn't the shot, just a bad coincidence, but he swears it was the vaccine. So now, every year, he DREADS the mandated flu shot, but he has no choice.

extends to the hospital housekeepers. They do spend time in patients' rooms sweeping and dusting. It sounds like a good idea to move people to jobs where they don't have patient contact, but that rather negates the entire point of having a hospital.

Many hospitals are starting to tighten their visitors' policies, banning children for example. I've noticed that the hospitals I've visited recently have waterless hand cleaners at the door of every patient room, and that visitors are expected to wash their hands on entering and leaving. Maybe it's time to add disposable gowns and masks. There seems to be a debate on the effectiveness of masks for dealing with the influenza virus , but then on the other hand masks have been standard wear in surgery for a century.
(BTW - I went to buy some dust masks for shoveling manure, and there was a limit in how many I could buy because of the current demand.)

My understanding is that the H1N1 vaccine is only as new as any other seasonal vaccine in that tit is based on the latest iteration of the flu virus. I believe that if the H1N1 virus had been identified early enough, it would have been included in the seasonal vaccine rather than given as a separate shot. It's not rally a newly developed vaccine in the sense of using new techniques to manufacture it.

The H1N1 vaccination is targeted to the specific virus which started circulating last spring.

The seasonal flu, on the other hand, is not targeted to the specific flu strain which is going around each season because there is no way to accurately predict what that strain will be until too far into the flu season to accurately type it. It is targeted to the best guess as to what strains are expected to be going around.

In other words, you have it backwards. They have already identified the H1N1 virus - the vaccine for it is specific to that virus. They have not yet identified this year's seasonal flu strain(s) (even though the vaccination is already out) since it has not yet started circlating. They are reasonably good at predicting what will come around - but every once in a while they goof and the seasonal vaccine provides little to no protection against the seasonal flu, 3 or 4 years ago being one example of a mis-prediction.

It's fairly SOP for healthcare workers to be required to get vaccinated. I guess it's evil and scary now cause it's NYS doing it and not the employer?

Seriously... what's the BFD?

It was a requirement.

And I don't remember anyone marching down the hallways screaming "FASCISTS!" and whatnot. We all just did it. And were grateful that, since it was required, we didn't have to pay for it.

Like you ask, what's the BFD?

All I can think of is that the BFD is that selfish, self-absorbed (and likely also anti-corporate and anti-rules in general) people are upset that they're being asked to do something they don't want to do for the simple reason that it benefits themselves.

Probably the same people who don't feel they should be forced to wear seatbelts or motorcycle helmets.

THEMSELVES.

We are talking about the "virtue of selfishness" crowd, IMHO.

in hospitals where nurses chose not to receive the flu vaccine.

I don't wanna click that... what's it say?

"Take the shot or get on the train."

"Love the bit at the end of the article, the assertion that there's no relationship between the two vaccines. Well, I can think of one: that both were developed and manufactured by fallible human beings. Unless Dr. Farber's suggesting that the new vaccine was the result of divine intervention...?"

"So is it in their employment contract that they must take any innoculation that the state demands or be fired? Are these people guinea pigs?"

"How stupid (or brainwashed) are these people that work under a union?"

"Yes, I am not sure the State (employers) has immunity from law suits should employees be injured. The vaccine maker and the doctors and nurses who administer the vaccine have been made immune to law suits. That tells you something right there."

"It'd be a riot if someone rolled up their sleeve and socked their "top public health official" in the mouth.
and by the way luv2ndamend.... if you're taking SHOTS.... RETURN FIRE"

"I wonder how those contributions to Obambi are paying off. I would like to know how much big pharm. is making on this? Can you imagine the price tag for vaccines for the entire US would be?"

"Military, for one. I never did get that anthrax shot they said was mandatory."

That's only the first page.

Nobody should required to wash their hands. I know I sure won't. And I won't have my kids wash their hands either. I can't believe all this shills for Big Irish Spring on DU.

even if just a carrier so that they don't infect and kill patients. TB chemotherapy has side affects but we don't want them infecting patients with it so it is enforced

Can't have students jeopardizing patient health during clinicals.

are strongly encouraged to and must sign a waiver if they choose not to vax. We also must get mumps, chicken pox, measles and other vax, or for those born before 56 provide titers.

I don't know where hand washing isn't mandatory or enforced. I'm pretty sure it is where I'm at. And not just between patients, between procedures as well, on entering the patient's room on leaving the room, between gloves, and so on.

a different line of work.

FACT- Healthcare workers have a very good chance of being exposed to the H1N1 virus

FACT- An adult is infection one day before symptoms appear

FACT- Healthcare workers routinely come in contact with people at high risk. Those people can die if they contract H1N1

So any healthcare worker that is refusing the vaccnine are putting their patient's lives at risk


Shame on them! They should getting job selling widgets or something, where they will be free to be as infectious as they please.

that's probably going to happen whether they like it or not.

there are healthcare workers who think this is a bad ruling.

What are they smoking? I don't want to be treated by h.c. workers who think they have some conscientious objector status against getting a flu vaccine. It smacks too much of the same woo woo thinking as the nuts who work in a pharmacy but don't want to dispense prescribed birth control.

I had to prove that I had all those childhood shots and boosters and shit, and there were a couple I didn't have proof of, and so had to get them again.

That was a NY State requirement of all college/university/whatever students.