“I think feel like having the law clarified will help them avoid those kinds of conflicts.” “I don’t think any hospital wants to get to that point,” Cunningham says. That could mean getting suspended or even fired. He says healthcare facilities can now take disciplinary action against anyone who declines the vaccine without a medical or religious exemption. That lack of clarity in the law created conflict between some hospitals that wanted everyone vaccinated and employees who didn’t want to get the flu shot, Cunningham says. If people see this law in the news, they're going to assume that their loved ones are being protected, when in fact, it may not be." Julie Pryde, Champaign-Urbana Public Health DepartmentĬunningham says the old law “basically allowed for employees to use just their personal convictions as a legitimate reason to deny an influenza vaccine." But "moral reluctance" or philosophical objections are no longer valid reasons to refuse the flu shot. Health workers who have already received the flu shot can also decline their employer’s offer. Bill Cunningham of Chicago, one of the law’s lead sponsors. Under the public health department’s new rules, all facilities must offer the influenza vaccine to employees and only allow someone to decline if they have a religious objection or “some sort of medical problem that would be complicated by getting the vaccine,” says Democratic state Sen. Illinois law now essentially requires flu shots for employees at more than 3,000 state-licensed hospital and health care facilities, including long-term care facilities. The laws vary in what they require, and can apply to employees at hospitals, long-term care facilities, or both. More than half of all states in the U.S.-including Indiana, Ohio and Missouri-have laws regarding flu shots for healthcare workers. But some on the frontlines of public health worry that a law that’s not enforced will have little effect. Lawmakers say this is important in light of last year’s flu season that killed more people than car crashes and drug overdoses. A new Illinois statute aims to boost flu shot rates among healthcare workers by making it harder for employees to decline the vaccine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |