Skip to main content

Mandatory Flu Shots

The New York State Department of Health recently passed emergency regulations requiring all healthcare personnel working in hospital and nursing homes to receive mandatory influenza vaccinations or face termination of employment.

I am a vaccine advocate and believe that vaccinations have decreased and in some cases eradicated some infectious illnesses. I do, however, worry about the mandate aspect of this law and how it will be truly be enforced.

What do you think? Good idea? Cutting-edge? Violation of privacy? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Comments

NPO said…
I've heard that since H1N1 has been classified as pandemic. Drug companies are no longer liable should someone have a reaction to their flu shot. Is that true?
Hi David,

I am no expert on liability. However, it is my understanding that our government will assume some liability due to the pandemic nature of the H1N1 vaccine.

However, I'm not sure what type of liability anyone has concern over. This is the same flu vaccine that is given as the seasonal varient only containing the H1N1 strain. It is no different otherwise. The FDA is overseeing production and quality with the lot numbers as they do with all other vaccinations.

If a pandemic was declared 6 weeks earlier than announced, we would only have 1 strain of influenza (seasonal + H1N1) this year. Unfortunately, it took additional time to come to that conclusion and thus requires a second vaccination.
Anonymous said…
"same flu vaccine as the seasonal varient ONLY containing the H1N1 strain" uhmmm...check your facts on the differences. i think you may reconsider.
Anonymous:

You tell me to "check my facts." What evidence do you have that it is different otherwise?

This is taken from the FDA's website:

"What makes up the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent vaccines?
The Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines are manufactured using the same approved processes used to produce the seasonal influenza vaccines. Ingredients used during the manufacture of influenza vaccines include substances to help prevent bacterial contamination, to inactivate or “kill” the viruses, and stabilizers to prevent the vaccine from changing. Vaccines that are packaged in multi-dose vials use a preservative to prevent contamination.
The Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent vaccines are made from a single influenza virus strain that is an A/California/7/09-like virus. For the injectible vaccines, or shots, the virus is inactivated, using the same processes the manufacturers use for seasonal influenza vaccines. The vaccine administered via nasal spray contains a live, attenuated virus.

People who have a severe (life-threatening) allergy to chicken eggs, or to any other substance in the vaccine, should not be vaccinated."

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/QuestionsaboutVaccines/ucm182335.htm
Anonymous said…
I read the vaccine insert from the Sanofi Fluzone seasonal flu vaccine and I see there is a component of H1N1 in it. Does this mean that NYS healthcare workers will be getting 2 or maybe 3 doses of H1N1 virus? In NYS healthcare workers are mandated to get the seasonal flu vaccines and the H1N1 or be terminated.
Hi Anonymous,

No, the H1N1 strain that is in the Sanofi 2009 Seasonal Influenza is NOT the same as novel H1N1.

This is an excerpt from Sanofi's press release:

The vaccine formulation for the 2009-2010 season contains three strains of the influenza virus: the A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus; the A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus; and the B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. The three strains for the new influenza vaccine formulation were confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological
Products Advisory Committee in February 2009 and correspond with
recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) also in February.

Influenza vaccine is formulated each year to match the strains predicted to circulate during the upcoming season. This formulation for the 2009-2010 influenza season introduces a new B strain. The two A strains are unchanged from the 2008-2009 season formulation.

The seasonal influenza vaccine does not incorporate the
A/California/7/2009(H1N1) virus strain of the novel A(H1N1) influenza and is not expected to offer protection against this new type of influenza. Sanofi
Pasteur is working with the WHO and the CDC on the development of a separatevaccine for the novel A(H1N1) influenza, commonly referred to as the new "swine" influenza.
Unknown said…
I think that it's important to bring to light that the swine flu is not a "new flu". It's been around since the 1950's I think. Any flu is dangerous. I got my regular flu vaccine but am waiting for the non-live doses before I get that one. Just my preference.

Popular posts from this blog

Private Practice

There is an interesting trend that I'm observing and don't necessarily see how this is going to turn out. I'm seeing more and more nurse practitioner's opening their own autonomous practices. Many of these offices set out to offer care that is personalized, covered under insurance, and of course high-quality. I'm also seeing more NP specialty/sub-specialty practices such as house calls, incontinence, and women's health. This is in a time when more physician practices are joining together in these conglomerations that aren't necessarily tied to hospitals. You'd be hard pressed to find a solo primary care physician these days yet nurse practitioner solo practices are popping up. The talk about the formation of accountable care organizations can be attributed to health care reform and the spurring of large multi-physician practices. What to make of this? I honestly don't know. Many people and patients have said to me "you should start your own prac

NP Residency

The healthcare system of today is so complex yet so dysfunctional that I believe the time has come to educate and train the NP providers of tomorrow in a way that is reflective of that complexity. We have done a good job up to this point but need to bring that to the next level. Residency. I'm not necessarily referring to the typical residency training of physicians which takes place in hospitals but a residency-type of program in an out-patient setting (ironic that we use the term residency). We realize that healthcare is not exclusively delivered in hospitals. It takes place in independent providers offices, in community health centers, in mobile health vans, and in retail settings. It takes place in people's homes and places of employment. It takes place in many of the health decisions that we make on a daily basis. I found this NP residency program in Connecticut that claims to be the first NP residency in the US. The programs admits 4 NPs each year and trains them to ha

Repost: Let Us Be Heard

I started this blog, A Nurse Practitioner’s View, 3 years ago because there were very few health stories that even mentioned nurse practitioners as part of the health care landscape. Right before I started the blog, I would respond to other health policy articles published on the Web by writing comments to the websites – only to be subjected to baseless and factually incorrect statements. It was soon thereafter that I decided I would write my own perspective on health policy, trends, and news. I also felt it important from a credibility aspect to not blog anonymously but to put my name on it. I recall those few early blog posts that I proudly wrote and would feverishly check my blog visitor stats to see if people were reading. Well, it was a bit slow going in the beginning with about 10 – 15 readers but as they say, “if you build it, they will come.” Today, the blog enjoys hundreds of visits a day, has a Facebook following, has enabled me to be “discovered” to blog at  Online Nurse