B.C. nurses no longer forced to get flu vaccination
Credit to Author: David Carrigg| Date: Fri, 06 Dec 2019 02:16:43 +0000
The B.C. Nurses’ Union has won its fight over a rule that forced nurses to either receive a flu vaccine or wear a face mask at work.
In a prepared statement, the union said the agreement with the Health Employers Association of B.C. would end the “punitive nature of the previous policy.”
In 2012, the association introduced a rule stating front-line health care workers needed to get a flu vaccine, and if they didn’t, then they must wear a face mask at work.
The union stated that forcing non-vaccinated staff to wear a mask compromised care by sometimes confusing patients with mental-health issues, and led to communication problems with patients who had hearing issues.
In 2015, the union filed a complaint with the association that has now been resolved in favour of the union. By scrapping the rule, nurses will no longer have to get a flu shot to be able to work.
BCNU president Christine Sorensen said the union would continue to work with employers to encourage vaccination as a strategy to reduce flu transmission and promote the use of personal protective equipment.
“Vaccination is one effective way of protecting patients and health-care workers and we hope that this new approach, which relies more on co-operation and professionalism instead of punitive action toward health-care workers, will achieve our goals of reducing influenza,” Sorensen wrote.