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Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, had a blog post this afternoon about workers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who were fired because they refused to get flu vaccinations.
Local NBC station's story on it HERE.
CHOP's statement about it HERE
I agree 100% with CHOP on this policy. They are a children's hospital and they treat the sickest children, many of whom have compromised immune systems. Some of the patients are too young to immunize. To even think about risking the lives of these children with a disease you could have been vaccinated for? It's just plain criminal. If I were CHOP, I would also require all employees to either show proof of receiving the MMR vaccine, or make them get one.
Some of the employees who refused cited religious reasons. "I am a Christian, and my religion prohibits me from receiving vaccines," said Tyrika Cowlay, who was a lab technician. Really? Being a Christian prohibits you from getting vaccinated? And if your religion doesn't allow vaccines, would it really allow you to work with and possibly even draw patients' blood? What an oddly specific religion!
As Phil said in his post about it: I’m thinking that if your religion forbids you from vaccinations (and to my knowledge, mainstream Christianity does not preclude them), then maybe a children’s hospital isn’t the best line of work for you (any more than an orthdox Jew should work at a pork rendering factory).
Local NBC station's story on it HERE.
CHOP's statement about it HERE
I agree 100% with CHOP on this policy. They are a children's hospital and they treat the sickest children, many of whom have compromised immune systems. Some of the patients are too young to immunize. To even think about risking the lives of these children with a disease you could have been vaccinated for? It's just plain criminal. If I were CHOP, I would also require all employees to either show proof of receiving the MMR vaccine, or make them get one.
Some of the employees who refused cited religious reasons. "I am a Christian, and my religion prohibits me from receiving vaccines," said Tyrika Cowlay, who was a lab technician. Really? Being a Christian prohibits you from getting vaccinated? And if your religion doesn't allow vaccines, would it really allow you to work with and possibly even draw patients' blood? What an oddly specific religion!
As Phil said in his post about it: I’m thinking that if your religion forbids you from vaccinations (and to my knowledge, mainstream Christianity does not preclude them), then maybe a children’s hospital isn’t the best line of work for you (any more than an orthdox Jew should work at a pork rendering factory).
