The Importance Of Mandatory Vaccination

The government shall make no law mandating the vaccination of any citizen, or that requires any citizen to receive preventative health procedures, or medications of any kind; for the cause of compliance with the law.

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,

Recently an anti-vaccination movement has sparked a worldwide discussion about both the safety of vaccines and the responsibility of people to vaccinate. Recent outbreaks of preventable diseases have caused both fear and anger from people on both sides of the issue. These same outbreaks have also served to cause significant political tension between those against vaccines, who do not want their right to choose compromised, and many proponents of vaccines, who are calling for mandatory vaccinations.

Vaccinations have been a topic of controversy among various populations for decades. The controversy exists around the decision to be vaccinated for certain contagious diseases or to omit receiving vaccinations for various reasons including those of medical, ethical, and religious derivation. The profession of healthcare faces a particular obstacle in regard to annual vaccinations against influenza. This review will discuss the following ethical debate: Is it ethical to mandate health care workers to receive annual influenza vaccinations? For the purposes of this review, the term ‘health care worker’ will be defined as any person who is employed by a health care institution and participates in personal interactions with patients. Undoubtedly, registered nurses (RNs) are among the most prevalent of all health care workers. This topic was chosen because influenza is a rampant and contagious respiratory virus that carries the potential to infect anyone. According the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) (2014), approximately 5 to 15 percent of the United States population becomes infected with influenza annually and roughly 200,000 people are hospitalized each year due to influenza. Clearly, influenza generates havoc for many people; however, the virus can be largely prevented by receiving an annual vaccination. Annual influenza vaccinations have been rendered the best way to prevent seasonal influenza and have also been deemed safe (CDC, 2014). Health care workers

Everyone in the United States who is not apart of a religious group--in which vaccination will infringe upon their beliefs--should receive vaccinations to ensure the safety of American citizens. For instance, when one schedules an annual physical, he/she may immediately think of vaccines. Young children may whine and teenagers may gripe. “Do I really need a shot mom?” One grumpy teenager or child might ask. The mother, in a typical setting, will say yes. The parent will not reply yes because they wish to hear his/her child complain about a sore arm for the next three days; no, the parent allows the nurse to administer the shot because the vaccine is recommended. In fact, vaccines have been a proven and effective way to protect the human race against diseases. With the intention of preventing diseases, listening to recommendation by qualified physicians and nurses could mean the difference between life and death for other children.

Also, there is no violation of the right to make contracts between employer and employee by making influenza vaccinations mandatory for healthcare workers. The article “Vaccinating the Health-Care Workforce” states, “Courts have ruled that states may also limit and regulate contracts in the interest of the public’s welfare, and essentially to place protection of the public against individual economic interest” (Stewart). Healthcare facilities do not violate their worker’s rights by making influenza immunizations mandatory as long as it benefits the public health.

As employees and health care works of well known organizations, we have an ethical and moral obligation to make decisions and choices that reflect the best interest of the health of our patients. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2010), mandatory programs should be enforced for health professionals justifying the need for employees to receive the influenza vaccine. The Joint Commission believes that an estimated 80% or higher of influenza immunization rates are crucial for providing the necessary immunity needed to protect and reduce influenza infections or health-related illnesses (The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2010). Voluntary programs consist of having the vaccine readily available for employees for no cost, providing staff with education on influenza prevention, and having

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

For years, the topic of mandated vaccinations for children has been a highly debated topic among health professionals, educators, parents, and government officials. Currently, the Center for Disease Control recommends that children between the ages of zero and six years should receive twenty-eight doses of ten different vaccines (ProCon.org, 2014). Although there is no federal law that requires that children get vaccinated, all fifty states require certain vaccinations for children before entering public schools (ProCon.org, 2014). These requirements often vary from state to state. All states in the United States allow for medical exemptions to the mandated vaccinations, while forty-eight allow religious exemptions and nineteen allow philosophical exemptions (ProCon.org, 2014). Mandated vaccination has remained a highly controversial topic as it questions whether a person should be able to make choices about his or her own body or if rules can be imposed that mandate vaccinations for the potential greater good of the public’s overall health.

There is no doubt that vaccination has been one of the greatest successes of public health programs in the 20th century. Vaccinations have eradicated naturally occurring smallpox, and have substantially reduced morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases that previously ravaged the population, such as polio and measles. Despite the successes, there has been a history of “anti-vaccinationists” in the U.S., who among other challenges, argued compulsory vaccination was an infringement upon personal liberty and their right to choice (1, 2). In fact, it took a Supreme Court decision to ultimately assert whether a state mandating vaccination infringed upon the U.S. Constitution.

In a case that a vaccine only works 60% of the time shouldn't we have a choice to not receive that vaccine? And if we choose not to, should we lose our jobs for it? No. This is a human rights issue. It sounds like that hospital had a deal with vaccination companies to receive “funding” if they required their employees to get the shot.

Since the development of vaccinations, there has been an underlying question; should vaccinations be mandatory? People know of cruel tests conducted to “save lives” while in the process of developing the vaccination. “Unfortunately, the first attempts at creating a polio vaccine were disastrous and rather primitive…(Tolsma 4)” People also know of the tribulations that saved so many others. However, people can’t help but wonder will it be safe for them or their children? People can’t help but feel that they shouldn’t have to get vaccinated because they believe mandatory vaccinations take away their amendment rights. Therefore, the question of mandatory vaccinations has been on many minds. Mandating vaccinations although saves many lives,

According to the law, doctors must keep children and teens up-to-date on all of their vaccinations to ensure that diseases do not spread throughout a school or community. However, many parents are questioning whether the board of health has the right to require children to receive a vaccine. Kohrs explains that “the problem with these regulations in today’s society places the boards of health at odds with the civil liberties and rights of each citizen.” However, he also explains that “an individual may invoke [religious] exemption where compulsory treatment for life-threatening diseases violates his or her religious belief or it is forbidden by their religion,” or they can receive philosophical exemption (Kohrs). This type of exemption “is

Vaccines, although they do have many benefits, have proven to be the cause of serious and sometimes fatal side effects. The human body has been created and built to run without foreign bodies to enter and harm the cells that allow the body to remain healthy. Some religious beliefs also state that they do not believe in the “poison” that goes into the human bodies with vaccinations. Should public schools, and sometimes even jobs be able to require people to be vaccinated before allowing them into the facility? According to the first amendment written by our founding fathers, United States citizens have the freedom of religion, which includes what they are willing to put into their bodies as stated by their worship.

We all remember as kids going to the doctor’s office and dreading getting shots. I remember thinking that if I take this shot I won’t get really sick and that was that. Now in this decade parents and families are coming forward and sharing their complaints of the vaccines that are supposed to be helping their kids’ but instead are hurting them. Parents are saying that they have decided to not give their children vaccines and that is now raising the question should parents be legally obligated to have their child vaccinated? If the parents aren’t willing to get their child vaccinated, they are putting other lives in danger. Health officials and the government should get involved in this ongoing issue. A solution to this problem is to have a law stating that parents should always have their children vaccinated unless medically unable to do so.