Nurse fired for not getting flu shot ( she is 3 months pregnant)

dragonfly711 · December 2013

Just saw this on facebook. Since I saw the thread on getting flu shot I thought I would share.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/12/30/nurse-fired-for-refusing-to-get-flu-shot/?src=fb

redcloverbaby · December 2013

How sad. Im a nurse and always refuse the flu shot.
I have severe allergies and had a reaction to the injection. I know they have improved the vaccine over the years but it makes me very nervous.
I dont really agree with any mandated vaccine...though all my children get their vaccinations because I believe we should have a choice.
I'm sure others disagree and that's their right...but to lose your job because of this is sad.

ElTrain5 · December 2013

I'm a Little surprised they didn't just suspend her without pay first to try and avoid litigation. I'm sure there's something in her contract/employment terms that requires her to stay in compliance with vaccines. Aren't nurses in most places required to have other vaccines to? Like MmR and tdap?

hscoggins · December 2013

This is nuts. I'm a nurse and while we are strongly encouraged to keep up to date on vaccines, we would never lose our jobs over declining the flu shot; the alternative to not being vaccinated is having to wear a mask while at work throughout flu season. Add pregnancy to the equation and you're asking for a lot of bad publicity.

becomingmommyagain · December 2013

I work in a children's hospital. Refusal to get your flu shot is cause for termination. They give you a window to get the shot and even provide it on-site. If you're late getting it, you'll go on unpaid leave until the next deadline at which time they consider you have abandoned your position. Even our delivery drivers and vendors are required to be vaccinated. They even require employees who never step foot on the campus to be vaccinated.

Perhaps nurses in private practice may have options, but in the hospital where you have immuno compromised patients, the risk is too high for the patients and staff. Currently pertussis is rampant in our hospital and everyone with a cough is required to stay away. They've even asked staff to report their coughing peers to employee health.

Unknown · December 2013

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Kamiegrace1 · December 2013

becomingmommyagain said:
I work in a children's hospital. Refusal to get your flu shot is cause for termination. They give you a window to get the shot and even provide it on-site. If you're late getting it, you'll go on unpaid leave until the next deadline at which time they consider you have abandoned your position. Even our delivery drivers and vendors are required to be vaccinated. They even require employees who never step foot on the campus to be vaccinated.

This is the same for me, but I work in an ambulatory office.

iris427 · December 2013

In certain career fields, you may be obligated to do things the general public isn't. When I worked in a hospital, they had to see my vaccination records before i could start work, and when I didn't have them, they told me I needed to have blood drawn to run titers. anything i was negative for, I would have had to get vaccinated for. If I didn't like it, cool but no job. I assume this nurse's employer disclosed their policy to her and gave her warning before she was fired that she needed the shot.

hlp2709 · December 2013

Where I work everyone had to get the ful shot got a green tag and if you did not get the ful shot you have a red tag and have to wear a mask in certain parts ok the hostpial. I hope one day we can say no with out having to be singled out.

dragonfly711 · December 2013

I would think being in the medical field that some places would require you to get the vaccine. When i worked at a hospital in the psych unit even though I was teaching I had to get the flu shot. I was working with children. I knew this was part of my job.

Working at the vets office since I am a licensed vet tech I had to get my rabies vaccine. This was for when stray animals come in that you have no idea of what vaccines they have come in or an animal that might have been bit by some other animal. You just never know and in this case it is deadly so I was not taking a chance. Only vaccinated vets and vet techs were allowed to handle this animals.

I feel bad for this lady in a way because I can relate. I had a mmc in Feb. I had my flu shot last year before I was pregnant. This time I asked my Dr about it. He told me to wait til after 1st tri just in case I did mc again I would not always wonder was it the vaccine.

I am 15 w now and had the shot today. I also work with 2nd graders and they are always sick. i am not taking that chance of getting the flu.

lifeisbetteronthered · December 2013

When I started medical school, and again when I started residency I had to prove my vaccine status by either proof of vaccine (md records) or titres. We have to keep up with our vaccines or not work with patients (not actually an option, amounts to loosing our position).

I suspect she knew the risk of refusal, and chose to loose her job. Having had a loss, I can understand her paranoia, but...

I think the most unfortunate part of it is that there are many documented cases of severe flu contributing/causing mc, but none of the vaccine doing so. And the flu tends to strike pregnant women more severely, making them more in need of the vaccine.

MississippiCatfish · December 2013

hscoggins said:
This is nuts. I'm a nurse and while we are strongly encouraged to keep up to date on vaccines, we would never lose our jobs over declining the flu shot; the alternative to not being vaccinated is having to wear a mask while at work throughout flu season. Add pregnancy to the equation and you're asking for a lot of bad publicity.

I was surprised that a mask wasn't an option, too. I'm an RN and understand the requirement, but it seems like there should be accommodations.

tbmadeamistake · December 2013

I disagree with this on principal, but they must have told her. I worked for a catholic school once upon a time. Had they found out I was "living in sin" at the time, I would have been fired. I didn't agree with it but I knew it was part of the contract when I signed it.

anordstrWed114947 · December 2013

This was the first year at my hospital we had to have it. Mandated. Or else u had to wear a mask into every patients room. So there was no threat to our job

LegalLadyBug · December 2013

My mom and sister are nurses. The hospital offers and encourages free vaccines but if you don't want one you just have to sign a waiver...no job loss involved.

kd&cd · December 2013

Wow, not cool.

1982Babies · December 2013

I work in a hospital and we just got an email the other day about how 99.7% of employees have gotten the shot. Only 7 were deemed medically necessary to NOT receive the shot, and I believe 7 volunteers will not be coming back to work until they get the shot. It seems extreme, but I suppose they want to cover their asses since the flu can spread very easily in the hospital setting and potentially kill patients. We got a questionable email a few months back that said if you don't get the shot, it seemed like you would lose your job, although I am not sure anyone actually did. I think that's a bit extreme.

amackattack · December 2013

Sounds like the policy was clearly stated. I work for a healthcare company, although no where near a hospital or clinic. Everyone is required to get the flu shot, unless you have a documented medical or religious exemption. This woman should have known this was going to happen...it's pretty straight forward.

Sareynoo · December 2013

I don't really know how I feel about this. Part of me thinks that she should have the right to choose but then again she is a nurse and has to work around people with different illnesses. What if she gets the flu from a patient or really from anyone and spreads it to someone that has a weak immune system.. The patient could die! Maybe they should have put her behind a desk and away from people. But why should they keep her if she can't do her job?