Vaccines should be mandatory to work in healthcare

Petition
People (3)

2 Signatures

Start Date:
10-29-2009
Last Signed:
11-20-2009

Intended Recipient:

Health care workers

Description:

Vaccines should be mandatory for health care professionals that are able to receive them as they become available. The Center for Disease Control, Joint Commission and most every health expert agrees that vaccination is the best way to prevent H1N1 and seasonal influenza. Even wearing a respirator mask may not be as effective as getting the vaccine. H1N1 may be contagious a full day before a person has symptoms and many health care workers may spread influenza to their patents even without ever getting sick themselves. For high risk groups vaccination may be life saving. I have a primary immune deficiency disease and patients like myself may not make antibodies to vaccines as well as normal people do, so having members of our household and medical teams take precautions and get vaccinated decreases our chances of becoming sick. Please if you have chosen to work in health care, even if there is not a mandate in your state, get vaccinated so you won't harm the patients you are caring for. Widespread vaccinations have historically managed many diseases and hopefully will also control the spread of H1N1 if people comply with health recommendations. If you work in health care, its not just about you, but also about the safety of your patients.

http://www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/InfectionControl/H1N1_podcast.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm

http://www.primaryimmune.org/admin_content/admin_files/IDF_influenza_recommendations.pdf