Another Swine Flu Post: Mandatory Vaccinations?

Holly Jones

[url]http://bit.ly/3Z0zky[/url]

Was reading this yesterday about the swine flu vaccinations required of health care workers in New York. In general I think we're accustomed to health-care workers and similar employees being subject to more rigorous standards for background checks, drug screenings, and the like. We're also becoming accustomed to more and more state laws taking firmer steps -- some of which expand to employment contexts -- to protect public welfare, e.g., smoking bans, cell phone use bans, restrictions on guns in the workplace, etc.

But is this getting a little too invasive, or is it justified for the good of the client/customer (patient) as well as the other employees?

What sayeth you all?

Paul in Cannon Beach

Something about it all doesn't sit right with me. My plan at this point is to not get vaccinated.

Some of these vaccinations are coming from China. No thank you!

ACU Frank

This is already required for other potential illnesses, such as tuberculosis.

Much ado about nothing.

Dutch2

Not to high-jack the post.... I just received a call from our County Health Dept. informing me that they will not be able to supply the Seasonal Flu vaccine to our ee's as planned. We had 65% of our ee's sign up for the flu vaccine. Apparently the company that was producing the season flu vaccine for them has switched over to the production of the H1N1 vaccine. They do not know if they will receive a smaller shipment or none at all. I am now in the process of contacting the local hospital, clinics even the local Walgreens to see if other arrangements can be made.

ACU Frank

Hijacker! I knew we should make Dutch take off his shoes before he came in!

NaeNae55

Interesting delimma. Our nurses are required to get hepititus immunizations in order to work, so I assume the same holds true for NY. Getting immunized when you work in the health care field seems common sense to me. On the other hand, this is a new flu shot and historically speaking, that makes it dangerous. These workers are between a rock and a hard place.

Dutch2

"Hijacker! I knew we should make Dutch take off his shoes before he came in!"

Frank, I have been out of Arkansas and in Missouri long enough to almost be used to wearing shoes....

Tony Kessler

:back to topic: If you're looking for a sample H1N1 flu pandemic policy for your workplace, you can download one now at [URL]http://www.hrhero.com/whitepapers/[/URL] -- tk

NaeNae55

Tony: I want to use your fun smiley with the sign. Do you get to put anything you want in there, or do you just choose which Sign Smiley you want? Will Sign Smiley be available to the rest of us soon?

Tony Kessler

Nae, Sign Smilie is available to you already (no, I don't think you can edit the sign). Here's where to find it: Hit "reply" to this thread. Immediately above the area where you type in your reply, you'll see a smilie face. Click on the down arrow next to it. That will produce a drop-down box of "Generic Smilies." Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that drop-down box, and you'll see a line that says "Show all Smilies." Clicking on that -- and then expanding the page so you can see the results -- will reveal essentially the Mother Lode of Smilies. I can't believe I just wrote this tk

NaeNae55

=D> :back to topic:

plynnl

Uh oh Tony, I think you have created a monster.::pb&J::

Tony Kessler

plynnl, that's ok -- as long as no one forwards the Smilie Instructions to my boss. He thinks I'm working :angel: tk

NaeNae55

Uh..by the way Tony, do you happen to have the email address of your supervisor? I wanted to discuss something with him/her. O:)

Paul in Cannon Beach

Hey Tony, thanks for making this H1N1 policy available as a free download. Im downloading it as we speak.

At our last staff meeting we gave our staff about five pages of information that we put together based on the latest we are hearing from our local health officials.

ACU Frank

Our policy is firmly [B]against[/B] H1N1. If any of the rest of you are waffling, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Tony Kessler

Our very own Brad Forrister and Sharon McKnight deserve credit for putting the policy together. They crafted it with information from various government and private sources, including the editors of Hawaii Employment Law Letter, who were out front on this issue.

System

We've just added a new HR IQ quiz on telecommuting and H1N1.

[url]http://www.hrhero.com/hriq/index.cgi?Telecommuting_and_H1N1[/url]

Tony Kessler

John Phillips has posted a short item on this blog describing a possible FMLA wrinkle when it comes to obtaining medical certification for a swine flu episode: Because some flu patients are being told over the phone to stay away from the doctor's office, they may not be able to obtain the medical certification you're seeking and expecting. Here is what John says about that. tk

[URL]http://bit.ly/3xoxzL[/URL]