In the news today: What's happening with the H1N1 flu
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First Washtenaw County swine flu school closing
Huron Valley Catholic School in Ypsilanti will be closed until next Monday due to large numbers of staff and student out sick, likely because of swine flu, AnnArbor.com reported today.
It is the first school in the county to close due to widespread illness. The school had an absenteeism rate of more than 30 percent Monday, the county health department said.
Mandatory vaccine policy challenged in Grand Rapids
A respiratory therapist in Grand Rapids may lose her job after refusing to get the seasonal flu vaccine.
The Grand Rapids Press is reporting Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital might fire Rachel Denherder for refusing the vaccine. Denherder has said she is refusing the vaccine for religious reasons.
The hospital’s policy was implemented last summer.
St. Joseph Mercy Health System, based in Superior Township, requires workers who are considered Tier One or Tier Two, or those who are considered at highest risk, to get both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines.
Tier one employees are those involved directly in patient care, and tier two employees are those who offer critical support such as food delivery, room sanitizing and building maintenance. This is the first year the health system has the mandate.
“We recognized this flu season promised to be more intense than what we’ve seen in the past, and it's an effort to protect our staff and patients,” spokeswoman Lauren Stokes told AnnArbor.com.
Staff are able to decline the vaccines for religious, ethical and medical reasons by signing a declination form and completing counseling about the decision, Stokes said.
The University of Michigan Health System does not have a seasonal or H1N1 flu vaccine mandate for its staff, but is distributing and encouraging it among high priority groups there.
Vaccine shortage in state?
Wondering why there haven’t been nearly enough doses of the H1N1 flu virus vaccine in Washtenaw County?
The county is far from alone.
Fewer than 1 million doses of H1N1 vaccine have been sent to the state so far, but at least 5 million residents are considered part of the high-risk population who need the vaccine the most, the Detroit Free Press reported today.
Washtenaw County health officials say they're expecting more shipments of the vaccine, but have said they learn from the state on a week-by-week basis when and how much of the vaccine they might receive.
Upcoming swine flu clinic
Are you planning to attend the second mass H1N1 vaccination clinic in Washtenaw County Thursday? Give us updates about your experience by posting on the Web site, emailing news@annarbor.com or Tweeting about your experiences with the hash tag #H1N1WashCo.
County officials have said a total of 4,000 vaccinations will be available at the clinic, rather than 1,000 like the first clinic. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the convocation center at 799 North Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti.
Government sites aimed at viral spread of H1N1 information
Some government agencies are offering online tools to help spread information about the H1N1 flu virus.
For instance, those who would like to send a friendly reminder about hand-washing can send free e-cards care of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Visitors can also sign up for health updates via text message, lists of CDC Twitter feeds and reminders that can be easily added to Web sites there.
Want to see some of the latest products to take advantage of consumers’ H1N1 fears with fraudulent sales ideas?
The U.S. Food and Drug administration has an online widget that can be placed on blogs and Web sites that allows visitors to easily find the most up-to-date list of these fake H1N1 products.
Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. You can reach her at tinareed@annarbor.com, call her at 734-623-2535 or find her on Twitter @TreedinAA.
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I realize the importance of protecting patients and staff from the H1N1 flu. However, it is disturbing that employees are forced to have a substances injected into thier bodies as a condition of employment (and not a condition, in some cases, at the time of hire--rather a mandate put into place after hire). Perhaps they can be reassigned to lower risk functions/activities for the duration?
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Posted Nov 3
Perhaps she can find a new job since the mandate was in her contract.
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Posted Nov 3
Getting this shot should be a choice. I was not well liked by the school nurse because I didn't get the shot but she realized it was a choice. My shot can now be given to some one else who needs it more then me.
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Posted Nov 3
If you are a health care provider I think there is an ethical obligation to be vaccinated unless there is a health, religious, or moral objection (and I understand that people have individual reasons why they don't want or can't get the vaccine). But we should make the default be required vaccination and then make people submit a request for an exception rather than making the default be NO-vaccination. Health care workers already have mandatory testing for tuberculosis and hepatitis. How is this any different? Do you want to go to the hospital and be cared for by unvaccinated workers who could make YOU sick? You can be contagious with H1N1 before you get symptoms.
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Posted Nov 3
I think the hospital can mandate, but that it's wrongheaded to do so.
AAW - if there were enough vaccine for all, then how does your argument work? If it were very deadly and easily transmitted does your "choice" still trump the safety concerns of all your fellow citizens, or is it then OK for us to tell you to leave the country?
Another question. Being a member of a 1-person religion myself, I am curious if anyone can essentially opt out of 'X' (vaccination, taxation, military service) for religious reasons, or if a government or organization can declare what particular belief systems qualify and which don't (seems illegal). Maybe I have never understood laws in that area. I don't understand why religion would be an out to begin with actually, since it seems the same as "thought" to me. Perhaps I am ignorantly expecting laws to be rational, when there are no requirements that they be so.
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Posted Nov 4