You're watching...

Fired for not getting the flu shot?

Details

  • Description

    Debate over hospital requiring employee vaccinations

  • Duration 3:58
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Happening Now

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

And Indiana hospital is during some controversy now after firing eight of its employees who refused to get the flu shot.

The hospital says the policy is intended to protect patients who have weakened immune systems from potentially deadly illnesses.

In the past the hospital made the shot optional for employees but now it is mandatory.

Some workers say that goes too far so who's right.

Let's talk about it with faith Jenkins a former prosecutor and -- panicked should criminal defense attorney.

Faith these.

Inoculations are recommended by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control if if those two organizations.

Say -- ought to do this shouldn't hospital employees have to do it.

I think shooting their do exactly what we want hospitals to do they're being pro active and they're using preventative measures here -- the flu.

It's -- preventable.

Virus and it's a virus they can be spread to patients so -- Hospital is saying is if you wanna work here we watch you get the shot because we want to be able to provide the best possible environment.

For our patience is -- -- legal review to be able to do that.

-- there's also an opt out for religious purposes or -- -- have some kind of -- to the shot.

They're saying tell us about it Andy you won't have to take a -- otherwise if you work here we think it -- -- what we need to do to.

We've got the best care possible for the patients in -- the seal right -- at least a couple of of the people who were fired and perhaps all of them -- -- invoke that religious exemption.

To to prevent themselves from having to get the flu shot some kind of a committee heard there argument and said no it doesn't pass Muster.

So do they have you know can they go to court -- they have a case here.

I think you have -- -- First of all it showed that -- -- not really putting the patients have a health a top priority.

They're eating getting the option to opt out.

If you can apply or have a religious exemption I understand -- allergy by -- Well about a religious exemption will aid.

Put it had patients' health above the employees centrists out here it shows me at least.

That the employees interest still matters if you're able topped out -- the next question is -- what they says some of these nurses apply for religious exemption.

What.

Who -- -- hospital determined that they're not religious and I.

It's it just -- is a huge slippery slope.

If that hospitals can regulate this I think they're going to regulate how many cups of coffee and -- cats are they going to regulate how much fried food.

-- than -- has all of this impacts your IRL help it makes us she wired -- to -- far JRQ have any.

Which definitely impacts patient health so the question may not be so much about this flu shot -- that these nurses may be standing on principle.

We don't want this hospital invading my body and my life.

That has nothing to hit -- substantively did it with patient -- what I think is the problem here and what about that slippery so slope argument -- -- I I don't believe it I mean here's here's the problem why we already -- warning for hospital workers every year.

I displayed these flu like symptoms in very few of them actually seek treatment for it so -- study studies have already shown that.

I mean let's let's not he'll talk about all these other extra indications when the issue here really EA's.

These -- being spree to patients in the hospital is their weight at.

Is there a way to -- because it areas you know what you're doing -- pretty well yourself from being -- to liability on the back end if we don't protect our patient -- exactly what hospitals will be Opentable.

I -- -- better way to handle this it's when faith says that one out of four content work an art display flu like symptoms and are sick.

-- -- -- the onus should be on your supervisors.

To better look at their employees and say you know like you're -- a little too much today.

We -- coughing a little too much.

It got home right now more and I think that's probably -- better way to handle.