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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BC’S INFLUENZA CONTROL POLICY MASKED Health care workers have reported a loss of privacy and increased scrutiny under the seasonal flu policy.
• You must advise your employer whether or not you have been vaccinated; proof is not needed but you must provide the date and location of your flu vaccination • You are not obligated to report a colleague’s non-compliance
BAH! FLU BUG!
Seasonal flu policy impacts winter working conditions
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HE FESTIVE SEASON IS A time of year most of us look forward to. Still, there are many aspects to the holiday season that aren’t so cheery. The days are short, and the nights long and dark. Patients are sicker, and there are more of them too. And to make things even drearier, flu season – and BC health authorities’ influenza control program – serve to make health care providers’ working conditions that much more difficult. This year will be the second flu season where it is mandatory for all health care workers delivering patient care in BC to be vaccinated against the flu or wear a mask. And while BCNU recommends that its members receive the vaccine as a preventive measure, the union is extremely disappointed by health employers’ continued promotion of a blanket policy that disregards nurses’ professional autonomy and clinical judgment. “Nurses and other health care workers should have the right to decide whether to be vaccinated against influenza, based on their understanding of the current evidence and in discussion with their own family physician,” says BCNU President Gayle Duteil. The employers’ mask requirement is particularly concerning for Duteil. “There’s a direct connection between mask-wearing and the potential for violence in the
workplace,” she notes, and asks members to conduct point-of-care risk assessments prior to patient interaction in order to identify any potential for violence. “Stop if a task is unsafe and speak with your manager or supervisor,” she says. “If unresolved, use your right to refuse unsafe work.” The mask requirement highlights the coercive and punitive dimensions of the flu control policy. Last year, members who chose not to be vaccinated reported a loss of privacy and increased scrutiny and judgment. The policy’s impact on workplace morale comes with a cost that is both unfortunate and unnecessary given the vaccine’s limited effectiveness and need. There is little evidence to show that the vaccine reduces the risk of health care workers giving the flu to their patients during the 24-hour window between their being infected with flu and coming down with symptoms. Yet this is the primary rationale given by employers to justify the policy. Seasonal flu vaccination is just one element of an infection prevention plan. BCNU will continue to remind employers that flu policies should in no way allow them to ignore more important, proven measures such as adequate staffing, the elimination of hospital overcrowding, rigorous facility cleaning, and the availability of adequate hand-washing stations and supplies. update
• You are not required to wear stickers stating your vaccination status • It is a breach of confidentiality if a member’s immunization record is posted publicly • If you choose not to be vaccinated, you must follow mask requirements • If you can’t wear a mask or receive a vaccination for medical reasons, you can seek an accommodation; if you are denied an accommodation, you should file a grievance • If you experience an adverse reaction from the flu vaccine or from wearing a mask, complete an incident report and file a claim with WorkSafeBC • If wearing a mask interferes with your ability to do your job, (for example, if wearing a mask is frightening patients with psychiatric or dementia-related issues) you can ask for an exception to the policy • If you have influenza symptoms, follow policies regarding not reporting to work • BCNU will continue to push for other options, such as reassignment, vacation or leaves of absence during flu season