Basic human rights denied as governments force health workers to be vaccinated

Christina England
Vactruth.com
09/14/2010

Health workers who refuse the flu vaccine this year, may ultimately go on to lose their jobs. This is the latest bully boy tactic used by the governments to ensure that all health workers are vaccinated against infectious diseases. Currently the percentage of health workers who are vaccinated against the flu virus, rocks around 50% with some hospitals last year reporting vaccinated workers to be as below 25% in some areas.

The Los Angeles Times stated:

“Earlier this week, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America said that hospital workers should be required to get a flu shot or lose their jobs unless such an immunization is medically contra-indicated, such as by an allergy to eggs, which are used in manufacturing the vaccines.”

In an earlier report they said:

“A policy paper published Tuesday says healthcare workers are ethically obligated to get a flu vaccine. The paper was written by representatives of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and is endorsed by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Agreeing to an annual flu shot should be a condition of initial and continued employment in healthcare facilities, the authors said. Exceptions should be permitted only in cases where a flu vaccine is not recommended for medical reasons.

The reasons for the heavy-handed approach are multiple, the authors state. Voluntary vaccination has not worked to increase the proportion of workers who are immunized. Moreover, studies show the spread of flu is reduced when all of the workers in a health facility are vaccinated. Death rates from complications of flu also decrease. Finally, mandatory vaccination will mean that a sufficient number of healthy workers will be available during disease outbreaks.”

In Colorado, Rulon Stacey, the president at CEO of Poudre Valley Health System, said:

“I know this is a bold step. Some may not agree with it. And some may have medical or religious reasons for not getting the vaccine…The policy requires all PVHS employees to be vaccinated against influenza each year. It allows for medical or religious exemptions, but requires employees seeking those exemptions to have forms signed by their medical provider or clergy, respectively. Each request for exemption will be evaluated by Employee Health Services. Failure to get a flu shot or receive an approved exemption will result in disciplinary action.”

This of course is an absolute outrage and an infringement of the health workers basic human rights. Vaccination is not mandatory in all states of the USA, so why is the vaccine being forced on to the health care professionals?

Medscape Today said:

“SHEA (Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America ) views influenza vaccination of HCP [healthcare personnel] as a core patient and HCP safety practice with which non-compliance should not be tolerated,” according to the position paper, published in this month’s Infection Control and Healthcare Epidemiology. “SHEA endorses a policy in which annual influenza vaccination is a condition of both initial and continued HCP employment and/or professional privileges.”

However, the health workers themselves are concerned that the vaccines have side effects and are inefficient .

The Med Guru reports that one question asked by many of the doctors refusing the vaccine in Maharashtra, is whether or not the government would be responsible for any side effects that they suffered as result of the vaccine. Fair point, as many of this years flu and swine flu vaccines have been identified to have severe side effects.

ABC News reported that Fluvax has caused fits, seizures, vomiting and even death in patients in Australia, causing Australia to ban the vaccine, albeit temporarily.

The Daily Mail was one newspaper among many reporting that Pandemrix the H1N1 Vaccine has been linked to the sleeping disorder Narcolepsy, causing a suspension of the vaccine in Finland and Sweden. Therefore, it is possible that the professionals are right to be concerned.

In the UK, force vaccinations began a while back using a form of blackmail . In March 2010  The Times said that any workers not vaccinated, risked their right to practice. As from next year, annual assessments looking at medical competency will include whether or not the doctors are vaccinated against common infectious diseases.

If doctors are not fully vaccinated they risk having their license to practice revoked.

In his report Sam Lister for The Times said:

“Doctors on the NHS front line who refuse vaccinations against common infections risk losing their right to practise under a new appraisal system.”

However, doctors seem less keen on the scheme, as a poll of more than 1,000 consultants and GPs carried out for The Times last May, found that one in six said that the idea of a revalidation system was causing them to consider a change in career.

By carrying on with these ridiculous proposals, the governments risk, losing even more of their top medical professionals, as many are refusing to be bullied and blackmailed into having what they see as pointless, ineffective and dangerous vaccines.

About the author

Christina England, BA Hons