Sep 30, 2009

New York health care workers face mandatory flu shots

Until this year, the choice to forego the flu vaccine was up to the employee. Not this year.

Several hundred health-care workers, civil libertarians and members of anti-vaccine groups on Tuesday railed against a mandate that medical professionals get seasonal and swine-flu vaccines.

Health-care workers in the state of New York say they shouldn't be forced to get a vaccine that they don't believe has been tested appropriately as a condition of keeping their jobs.

The state health commissioner said their arguments are baseless.

There are reports that some employees at institutions where vaccines are mandated have retired or been fired because they refuse to get the vaccine.

More of the story here.