PRO CHOICE? PREGNANT WOMAN FIRED FOR REFUSING FLU VACCINE~WHY WON’T PLANNED PARENTHOOD & LIBERALS ASSERT HER “RIGHT” TO CHOICE NOW?
and her health is threatened by an employer demanding a flu vaccine?
“In a statement, hospital officials told News 12:
“NYU
Winthrop Hospital maintains the highest standards to protect the health
and well-being of not only our patients but our employees. When we
established the mandatory influenza vaccination program many months ago,
every employee was notified and given the opportunity to apply for a
valid medical or religious exemption. Every exemption request was
evaluated on a case-by-case basis by a panel of clinical experts and
senior HR executives. It was determined that pregnancy alone was not a
valid basis for an exemption. In fact, the American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) continues to recommend that all
women receive the influenza vaccine, including pregnant women, who are
at increased risk of serious illness and mortality due to influenza.
This recommendation is applicable in any trimester. Moreover, as the
ACOG states, ‘Maternal vaccination is the most effective strategy to
protect newborns because the vaccine is not approved for use in infants
younger than six months.’
“While we cannot comment on specific
instances due to privacy issues, we can say that, absent other
extenuating facts, an exemption request for pregnancy would not be
granted. NYU Winthrop Hospital believes that, as healthcare workers,
every one of our employees has a moral obligation to protect the health
and safety of our patients and our fellow employees. Mandatory flu
vaccination is a commitment to that responsibility.” – John Collins,
President and CEO, NYU Winthrop University Hospital”
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