Can an adult be forced to be vax'd & other Q's

[Amber Lion]

I was recently hired at a hospital to teach CBE classes and upon being hired, was asked to get a blood test for antibodies to the MMR trio or to get vax'd for it due to the fact that I would be working with pregnant women. I opted for the titer because I do not want to be vax'd (my DD is unvax'd after doing my research, but I was fully vax'd as a child). I just received a note that my anitbody titer was "low" and they want me to contact them regarding receiving the MMR booster shot. Can my employer legally force me to get a vaccine and if I refuse can they fire me?

In a related question, I am planning on applying to nursing school for next fall and they require some vaccines and/or adaquate anitbody titers for entry. Is there any exemption allowed on that front? Because if not, I might as well get my employer to pay for the MMR booster now and have one less to pay for to get into nursing school. And I'm wondering if I'm being stubbornly anti-vax about a situation where it would actually be appropriate - that of working in hospitals during clinicals?

Thanks for weighing in!

[34me]

I don't know about school but I know that in my state if a vax is a condition of employment (just like say, a CPR class) that no vax, no job.

[noobmom]

Well, most employment in this country is "at-will", which means you can quit any time you like and they can fire you any time they like (assuming it's not discrimination). Since vax status isn't protected by any anti-discrimination laws (except maybe by religion?), I'd assume you need to get vaccinated to keep your job.

[Deefodil]

I would look into a religious exemption.

[alegna]

Religious exemption. IF they are a religiously based hospital and can deny employment based on religion, you're probably stuck.

If not- then they can't discriminate based on religion.

No way I'd get the vaxes.

-Angela

[Emmeline II]

From what I have heard from nurses/students on here:

• exemptions for nursing school are normally not a problem--it's the clinicals
• if vaccinations are a condition of employment, it should be in your contract; if it is not in your contract you could give an exemption a go

[Amber Lion]

The hospital is NOT a religious hospital and I found out that the other CBE I'm working with was "offered" the vax and she declined it and that was that, although she was hired 1.5 years ago. The way they are talking to me is much more forceful than "offering", but I'm wondering if they can force me without also forcing her? Hmmm. I think I need to talk to the nurse in charge of employee health from whom all this is coming. I do not remember signing any contract that stipulated vaccinations, although I don't remember signing a contract period... just a bunch of new-hire stuff like W4s and code of ethics and such.

I see that the nursing school question is probably a whole other story. I can't very well do the school part without the clinicals.

[Cavy]

I was barred from registering for classes at University (SDSU, ~1989) unless I got a measles jab or brought proof of it in. I had had a measles vax, but they said that I had it too young, so I had to have the vacc again there and then.

(Gawd that was awful -- not the vac itself which was fine, but I had to crash all my classes that semester, complete nightmare getting the right ones).