The President’s plan to inoculate as many as 500,000 health care workers nationwide for smallpox fails to adequately protect these workers, their families and their patients.  Health care workers are prepared to respond to a biological terrorist attack, but the President must fully understand the consequences and dangers of quickly implementing such a wide scale program without understanding the risks posed to medical personnel and the implications for patient care.   

The smallpox vaccine can cause extreme side effects, such as serious illnesses and, in some cases, death.  One in three nurses who get this vaccine will be too sick to work for several days, according to recent studies of the vaccine.  At a time when many of the nation’s hospitals are understaffed, the vaccination program could lead to absenteeism among nurses too ill to care for the sick and protect the healthy.   

The President’s plan has overlooked key considerations.  It does not address education about the vaccine and its risks to workers, their patients and family members, the need for confidential screening, the loss of income for workers, compensation for workers who become disabled from the vaccine and discrimination against workers who decline vaccination.  The President must weigh the risks before implementing the plan and compromising the nation’s public health system. 

The AFL-CIO represents 500,000 nurses who are members of the federation’s 65 union affiliates.  AFL-CIO unions have come together in a joint campaign to address the concerns of nurses.  The quotes attached are from leaders of the campaign.