The provinces health-care workers are hailing a last-minute reprieve in a landmark policy by public health officials that would have forced them to receive a flu shot or wear a surgical mask during their shifts.

Staff who refused to comply with the policy the first of its kind in Canada would have been liable to discipline, up to and including termination.

But late last week, the Health Ministry agreed to hold off enforcing the flu-shot decree for the next year, and renew efforts to persuade public health-care personnel to agree to be immunized. The mandatory policy was to have taken effect Dec. 1.

This is a huge relief, BC Nurses Union president Debra McPherson said Monday. It was creating a lot of anger and frustration in the workplace.

As the deadline for compliance approached, hospitals were posting public lists of nurses who had been immunized and encouraging employees to report on other workers who had not received their shots, Ms. McPherson said.

It was really upsetting. Now, some of the poison has been stopped. Its taken a lot of the pressure off.

Jeanne Meyers of the Health Sciences Association, the first of three health-care unions to file a grievance against the new rule, said HSA members are absolutely pleased by the easing of the approach.

Weve agreed to put our grievance in abeyance, and they are holding enforcement in abeyance, Ms. Meyers said. Our membership is very relieved.

The nurses union, the HSA and the Hospital Employees Union, together representing more than 100,000 health-care workers, objected to their members being forced to have a flu shot, or wear a mask, while at work. Nurses felt it was a real violation of their right to direct their own health care, that it was questioning their own critical judgment, Ms. McPherson said. She said studies have shown that flu shots offer only marginal benefits.

Despite that, the BCNU and other health-care organizations continue to recommend immunization to their members. Its the best weve got, Ms. McPherson said. But it has to be a matter of choice.

Link:

Workers cheer softened stand on flu shots