Hospital workers fired for refusing vaccinations

[hellziggy]

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).

Comments

[mle292.livejournal.com]

I completely understand their POV.

My religion prohibits me from ever washing my hands, and I'd like to make each one of those former hospital workers a sandwich in order to show my respect for their beliefs.

[http://users.livejournal.com/mad_brilliant_/]

I LOLed in RL. :-D

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Yay! Good answer. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/mad_brilliant_/]

I agree 100% with CHOP on this policy.

::nod nod:: As do I.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

In fact, I think it's a policy that more healthcare employers should take. I'm a big fan of herd immunity.

[(Anonymous)]

As someone with a compromised immune system, I totally agree with CHOP. My niece managed to get the swine flu, then just when she was over it whooping cough...because so many of her classmates had parents who refused to immunize them against whooping cough. Ayla was immunized as a bub, but obviously her system had taken a battering with the swine flu.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Every one of those parents who didn't vaccinate should have had to see the consequences of their actions. And they should have had to pay all her medical costs.
Antivaxxers piss me the hell off!

I hope your niece is doing well.

[kindredspirit75.livejournal.com]

I work in a hospital and even though I don't come in direct contact with patients, we were required to get both vaccines... one for flu and one for swine flu.

Makes sense to me.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

I just can't comprehend people choosing *not* to vaccinate. It boggles my mind.

[vanaabegra.livejournal.com]

If your religion prevents you from carrying out your work duties, perhaps you should find another line of work.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Amen!

[scubagrrl.livejournal.com]

Immunizations are a requirement of the job- how is that difficult to understand? I'm with Phil on this one. I wonder if these people refused the initial immunizations; I think I had to have some before starting work in the nursing home. I don't remember.

While it has been a long time since I've been in the church, I don't remember hearing anything about vaccinations, and we certainly got them all as kids.

I didn't get the flu shot, nor the H1N1 shot (hubby got something offered through his work) but the penalties for me getting sick are rather small. I'm not responsible for anybody, I don't have a lot of contact with people to infect them, and I'm likely to come through it fine.

But it wasn't because I was afraid of the vaccine, just that there are people who need it more than I do. I might think about it if the flu were bad, and if I were vulnerable, and if we had enough vaccine. But those aren't true.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

You've got the most valid reasons for not getting vaccinated that I've heard. Way better than "God said not to."

[hellbob.livejournal.com]

I would actually disagree; I would say that "God said not to" is as just as valid as any other reason but it is trumped by your earlier point of (paraphrasing) "this job is not for you if your religious views state that you cannot complete your duties".