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2009-10-17 Home Front: Politix

Judge Halts Flu Vaccine Mandate For NY Health Workers

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Posted by gorb 2009-10-17 00:51|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 After all, as health care professionals, they argue they're already constantly washing their hands and aren't likely to transmit or contract the flu. AFAIK, there is no evidence for this assertion and a lot of anecdotal evidence against it. Since health personnel move rapidly from person to person, they are the most likely group of all to be vectors for influenza. The mandate was an effort at force protection, to keep health workers on the job and to protect their patients. Of course, the judiciary always knows more than anyone else.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-10-17 09:54|| 2009-10-17 09:54|| Front Page Top

#2 An average, ordinary citizen may, if he/she wishes, refuse the vaccine, though personally I think such refusal is rather ignorant.

A health care worker has no right to refuse.

Very simply, said health care worker has no right to a job -- it's a privilege, and one that comes with certain responsibilities. The first of those is the hoary 'do no harm', and a worker with the flu causes harm to the patients that she/he encounters.

Therefore you get vaccinated.

No vaccination? No job. Very simple. If you're a health care worker.

PS: Yes, I received the seasonal influenza vaccine, and when the H1N1 vaccine comes out I'll get that too. If you're in a high-risk group for influenza, please get vaccinated.

Posted by Steve White 2009-10-17 11:25|| 2009-10-17 11:25|| Front Page Top

#3 H1N1 is primarily passed through tiny droplets in the air. Handwashing is useful but there's good evidence that it doesn't prevent the spread of this particular influenza, unlike the seasonal flu.

Posted by lotp 2009-10-17 14:14|| 2009-10-17 14:14|| Front Page Top

#4 Think of the money in this! You could run an effective hype campaign at least four times a year. If you can hype the mild H1N1 into this type of frenzy, you can hype a new flu, every season.

FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHILDREN, every new flu is a massive money making machine if all nurses, teachers, and people who come in contact with the GP have to be vaccinated. And of course, every vaccine will always need to be rushed through the approval process. For the good of the children.

Posted by Jumbo Slinerong5015 2009-10-17 18:48|| 2009-10-17 18:48|| Front Page Top

#5 For the good of the children.

And if there's a pandemic, can we blame you, you ignorant, anonymous ass?

Posted by Pappy 2009-10-17 22:07|| 2009-10-17 22:07|| Front Page Top

#6 Jumbo, please. I'm amazed, too, at how fast this vaccine got greenlighted. But if your theory was correct (hyping it all just so they could make big bucks), why wasn't there something similar for the avian flu, SARS, etc.? Those would have been golden opportunities if it was strictly just for big profits, yes?

And no, it's not just academic for me. I'm in a high risk group (Miracle #2 on the way in March, plus I'm asthmatic), and I've gotten all kinds of opinions on whether I should get it or not. I've gotten the regular flu shot, but I live somewhere that already has gotten hit by H1N1 and I don't know if I have already gotten exposed to it.

The last thing I really want to deal with right now is the possibility that some health care worker I could come into contact with could make me and other high-risk people ill because they couldn't/wouldn't take ALL possible precautions. I wish I could believe that every single one of them will wash their hands thoroughly, use hand sanitizer or not come to work if they are sick, but...I'm sure some of them won't.

They have the right to not get the shot. But I, as a patient, have the right not to get sick because of their choice to skip the shot. Call me selfish, but I think in this case, my rights (and that of my yet-to-be-born daughter) trump theirs.

Posted by Cornsilk Blondie 2009-10-17 22:31|| 2009-10-17 22:31|| Front Page Top

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