Mandating the Flu Shot for Employees in Hospital Systems
I.
Do you really know the about the facts behind
the flu shot?
a.
Twenty present of Americans have a case of the
flu each year.
b.
Some hospital systems are moving toward making
the flu vaccination mandatory for all employees, from janitors to doctors.
i. The
goal is to better protect patients who may be negatively affected by an
unhealthy staff.
ii. However,
those who fight against making the flu shot mandatory argue that the shot is either
too risky or ineffective.
II.
Any
hospital employee who comes in contact with patients and any form of paid
caregivers should be required to have the flu vaccine seasonally. Support for the vaccination in the medical
community, driven by making the flu vaccine mandatory for staff, would help the
general public growth to understand that the flu vaccination is both safe and
effective. It would especially help
better protect the health of those with asthma, pregnant women, and
elderly.
III.
A plan to make the flu shot mandatory for all hospital
employees would be both safe and effective.
a.
Despite contrary claims, that the flu shot does not
cause the flu.
i. This
misconception stems from the fact that it takes up to two weeks for the vaccination
to take effect in the body.
ii. Some
misdiagnose side effects of the shot as the flu itself.
1.
The shot can cause flu like symptoms for 1-2
days in some people.
b.
Some believe that vaccines can lead to autism in
children. However, there is no evidence
to support this idea.
c.
Others argue against mandating the flu shot
because of the possibility of an allergic reaction.
i. Staff
members who have previously responded to an allergic reaction because of the flu
shot would be the only exemption from mandating plans. An allergic reaction is the only serious risk
of the flu shot.
d.
Mandating the flu shot will ultimately have significant
benefits for the surrounding population.
i. Requiring
the shot will directly protect the health of the staff.
1.
The flu vaccination will help keep the staff from
getting the flu.
a.
This result in less sick days.
2.
The vaccination will also prevent the staff from
carrying the flu germs.
a.
If the staff is healthy, the patients are protected
from germs carried by the staff.
i. A
healthy staff will especially benefit elderly, pregnant, and asthma
patients.
3.
Once the staff begins to trust the safety and
effectiveness of the vaccination more strongly, trust for the vaccination will
spread and trickle down.
a.
Community members and other hospital systems
will begin to see the vaccination as the standard norm.
b.
Receiving the flu shot for a job is no different
than the standard practice of school children receiving other vaccinations before
starting school. It protects the students
and their peers.
IV.
A plan mandating the flu vaccination in the
employees of medical systems should be effectively implemented and enforced.
a.
The vaccine needs to be received before the flu
season.
i. On-site
vaccinations should be offered at the cost of employers.
b.
If employees refuse the vaccination, they must
be terminated.
i. Employees
will be warned and offered a second chance to get the shot, but at their own expense
if the first opportunity is missed.
V.
Various plans of mandating the flu shot are taking
hold in hospital systems, but the lack of stern enforcement are preventing
their full development. The shot is
effective and safe; employees have nothing to fear concerning receiving the vaccination. Ultimately enforcing a mandate of the flu
vaccine could inhibit numerous flu-related deaths and prevent countless cases
of the flu each year.
