Flu Vaccine May Become Mandatory for Nursing Home Workers
Some states are opting to make the flu vaccine mandatory to all nursing home and hospital workers. State officials are making the claim that patient protection outweighs individual choice. With nursing home and hospital workers at constant contact with the patients, the threat for outside illness weighs on the mind of many family members.
Some groups are stating that there is no evidence that the vaccine actually protects the patients or if it is safe for the workers in general. Many are wondering if this new proposal is imposing on American’s individual medical decisions. There are currently no specific statistical information on what percentage of workers get the flu vaccine, but some studies have suggested 64% do get the vaccine from the worker’s in the field. The flu gives exemptions to people who do not get the flu vaccine because of religious reasons or because of a medical reason. The proposed rules would require those who fit into the exemptions to wear a mask during flu season. The flu is the reason for approximately 3,300 deaths a year. The elderly are extremely susceptible to getting the flu because of how their immunity to illness is very vulnerable.
The fight between what is best for nursing home patients and what really protects them is ongoing. Are nursing home workers doing their best to keep patients safe? When a person decides to enter the medical profession the patients become the priority. If the added installment of this mandatory vaccine is viewed as an infringement of a person’s medical choices, then what happens if the worker is the cause of the illness their patients suffer?
