To increase patient and hcw safety, health care workers should be mandate to get vaccination. Hcw are more at risk to get infection because of their contact with patient and then to spread it to patients, specially patients who are susceptible to the infection (CITATION). Influenza symptoms appears within 1-4 days. Before even hcw workes know that they have influenza infection and they are contagious, they may spread the infection to patient . Also, if hcw are infected, it will cause impact on their mental and physical functioning. Two randomly conducted studies have supported that mandatory influenza vaccination for hcw helped in decreasing death rate upto 44% in nursing home residents (Ottenberg, 2011). Potter et. al. identified that because of increased staff vaccination mortality rate reduced from 17% to 10% (Suillivan, 2010). The other fact which can effect patient safety due to low rate of vaccination is absenteeism of hcw during influenza epidemic.
Healthcare providers have a moral and ethical obligation not to do harm to patients. Mandatory vaccination could prevent harm from being done to patients by preventing the spread in influenza. “Nursing is the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities,
Medical facilities should not mandate flu vaccines without studies to prove decreases in transmission of the influenza virus. Facilities should continue to promote safe practices to prevent infections of all contagious illnesses.
Hi my name is Marah and today I am going to persuade you to get a Flu vaccination. I recently got a job working at Walgreens Pharmacy. Every day that I work I see people coming in to pick up their prescriptions that don’t look like the feel very great, with a tissue in one hand and their money in the other. No one wants to be sick, it’s not fun and it makes you feel like crap and you get absolutely nothing done. So it would only make sense if everyone was taking the precautionary measure in getting a flu shot. People should be lining up to get their vaccinations in order to prevent them from them getting sick and missing school, work or important events; but they aren’t, at Walgreens, we give maybe about 4 flu shots a day,
For the past ten years, we at Virginia Mason Medical Center have been implementing mandatory influenza vaccination. This is due to the flu vaccination being able to reduce flu illnesses and prevent flu-related hospitalizations. According to the Center for Control and Disease (CDC, 2014) during 2012-2013, an estimated 45% of the U.S population got vaccinated, helping to prevent an estimated 6.6 million flu-related illness, with 3.2 million flu-related medical visits, almost 80,000 hospitalizations and roughly $87 billion dollars in total economic burden. Influenza is extremely contagious and each year on an average 5%-20% of the U.S population get the flu with tens of thousands die from a flu-related illness. Therefore, many health cares setting along with Virginia Mason Medical Center is mandating all their healthcare workers to get the influenza vaccination. Consequently, making annual influenza vaccination requirement for healthcare workers a continuing and debatable health topic. The potential of getting the vaccination have great benefits to healthcare professionals, their patients, and their families by
The influenza vaccination in not only beneficial to recipients but also those that come in contact with the individuals exposed to or at risk for contracting influenza. Health care workers are at a constant risk of exposure to various diseases and illness including influenza. An emergency such as a vaccination shortage for influenza will not only affect at risk individuals but spread rapidly to all those exposed without knowledge or a-symptomatic at time of encounter. Health care workers will be exposed in physician offices, hospitals, emergency care or urgent care centers with heightened possibility of spreading the illness (CDC, 2015). Health care workers are not limited to the obvious: physicians or nurses but also, therapists, EMS,
In 2012, British Colombia became the first jurisdiction in Canada to institute a mandatory policy, that requires health-care workers (HCW) in the province to either get the flu vaccine each year, or wear masks; while caring for patients during the flu season, and it lasted approximately four months [1]. Under this policy, anyone who does not abide by it will face discipline actions or even possible termination. Since then, there have been intensive debates around this policy. The supporting argument lies in the issues of HCW protection and the public’s expectation that acts on the best interests of patients. The purpose is to promote employee productivity by preventing employees from getting flu and passing virus to patients when providing care. The Canadian Nurses Association declares that “It is CNA’s position that all
I can easily say that I agree with this article and that I am 100% pro flu shot. With my history as a pharmacy technician I did find myself being able to successfuly convincing some of our patients to receive their flu shots during their visits to the pharmacy. Through working their I learned a lot about how the influenza virus can impact our well being. I did find it suprising that the University of Chicago was able to accuratley predict the flu seasons for the past 15 years and never thought about looking into Australia's flu season and using data collected from them to help prepare for the US's flu season. According to our text book, An Invitation to Health, "Influenza viruses, which can change their outer protein coats so dramatically that
As painless as the flu may sound it can actually be quite deadly. 55,227 deaths result each year due to the flu. Influenza, otherwise known as the flu, is one of the leading causes for nosocomial diseases contracted in hospital rooms. When being admitted to the hospital with the flu, your body is already below the homeostatic norm and won’t be able to fight off other pathogens that are developed in the hospital sufficiently. The only proper way to shield yourself is to get the influenza vaccine through injection. Influenza is a lot more than perceived and can be more deadly than heard of. Getting a twenty dollar vaccine is significantly healthier and smarter than paying a twenty million dollar bill.
Having a flu policy is the best thing that can prevent anyone from getting the flu in the flu season. I will notify the patients to do the same things that I do in order to prevent them from getting infected. One policy for patients with the flu would be being careful around people who aren’t infected by wearing a mask or avoid shaking
The government should make policy that makes everybody get the shots, not only for their safety but also for the community, looking the fact of growing cities with highly populated areas, the chances of catching virus is high, which is easily transmitted through sneezing, coughing, receiving a flu vaccine is necessary at the beginning of each winter season, especially for the elderly, and those suffering from chronic diseases such as heart disease. While scientists are still searching for new ways to develop this vaccine, to become more effective
Millions of Americans will receive the flu vaccination without a doctor’s note or regard to any underlying conditions. The only question asked is, “Can you roll up your sleeve for me?” Many blindly receive the flu vaccine without question and assume that it is effective without factual knowledge. In the healthcare system it is a requirement to get vaccinated, unless one wishes to be sectioned off and forced to wear a mask during work. Mandatory vaccinations have been enacted among some employers pushing employees to receive the vaccination. This is despite their views, concerns, or questions in regards to the safety and effectiveness of the flu vaccination. There is much debate over whether the pros outweigh the cons in regards to inoculation. In an age where
Moreover, healthcare association influenza occurs in both acute and long term health care facilities. This affects both patients and staff and affects the delivery of care and is especially important in wards and institutions caring for young children or elderly people. It was also shown that is cost effective to have health care workers vaccinated. This was shown by an economic evaluation. Public health authorities have strongly recommended that health care workers in the health care environment receive influenza vaccines. This protects both patients and workers in healthcare settings. Despite the health authority’s recommendations for vaccines, the rates for immunizations world-wide are disappointingly low. These rates show that health care workers are at an increased risk for health associated influenza. This poses a serious health threat during influenza outbreaks. The rates of immunization can be increased by offering free immunizations, and providing on site vaccines for staff. The Infectious Disease Society of America suggests that voluntary immunizations are not effective and therefore mandatory programs are needed. Some
In many ways, vaccinations are among the great success stories of modern medicine. The literature indicates the importance of promoting a culture of annual vaccination on a routine basis to protect patients and healthcare professionals from morbidity and mortality. The data provided can be used to educate healthcare workers and improve the health outcomes of their employees and patients. According to the research, the figures may help administrators of health facilities incorporate policies to raise the proportion of their staff to comply with the influenza immunization (Shahar et al., 2016). Future protocols and intervention programs should be constructed and advertise the success among those who received the vaccination yearly. Compliance
According to Healthy People 2020 a goal of theirs is to “increase immunization rates and reduce preventable infections.” The influenza virus is one of these preventable infections, which can cause serious harm to patients. The influenza virus is known as the “flu.” Everyone in his or her life has had some experience with the flu, whether that is himself or herself or a family member. What if there was a way to ensure people from contracting a strain of the influenza virus? Well, thanks to technology and medical research there is.