Josh Bloom, US News and World Report 2/4/13, "Mandate the Flu Vaccine for Healthcare Workers"
Much of the ongoing controversy about requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated against influenza is being framed as a clash between governmental or employer overreach and our personal right to select a career. But, in reality, this matter has little to do with individual rights it's simply a matter of common sense, requiring no more sacrifice of our freedoms than the dozens of other ways in which we must conform in order to lead our lives and pursue our careers. No one has the "right" to a job it is a privilege. A privilege that requires us to make certain sacrifices and assume some risks during our careers.
Electricians, athletes, and those in the military all accept certain risks. Those who care for the ill carry an additional burden the need to protect their patients. If this means getting one vaccine each year, so be it. If these healthcare workers are unwilling or unable to do so, then they are free to find another profession where they are not in contact with vulnerable people. One reason for this controversy is that many people fail to recognize the potential seriousness of influenza. The 1918 flu pandemic killed an estimated 50 million people more than all the combat deaths in World War I...[Read more].
