What do you think of this? Coerced and punished - flu vaccine at work

[AppleCrisp]

What do you think about this? What would you do?

I work for a big hospital. They just announced that "we have committed to a 90% vaccination rate for our employees this year!" (Great...thanks for committing ME to do something for YOU!) If you refuse, you have to wear a mask at work from October-April. You have to wear a marker on you to show that you got the vaccine, and patients are encouraged to rat you out if you don't have a marker. The sooner you get the vaccine, the more prizes you are eligible for from the employer. They are also pushing (forcing?) tdap boosters for everyone, and then the swine flu as well. You have to take a mandatory computer training session on the flu so they can track that you have the information but refused the vaccine.

Its so, so, so wrong. I don't even know where to begin!

[2boyzmama]

WOW. Just wow.

What if you have a religious exemption filed? Will they still make you wear the "Scarlet Letter A" (that's basically what this is! remember the book?)

What if you have an egg allergy?

What if you are otherwise contraindicated from receiving it???

I get it, I truly do, those people who believe in the vax think that it's stupid for people NOT to get it. I understand that, even though I obviously disagree. But to resort to scare tactics and public humiliation???

I might send that letter to the ACLU and see what they say.

[luv-my-boys]

That is wrong on so many levels. First off they can not force you to get the vaccine, they may however make certain things conditional ie the masks. But honestly I feel like it gives people a false sense of "were safe" "were ok" kinda thing, just because you get the flu shot dosent mean you wont get it or transmit it. I am a former nurse who had the flu twice with a flu shot those yrs, I did stop getting them and behold no flu:

I think one of the things they should be stressing is their hygiene practices/containment. Encouraging hand washing and precautionary measures. More rigie cleaning and sanitation standards along with the usuall get your flu shot hype. IMO

[user_name]

is there a hippa violation in there somewhere?

[Frootloop]

All I can muster up right now is *holy crap*
I'm so sorry you have to deal with this!

[2boyzmama]

Originally Posted by user_name

is there a hippa violation in there somewhere?

YES, I think there is. I hadn't thought of that! Especially if they force the people who have medical contraindications to wear the masks and not have the markers.

[luv-my-boys]

Originally Posted by user_name

is there a hippa violation in there somewhere?

Hmmmm......the whole wearing a marker thing could classify that as you are openly being told you have to wear this due to your "medical information"

OP I would be all over that with HR. and the your nurses union if you have one.

[Eggsbenedict]

Quite frankly, I think the masks are a great idea. They protect you from the flu, and protect others if you have flu symptoms. I think the mask idea is far more worthwhile than getting a flu shot. I personally would never get a flu shot, and I would opt for the mask option. Yes, there will be that social pressure to conform and just get the flu shot, but personally I wouldn't care about that. I really don't understand what the point is of healthcare employers requiring or strongly urging the seasonal flu shot. The swine flu shot I can understand them urging (not that I would get that either). I would skip the shot and gladly wear the mask for the entire flu season if I was in your situation.

[prancie]

i think a call from your lawyer might change some of these policies

[yarngoddess]

I'm so sorry you and lots of other health care workers are being FORCED or COHERCED(sp?) into doing this....

I worked at a local non-profit hopsital years ago, and the Admin came around with the flu shot and gave it on the floor in front of all the other nurses and patients that were up and walking, all the doctor's were watching as well. I was the ONLY ONE that refused. The whole room FROZE, like I'd said the most horrible thing. I don't believe in vaccinations and certainly not in a room filled with people. I'm BIG on patient privacy. I was bullied upon obtaining the job to "just re-do all my childhood vaccinations, just to be sure." and I made them draw blood to do the titters. I've had severe reactions to all kinds of meds, shots, adhesives, vaccinations, anesthesia- I just don't react well to western medicine. So when I refused the flu shot the backlash was horrible I was given the "evil eye" for several nights until I obtained a note from my own doc that I was not to recieve the shot. They also were going to "re-jab" people that had recieved the shots from their own PCP!!! Like it didn't count unless it came from the Admin of the Hospital. Needless to say, it was Horrible.

OP, I'm not sure if you have any rights or way to challenge this- but I do hope you do. I think this is a violation of Religious Freedom (if you religiously oppose vaccinations) or your Free Will (if you have a phylisophical (SP again oy!) exemption) to force your employee's to have a vax and get prizes because they did this (discrimination?). Encouraging patients to "tell" on Nurses and other staff that haven't had their shots (discrimination and harrasment?) in order to ENCOURAGE one to get the shots I'm so sad by all this.

[newmum35]

That tells me one thing: they have a crappy product nobody wants. Otherwise, they wouldn't need to use such tactics to get you to take it, right? I mean, if it were that good, you'd be wanting to get it on your own without being harrassed, bullied, punished, humiliated, whatever...

This is a vaccine attorney that may be able to help.. I think he does phone consultations.

http://www.vaccinerights.com/index.html

[Sileree]

Originally Posted by Eggsbenedict

Quite frankly, I think the masks are a great idea. They protect you from the flu, and protect others if you have flu symptoms.

Face masks prevent you from giving others infection but not the other way around.

[Scattershoot]

Originally Posted by newmum35

That tells me one thing: they have a crappy product nobody wants. Otherwise, they wouldn't need to use such tactics to get you to take it, right? I mean, if it were that good, you'd be wanting to get it on your own without being harrassed, bullied, punished, humiliated, whatever...

Amen to that. Unfortunately this psychopathic behavior, and that is what it is, will never be seen for what it is by those who are pushing it. It must be interesting to live in a world where you are so right in what you believe that you can physically force others to do as you believe. What a bizarre reality that must be.

Eventually the chickens were going to come home to roost. Those within the system had to know that the system would eventually turn on them. One can always leave that system.

[ammiga]

First, I would see if this were against HIPAA. If it turns out it's ok, I would wear the mask and a button that explained why I was wearing it. Something that pointed out to every patient why they should turn down the flu shot too and how absurd the hospital policy is.

[LZP]

Originally Posted by user_name

is there a hippa violation in there somewhere?

:

[MyBoysBlue]

Anyone else creeped out by the wearing a marker thing? It made me think of the Nazis making the Jews wear stars.

[mumkimum]

Dh is an RN and came home yesterday telling me about this at his hospital too (right down to the nazi reference to wearing a marker, actually. . .). I don't know that this is really unique to your hospital.

I really don't think it ought to be patient's business whether or not you had the H1N1 vax (I think they have no idea whether you have turned down any other recommended vax as an employee), and, uh, I don't really think that H1N1 incapacitates someone enough that you'd be unable to respond to a question of whether or not you had the vax or not in an emergency. The 'special pin' seemed a little over the top to me (masks, though, somewhat reasonable and not exactly screaming out 'hey I didn't get the H1N1 vax' in a hospital or medical setting, anyway).

[ema-adama]

Originally Posted by MyBoysBlue

Anyone else creeped out by the wearing a marker thing? It made me think of the Nazis making the Jews wear stars.

I had this connotation as well.

[LisaSedai]

Our hospital is doing this too (vax or mask for 6 months) but we don't get the carrot (woo hoo,prizes!) or the stick ("markers") I think the markers are crazy... your patient is going to be asking you why the heck are you wearing a mask anyway. We also have to go to the re-education camp...er I mean "flu shot inservice" where afterward the flu shot will be provided if the information provided int he inservice convinces you.

[Angie77]

Originally Posted by Sileree

Face masks prevent you from giving others infection but not the other way around.

Actually, if you wear the masks correctly, it works both ways. Sorry, I'm a nurse, and I had to throw my 3 cents in there!

OP, I work at a large organization as well, and I'm a nurse director to boot. So when we give out flu shots (which I hate doing), and we all start giving them to eachother, I politely decline each year.

The other nurse directors usually just roll their eyes at me, but this year they looked at me like I killed Santa Claus. The seasonal flu has nothing to do with the swine flu, and yet, even healthcare professionals are losing their minds over it.