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OPINION: Don't force medical pros to get H1N1 vaccine
Newsday ^ | GEORGE J. ANNAS

Posted on 10/06/2009 9:49:11 AM PDT by nickcarraway

The New York State Health Commissioner's new mandate that all health care workers be vaccinated against both the seasonal and the swine flu this fall could qualify as the major public health blunder of the year, because it is likely to backfire.

Flu has been rightly characterized as a "slippery disease" that can mutate quickly and unpredictably, which means that planning for flu epidemics must be flexible and should be reviewed regularly as evidence of disease spread and severity accumulates.

We are already experiencing the beginning of a second wave of swine flu, the 2009 H1N1 influenza. Effective response will require cooperation of the public, and such cooperation (in actions such as getting vaccinated, social distancing and staying home when sick) will happen only if the public trusts its health officials.

Surveys have noted an erosion in public trust of government officials, but continued confidence in physicians and nurses. In this context, persuasion based on science, ethics and prudence, not on legal threats, should be the mandatory course of action for public health officials.

Physicians and nurses, educated and licensed professionals, dedicated to their patients' health and welfare, do have an ethical obligation to take all reasonable steps to protect their patients. During a threatened flu pandemic, like swine flu, this includes, I think, getting a swine flu vaccination.

So why not require vaccination if they refuse? There are at least four reasons.

The first is symbolic: The practice of medicine (and nursing) is a voluntary one based on informed choice - and will hopefully remain this way. Forcing physicians and nurses to become unconsenting patients - even for a flu shot - undermines the consensual nature of the health care relationship, and at least suggests that if health care professionals can be forced to take a vaccination for the

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: flu; force; h1n1; influenza; medical; swineflu; vaccine
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To: XenaLee
Yes, I just find it easier for more people to stay unsick using the little garlic oil capsules.

There cheap and ready in grocery stores everywhere, and it takes only seconds to dose up to proper protection.

It works so well that way back in the day of the great plagues, robbers used to uberdose up on it to rob the dead.

21 posted on 10/06/2009 4:02:28 PM PDT by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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To: Theo

PROVE you got the flu from me, FRiend.

Can’t be done.


22 posted on 10/06/2009 4:03:46 PM PDT by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: Theo

“healthcare workers need to be vaccinated or quit”

I sincerely hope that most of them do walk out and then see who you are left with to treat you at the hospital. I can almost guarantee you that it won’t be the people who have done their research. Look up the adjuvant”squalene” and see if you want to be the first in line.


23 posted on 10/06/2009 4:49:35 PM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like what you say))
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To: freeangel
I've read about the adjuvant squalene. Quite scary.

It appears they are recommending 2 shots to children under the age of 9.

It has to be a terrible decision parents have to make regarding risky side effects of the vaccine vs possible death from the swine flu. What to do??

For me, I'm not taking the shot..

sw

24 posted on 10/06/2009 5:00:31 PM PDT by spectre (Spectre's wife)
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To: Osage Orange
Oh brother...........where art thou, (Good Movie).

It is simple, I know it's loads of fun to scare people and run up loads of profit with good old corpo-nazi chemical medicine or whatever one likes to call the giant money eater we've created in the past 100 years.

But, it's too big now.

Like the kid who wanted a little alligator, sure it was cute at first.

25 posted on 10/07/2009 3:18:26 PM PDT by norraad ("What light!">Blues Brothers)
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