Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines

Blog and writings for members and non-members of those who do not support forced vaccination in the workplace.


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Another fundraiser for NAMV!

NAMV is doing another tshirt fundraiser through BonFireFunds. We are gearing up for our summer battles before the flu seasons starts. This year, with the last two years of flu vaccines being ineffective, we will be hitting the ground running HARD to fight back against mandatory vaccines in the workplace. We will also be helping our sisters and brothers in the teaching communities out as they are next on the mandatory vaccine hit list.

You can check it out here:

https://www.bonfirefunds.com/nurses-against-mandatory-vaccines-2

We also have a new store up and running at:

http://www.cafepress.com/namvorg if you prefer to have other items as well!


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Public Health Responsibility

Some persons in America seem to forget that we still live in a free society, where we ALL are entitled to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. At least for the time being.

In a socialist or communist society, public health is looked at as the responsibility of everyone. In a free society, every person is responsible for himself and his/her family. That means protecting one’s health. The best way to do that? Handwashing, not vaccinations such as the “other side” is so loudly screaming. That means that as a nurse, I have a responsibility to you as my patient to treat you with respect, wash my hands, and keep you safe from medical errors. It does not mean that you have a right to tell me what to put into my body in order to be your nurse. (Especially a flu vaccine that has proven to be completely useless the past two years!) And by the way, what weird diseases and items are you bringing in that could harm me? What and who is there to protect me from you?

Semmelweis almost 200 years ago theorized, and discovered that handwashing cut down on the incidence of infection and saved lives. Why then, are medical professionals NOT washing their hands on a regular basis? Only 40-50% of the time do healthcare professionals practice good hand hygiene.

http://news.yahoo.com/clean-hands–vanderbilt-s-hand-washing-initiative-172312795.html

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-04/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-hand-washing-remindersbre88312d-20120904_1_hand-hygiene-health-care-workers-patients

http://www.amednews.com/article/20110425/profession/304259947/4/

http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/why-does-low-hand-hygiene-compliance-still-plague-healthcare-4-reasons.html

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2000/07/preventing-infection-through-handwashing.aspx

And you’re worried about whether or not your nurse has had an ineffective flu vaccine? Think again. Before you ask if they’ve been shot up, you need to ask if they’ve washed their hands. Why is it that so many patients and other people willing to scream and shout about vaccines from the rooftops, but they are scared to death to ask their doctor if he’s washed his hands?

Want to know why your doctor has probably been forbidden from wearing his necktie? Read this and weep (or gag, either one.) http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99526

Or, do you know if that stethoscope that the doctor or nurse wears around their neck all day is clean? Probably not! http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/27/283439909/stethoscopes-do-as-much-dirty-work-as-hands-in-spreading-germs

And if you’re so worried about a nurse or healthcare worker passing the flu on to you, why aren’t you worried about the fact that medical errors are the number 3 cause of death in the United States- way, way above deaths from flu, which actually hover somewhere around 1000 deaths per year actually attributed to the influenza? http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/deaths-by-medical-mistakes-hit-records

On top of all of this, we have to protect the rights of our patients. This means respecting their opinions and wishes- not attempting to coerce, falsely educate, lie, or harass our patients into doing what WE think is right for them. That means respecting the patient for choosing to not have a medical procedure, or getting a second opinion. Nurses who would willingly do this should be ashamed of themselves.

So do we have a public health responsibility? You bet we do. We have a responsibility to wash our hands. We have a responsibility to sanitize our medical equipment to prevent the spread of infection. We have a responsibility to stop killing our patients in hospitals due to error and hospital acquired infections such as MRSA.

We have no responsibility to be forcefully vaccinated (with a vaccine that doesn’t work!) so that our employers get a 2% bonus at the end of the year.


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A Chance to Be Heard at the Federal Level!!

***Here is a chance to be heard at the federal level!!***

There is going to be a federal hearing on flu policy on February 3, 2015. This could be a great way to express the reasons why this should not be mandatory for healthcare workers. This action alert form can be edited and it can be sent to Representative Tim Murphy, Chair of the Subcommittee, and your member of the House asking them to investigate the following major problems with US flu policy.

http://www.capwiz.com/a-champ/issues/alert/?alertid=64038051#.VMUjcWlkvi-.twitter


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Ohio Residents- Call to Action!

***ATTENTION OHIO RESIDENTS***

Recently, one of our board members along with a group of her peers met with Representative Christina Hagan (Ohio House District 50) regarding legislative action that will end mandatory flu vaccines for healthcare workers. This was a big step in this battle but now it is your turn.

We need you to write to your representatives and senators to tell them that you want them to take legislative action against flu vaccine mandates for healthcare workers. Tell them that you want a bill that will protect your right to decline a flu vaccine and that it should include such language that: No organizational entity or employer shall be permitted to discharge, refuse to hire, or otherwise that may discriminate against any person with respect to participation, hire, tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, joining, volunteering or any matter directly or indirectly related to the entity or to the employer on the basis that the person has not or will not receive a vaccination or any other elective medical intervention into that person’s body.

The best way to communicate with them is through hard copy letters (even hand written!) sent via the US Postal Service, through fax and, calls made to their offices. Email IS NOT the best way to communicate with them.

It is important to note that legislative action is needed to protect the personal and civil rights of the Ohio workers who are being subjected to an employer mandatory medical procedure to maintain their employment.

In Ohio there are several employers who have instituted mandatory yearly influenza vaccination requirement of its employees and of other personnel on the employer’s site. This mandatory policy is presently instituted by healthcare entities in Ohio and other states because of the incentivized recommendations of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) Report of February 8, 2012 which can be found at this website: http://www.hhs.gov/nvpo/nvac/influenza_subgroup_final_report.pdf

The basis for the mandatory yearly influenza vaccination is greatly influenced by Recommendation #3 (page 12 regarding 2% reimbursement) and Recommendation #4 (page 17 regarding worker autonomy etc.) of the aforementioned report. When thoroughly examining the historical development of this NVAC report, there was and still is serious lack of unanimity reflected by various participants and by outside professionals and affected groups. Unfortunately Ohio has no law on its book to uphold the personal and civil rights of its citizens from the consequences of implementing the recommendations of the NVAC Report.

People have lost their jobs for refusing this yearly influenza vaccination. There are serious concerns of the vaccine’s efficacy and its documented injuries and deaths. There is also a festering resentment by those employees who are coerced by this mandatory policy even to the point of the employee fearful of losing their job even if they were to participate in taking legislative action to have this matter corrected by state law.

**Gather a group of peers and explain that you want a meeting to voice your concerns.

**Find your Ohio Representative and Senator here: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/

**Find sample letters here: http://namv.org/sample-letters.html


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January 2015 Nationwide Call to Action

HELP STOP FORCED VACCINATION OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS NATIONWIDE!

Dear NAMVers and All of our Supporters!

Happy New Year. As you all know, we are facing an uphill battle regarding mandatory vaccines in the workplace. However, our message is starting to get out there, and is spreading. This year, we want to make a difference at both the state and national level!

For our January 2015 Call to Action, we are going to inundate the new Congress with the facts. Most of you followed the election closely, and starting this month, we have a whole new House and Senate at the national level, and many new representatives in your individual states. Therefore, for the month of January, NAMV is declaring January the Fact Sheet and Letter Writing Month. We are going to take on Congress this January and MAKE THEM pay attention to this matter!

How can you help? Well it’s simple really. All you need is a stamp, some printer ink, and an envelope. You don’t have to sign your name, and you don’t even have to write a letter if you don’t want to. All you have to do is print off a copy of the NAMV fact sheet located here: http://www.namv.org/fact-sheets.html and mail it to your representative! You can find any representative in the Union here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ (However, we strongly encourage you to do so. Putting a personal touch on this will really help make a difference! We will have sample letters posted here: http://www.namv.org/sample-letters.html and if we can share yours, please email it to us at admin@namv.org) And we want to contact every single member of the House and Senate to let them know the truth about mandatory vaccines in the workplace and why they should pass legislation to make this illegal!

We need at least ONE person to volunteer to send a letter to at least ONE member of the House or Senate at the national level for every State in the Union. It doesn’t even have to be your own state, though it will certainly help. The more the merrier, however, and if more than one person can contact a representative to plead our case, the bigger this will grow and become.

Let’s not just stop there though. Let’s also focus on our individual states. This is where we can truly make a difference at the local level. If every single one of our 20,000 plus members would write to their state and national representatives, we can move mountains going forward in 2015. Contacting your House and Senate members at the state level will also allow for local change. Getting a state law passed is sometimes easier than going to the national level.

We also need your help in spreading the word about this campaign. Tell your friends. Post this on Facebook. Tweet it out loud. Share with other national vaccination organizations and have them get involved. There are 20,0000 of us and together we can move mountains during this campaign!

We are also always looking to add funds to our rapidly depleting accounts. We are still having our GoFundMe Fundraiser and have raised $2000 so far. This money does not go far when it comes to helping our members and helping to make a difference. Consider donating today: http://www.gofundme.com/bbg7qs

You may also donate directly on our website through PayPal located here: http://www.namv.org/donate.html

We will also be running another tshirt fundraiser as well to help with costs. Please keep in mind that in order for us to fund the fundraiser we must sell 50 shirts or more. This seems like so few, and with 20,000 members it should be easy for us to sell 500. Consider buying and wearing your tshirt today. You can purchase your NAMV tshirt here: https://www.bonfirefunds.com/nurses-against-mandatory-vaccines-2  You can purchase hoodies, children’s tshirts, ladies fitted tshirts, unisex tshirts, and long sleeved tshirts as well through this program! (We also will have a launch for Healthcare Workers Against Mandatory Vaccines located here: https://www.bonfirefunds.com/healthcare-workers-against-mandatory-vaccines-1

So if you are with us, sign the pledge below, list your name and the state that you will be working with you contact your representatives, and let our voices be heard!

Thank you again as always, and let’s make 2015 an amazing year!

Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines


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Employee vaccination rates are tied to government funding and reimbursement.

After many hours of research, NAMV determined and discovered that employee vaccination rates are tied to government reimbursement rates. Some of our members and colleagues doubt this information, so this post is to set the record straight.

The goal set by the CDC and the Health People 2020 Initiative, is that healthcare personnel will be vaccinated at a rate of 90% or higher. Currently hospitals and healthcare systems are only required to report that they are vaccinating their staff, and the rates that the staff are vaccinated. However, in the years to come, it is our professional opinion, that this means that the goal is to have 90% or higher vaccination rates of staff, and this is why the mandates have come about in the healthcare system. We have discussed this previously, but doubt still seems to exist for whatever reason.

Here is the document discussing the 2% reduction in benefits if employee vaccination rates are not reported: https://nursesagainstmandatoryvaccines.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/hndbkii_cms-hosiqrprog_010912-1.pdf

Here is the document from the CDC discussing the Healthy People 2020 Goals, and how the formula is used to show how many staff members are vaccinated: http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/PDFs/HPS-manual/vaccination/4-HCP-Vaccination-Module.pdf

The two are clearly going hand in hand. It is very easy to tie this information together, because you can not have one without the other. We have gone to much trouble to track this information down. The government has changed the links at least twice since our initial posting, and the information itself is very difficult to find. Contrary to what some have claimed, we are not making this up, and we believe that this is only going to get worse if we do not address it sooner rather than later.

Other sites that discuss the 2% rule and reimbursement? Here:

http://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2013/11/04/facing-penalties-hospitals-take-hard-line-on-employee-flu-shots

Are Mandatory Flu Vaccines for Healthcare Workers part of Obamacare and Linked to Financial Reimbursement to Healthcare Facilities?

http://www.boston.com/health/2014/07/16/mass-hospital-workers-flu-vaccination-rates-fall-below-target/RUftxAYxnNIfBhWoJqHMNO/story.html

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&ved=0CGIQFjAJ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwbt.pinnaclehealth.org%2Fstudent_information%2FDocuments%2FStudent_Flu_Vaccine_Form_13-14.doc&ei=sC9pVN-MEtaoyASW2oHgBw&usg=AFQjCNHM1XugmxgzXPnXStsm2us_YzvLGw&bvm=bv.79142246,d.aWw&cad=rja

Click to access PW_Imm_Influenza-Immunization-Healthcare-Worker-Toolkit-2012-12-18.pdf

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1318_cfa_20120622_171559_asm_comm.html

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/11/physician-takes-flu-vaccine-protest.html

Click to access dhcq-1401607.pdf

Click to access HCW-Vaccination-7-16-2014.pdf

Click to access influenza_subgroup_final_report.pdf

http://healthcaretraveler.modernmedicine.com/healthcare-traveler/news/massachusetts-nurses-fight-mandatory-flu-shots

And these are just a few that touch on these rules. The fact remains is that government funding is clearly tied to these employee mandates, and that should not be so. Financial reimbursement is very different from patient safety- which is the lie used to force these mandates on nurses and other healthcare workers.


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Disturbing news- Family vaccine mandates now linked to insurance premium costs of healthcare workers!

NAMV is disturbed to learn today that several healthcare organizations in the US, have now made it mandatory that spouses and children of healthcare workers receive the influenza vaccine (among others) or their insurance premiums will increase significantly.

Currently, we are aware that this hospital system: http://www.arh.org/locations/beckley.aspx is one of the healthcare organizations that has started to implement this policy.

We are actively looking for written proof of these new mandates. If you or someone you know is working for a healthcare organization requiring this, please email us at admin@namv.org.


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Facing termination due to flu shot refusal? Here’s what to do, and what not to do!

If you are a healthcare professional facing termination due to your flu shot refusal, there are many things that you can do to protect yourself. The first thing is to make sure that you have everything in writing. This is key, and may help you with the EEOC or the unemployment office.

The second thing to remember is to NOT SIGN ANYTHING. Please do not sign a thing; even if your employer tells you it’s required. Many of our members have found that they have “voluntarily resigned” by signing items shoved in front of them and they have no recourse. Sign nothing. MAKE them fire you. If you have a lawyer, let them know you want your lawyer to review any paperwork before you sign off on it. This alone may make them stop and think twice.

Have you attempted to obtain a religious, pregnancy, or medical exemption from your employer? Make sure that this is documented as well. If they deny you, for any reason, make sure that you have something in writing. This will be key. You need to make sure that you have that denial letter, especially if they are violating your civil rights in refusing a religious exemption, or even potentially causing you harm due to denying your medical exemption.

If you are actually terminated, you will need to do two things- right away. DO NOT WAIT. The longer you wait, the more the chances are of losing your battle even further. The first of which is to file for unemployment immediately. Some of our members state that they have been denied unemployment, but many more have received it due to unfair termination, and the mandatory flu shot being introduced after their employment started. It’s a good place to start with to hit the employer in the pocketbook, as the more people that file for unemployment due to unfair and unjust termination, the higher their unemployment insurance will be. You can file for unemployment online, by doing a quick Google search for your state unemployment agency.

Secondly, you will also need to file an EEOC complaint. Particularly if you are terminated due to any of the mentioned reasons above. This can be done online here: http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/howtofile.cfm

From here, the choices are yours. You may wish to hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit for wrongful termination. You may also wish to sue for Civil Rights violations, or pregnancy discrimination. The choice will be yours.  We have contact info for a few lawyers on our website as well that you may want to consider contacting.

 

NOTE: we are not lawyers, and this is not legal advice. This is the advice that has been gathered up from several members who have had success using these options.


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New Call to Action- EVERYONE can participate!

NAMV has started a new call to action that everyone can participate. All this will take is 5 minutes of your time, a stamp, and an envelope (or several, depending on how many you want to send!)

NAMV is encouraging all of our members and supporters to flood the House of Representatives, the Senate, the White House ,state representatives, hospital CEOs, and nursing organizations with our NAMV Fact Sheets in the upcoming weeks before the election.

Our fact sheets are located here: http://www.namv.org/fact-sheets.html

All have been substantiated with facts from studies and government websites. You may use these and print these out to use at the march on November 1, or you can start sending them out NOW to your representatives. You can even do this anonymously by simply addressing it to the person of your choice (ie. hospital CEOs) and allow them to obtain these fact sheets in the mail without compromising your employment. Or, if you wish, you may also write a letter to include in with your fact sheet to encourage the undoing of these horrendous policies!

Join us! Protect yourself. Protect your patients. Protect the rights of ALL patients to have the right to refuse!