Flagstaff Medical Center during Wednesday's snow showers. FMC has no policy requiring its employees to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. (Photo: Jenna Galloway/NAZ Today)
FLAGSTAFF (NAZ Today) – By: Jenna Galloway – The swine flu has is now categorized as a pandemic. It is a common problem in health care, and a new vaccine is becoming available to the public to help to prevent the spread of the illness. There are two forms of vaccine, one a nasal spray and another needle-injected vaccine have been scientifically developed to help fight the virus. However, a nationwide regulation on whether or not health care employees should be required to be vaccinated against the swine flu virus has not been made.
Flagstaff area health care workers are still able to decide whether or not they are vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and the swine flu vaccine. Other cities are requiring their health care employees to get vaccinated.
New York state requires health care workers to get vaccinated. According to an article published by TIME magazine on Oct. 19, Can Health-Care Workers be Forced to get Flu Shots?, health care workers in New York state are now required to receive both a seasonal flu vaccine and a swine flu vaccine, or else face termination of their job.
New York state is not the first to entertain the idea of requiring employees to get vaccinated, either with the vaccine or the seasonal flu vaccine. The Hospital Corporation of America is requiring 120,000 employees in 20 states to get the flu vaccine.
“That’s just not something that can really be dictated,” said Starla Collins, Public Relations Officer at Flagstaff Medical Center. “We offer both the flu vaccination and the swine flu vaccination free of charge to all of our employees here at the hospital. The majority have opted to receive the vaccine.”
Flagstaff Walk-In Medical Care also does not require their employees to get vaccinated, either with the swine flu vaccine or the seasonal flu vaccine.
“The health department recommends health-care providers to get vaccinated for the seasonal flu and the swine flu,” said Elise Young, marketing director for Walk-In Medical Care. “It’s not mandatory.”
According to TIME magazine, health-care workers are especially vulnerable to both getting sick from influenza and spreading it to patients. Only about 50 percent of all health-care employees voluntarily get vaccinated for the seasonal flu. Resistance for the new 2009 H1N1 vaccine seems to be even higher.
A lot of the resistance to the new vaccine has been generated because the vaccine is so new.
“I have some questions about the vaccine,” said Dr. George Hershey, a family practitioner and head physician for Northern Arizona University athletics. “How are they developing it so quickly? I don’t think it is going to hurt you, but I’m not sure it will do much good.”
Although Dr. Hershey questions the vaccine, he did say that he personally will be vaccinated for the swine flu when he can, and that he is already immunized against the seasonal flu.
Flagstaff Walk-In Medical Care employees offered mixed opinions toward the vaccine.
“[Employees] have expressed more mixed emotions,” said Young. “The vaccine is very new and we don’t know much about it. Some [employees] may not want to get [the 2009 H1N1 vaccine] because it’s too new. Others want to get it because it may help prevent the swine flu from spreading.”
More and more states, hospitals, and health-care employees are debating over requiring flu vaccines for their health care employees. For now, Flagstaff health care employees are able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to be vaccinated.
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