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So a few months ago the head of the NYS DOH (Comm. Richard Daines) decided that H1N1 was a threat to public health and mandated that every healthcare worker be vaccinated for seasonal and H1N1. There was quite a bit of shadiness involved.
Daines pushed this through State Senate as an EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) so there was no vote for the measure, despite opposition.
The pharmaceutical companies were granted immunity to repercussions of the vaccine in NYS, so if an entire batch ended up killing people, Big Pharma was in the clear of any wrongdoing.
The timetable for the H1N1 vaccine was shorter than normal, though assurances were put out about it being just as rigorously tested as normal seasonal flu.
NYS forced the mandate on all hospitals and basically said "You need to be 100% compliant with this. You can police it as you see fit, but you'll be fined for every healthcare employee no vaccinated." Almost every hospital took that to mean get your staff vaccinated or fire them. Almost all hospitals extended this from just their healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, what-have-you) to all employees (including guys like me, who have zero contact and don't even work in the main hospital building).
Daines, a doctor himself, was asked in an interview if he would be willing to get a dose of the H1N1 vaccine said there was no reason for him to get one now (a.k.a. the initial batch) as he had no direct patient contact. If he had patient contact he would get it, and would be encouraging his family and friends to get it when it was available to the general public. Seriously? One shot to help spearhead your campaign and you refuse?
Well, the move by the DOH and the subsequent reaction by hospitals spawned at least 3 lawsuits (2 of them against Comm. Daines specifically), with more in the wings.
This morning,
the State dropped the mandate.
I feel that flu shots should be available for anyone that wants to get one, but should not be forced on you (especially given their success rate and the fact that they aren't vaccinations in the true sense, like say for polio or smallpox). Now I'm going to do the "neener neener neener" dance in the DOH's general direction.
Daines pushed this through State Senate as an EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) so there was no vote for the measure, despite opposition.
The pharmaceutical companies were granted immunity to repercussions of the vaccine in NYS, so if an entire batch ended up killing people, Big Pharma was in the clear of any wrongdoing.
The timetable for the H1N1 vaccine was shorter than normal, though assurances were put out about it being just as rigorously tested as normal seasonal flu.
NYS forced the mandate on all hospitals and basically said "You need to be 100% compliant with this. You can police it as you see fit, but you'll be fined for every healthcare employee no vaccinated." Almost every hospital took that to mean get your staff vaccinated or fire them. Almost all hospitals extended this from just their healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, what-have-you) to all employees (including guys like me, who have zero contact and don't even work in the main hospital building).
Daines, a doctor himself, was asked in an interview if he would be willing to get a dose of the H1N1 vaccine said there was no reason for him to get one now (a.k.a. the initial batch) as he had no direct patient contact. If he had patient contact he would get it, and would be encouraging his family and friends to get it when it was available to the general public. Seriously? One shot to help spearhead your campaign and you refuse?
Well, the move by the DOH and the subsequent reaction by hospitals spawned at least 3 lawsuits (2 of them against Comm. Daines specifically), with more in the wings.
This morning,
the State dropped the mandate.
I feel that flu shots should be available for anyone that wants to get one, but should not be forced on you (especially given their success rate and the fact that they aren't vaccinations in the true sense, like say for polio or smallpox). Now I'm going to do the "neener neener neener" dance in the DOH's general direction.
You know, I don't really need my whole liver. 
