Friday, October 09, 2009
Health care workers in New York are protesting a mandate from the state government to get vaccinated for the H1NI flu virus. In August, state health officials announced that all medical workers who “could potentially expose patients” must receive the vaccination by November 30, unless they can demonstrate the shot will make them seriously ill. Concern over the potential side effects has many health care workers alarmed, and marching outside the state capitol in Albany.
“This vaccine has not been clinically tested to the same degree as the regular flu vaccine,” Tara Accavallo, a registered nurse, told Newsday. “If something happens to me, if I get seriously injured from this vaccine, who’s going to help me?”
New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Richard Daines justified the vaccination edict by pointing out that there are approximately 160 flu outbreaks inside hospitals and other health care facilities every flu season. In past years, vaccinations were voluntary, usually resulting in 40% of the state’s 925,000 health care workers getting shots.
Many private and public hospitals are also requiring their workers to get vaccinated against H1NI. These include the Hospital Corporation of America (273 facilities), Emory hospital in Atlanta, the University of Pennsylvania hospital, the University of Maryland hospital, and the Loyola University health system in Chicago.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Health Workers Protest Flu Vaccine Mandate (by Randall Pinkston, CBS Evening News)
Health Care Workers Protest Mandatory H1N1 Vaccination (by Declan, McCullagh, CBS News)
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