WHY SHOULD I BE FORCED

TO GET A FLU VACCINE?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As a Registered Nurse (RN), I am required
to get a flu vaccine yearly at my place of
employment. Many medical institutions are
requiring all employees to obtain a flu
vaccine. This has been mandated to help
prevent the transmission of the illness
among workers and patients. The problem is
that some healthcare workers have to
choose whether to receive the vaccination
and remain in their position or refuse and
have to wear a mask or they could even be
terminated from employment. Some
healthcare workers feel that mandating the
employee to get the flu vaccine; it is
impinging on their human right of having
their own health care choices.
When a healthcare worker is ill and still
caring for patients, they could make them ill
and cause an increase of the length of stay
of the patients. Workers could also cause
their co-workers to become ill. This is at an
extra cost to the organization. They will need
to cover sick days of the ill worker and pay
the salary of the worker covering the shift of
the ill worker.
My recommendation is workers working with
immune compromised patients be required
to have the vaccine. Those that work with
other patients should have the choice on
whether or not to have the flu vaccine but,
then wear a mask if they refuse the shot.

BACKGROUND AND TEXT

Many healthcare workers are being
required to obtain the flu shot. Some of the
workers feel that being mandated to
receive the flu vaccine is going against
their right to choose their own medical
care. Organizations want all employees to
receive the vaccine to help reduce the cost
of length of stay in patients becoming ill
from the flu after being exposed to an ill
worker, paying the salary of an ill worker
using their sick time, as well as paying the
salary of the worker needed to cover shifts
of the ill worker.
The Journal of Infection Control (2013)
educated that all 50 US states have laws
requiring immunization but allow
exemptions for medical, religious, or

By: Stephaine Ryan, RN/Ferris State University

WHY SHOULD I BE FORCED

TO RECEIVE THE FLU SHOT?

philosophical reasons (Quach etl., p.1019).

By having these mandatory flu vaccine
requirements organization have increased
the amount of vaccines given out to their
workers. The percentage of workers
receiving the flu vaccine have increased to
95% and higher (Gardam. P.639).
But, there is a fine line being drawn
between trying to prevent the flu from being
transmitted to patients and workers and
retaining the healthcare workers own
individuality and their right to choose their
health care. As a healthcare worker, do you
feel your being forced into obtain the flu
vaccine?

Description and Analysis of Options

Many healthcare workers are now being
required to obtain the flu vaccine by their
workplace in order to help decrease the
transmission of the illness to patients and
their co-workers. Organizations have
started to mandate the flu vaccine to help
decrease the cost of covering shifts of ill
workers and the cost of the increase of the
length of stay in patients becoming ill after
being cared for by a worker that has the flu.
An option that have been discussed are
mandatory flu shots for all workers except
those with medical or religious beliefs and
making those that dont receive the vaccine
to not participate in patient care. Another
option is to maintain the workers right to
choose whether or not to obtain the

By: Stephaine Ryan, RN/Ferris State University

WHY SHOULD I BE FORCED

TO
RECEIVE
THE
FLU
VACCINE?

against influenza B (Gardam, p.640) This

information leans toward the thought that
the flu vaccine may not be as effective as
the health care community would like to
protect the workers against the flu.

flu vaccine and if they decline the

vaccine they must wear a mask at all
times while having any contact with
patients.
The American Journal of Bioethics
(2013) state that the effectiveness of
masks, however, is limited and does not
clearly demonstrate their efficacy in
health care environments
(Antommaria,p. 37). This study also
states that masks are uncomfortable
and impede communication
(Antommaria,p.37). These findings may
show evidence that mandatory vaccines
are more protective against the
transmission of the flu.
The Canadian Medical Association
(2013) wrote in an article that flu vaccine
is only 55% effective against laboratory
confirmed influenza A and 70% effective

If healthcare organizations do nothing to

protect patients and workers against
transmitting the flu to each other and
reduce the number of workers that
become ill, the organization may have
increase in cost. The organization would
have the cost of covering shifts that are
short staffed due to illness this could
require paying workers overtime to make
sure there is proper staffing. Most
organizations have researched that
mandating the flu vaccine would cost less
than covering these costs.

Recommendations
I would recommend that workers still
maintain their right to choose whether or
not they obtain the flu vaccine. There has
been evidence that the vaccine is not as
effective as the healthcare community
would like only protecting 50% and 70% of
the time. To help prevent transmission to
patients and co-workers those that are
declining the flu vaccine should be
required to wear a mask. These workers
could also have a sticker placed on their
badges to help identify them as being
unvaccinated.

By: Stephaine Ryan, RN/Ferris State University

WHY SHOULD I BE FORCED TO

RECEIVE THE FLU VACCINE?

References
Antommaria, A. (2013). An ethical analysis of mandatory influenza vaccination of
health care personnel: implementing fairly and balancing benefits and burdens.

The American Journal of Bioethics. DIO: 10.1080/15265161.2013.814731.

Gardam, M. (2013). Mandatory influenza vaccination? First we need a better
vaccine. Canadian Medical Association Journal. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.122074.
Quach, S., Pereira, J., Kwong, J., Quan, S., Crowe, L., Guay, M., & Bettinger, J.
(2013). Immunizing health care workers against influenza: a glimpse into the
challenges with voluntary programs and considerations for mandatory policies.
American Journal of Infection Control. DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.05.16.