CHOP healthcare workers allege unfair firings

Nine employees at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were fired Dec. 4 allegedly for refusing to be vaccinated against influenza.

CHOP officials issued a statement the day the workers were fired, citing high rates of influenza among hospitalized children and children’s weaker immune systems as the reason for CHOP’s strict standards, which prompted the firings.

“Of 9,400 healthcare workers in patient buildings at CHOP, nine healthcare workers made the choice to not be vaccinated,” CHOP officials wrote. “We are saddened they came to the decision to leave CHOP. We offered opportunity to apply for medical and religious exemptions but did not offer exemptions based on personally held beliefs.”

In previous years, CHOP had made seasonal influenza vaccinations available but not a condition of employment. According to the statement, last year 500-800 employees refused seasonal influenza vaccination.

Rodney Bond is one of those who applied for an exemption on the basis of personal beliefs and was denied. A user of herbal medicine, Bond says he uses traditional medicine only as “a last resort.” He was an environmental specialist at CHOP for 31 years before he was fired a week ago.

“Philadelphia Children’s Hospital violated everyone’s First Amendment rights in picking and choosing across religion and beliefs and personal ethics,” Bond said.

Of the nine employees fired, four belong to the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees. The NUHHCE is currently representing the employees in arbitration filings.

“We will present testimony and evidence that these folks should be returned to work with full back pay and full back benefits,” said NUHHCE administrative organizer Gary McCormack. “It’s not that we’re insensitive to this issue of the flu. What we are against is an employer making it mandatory to the extent that they will fire someone who does not agree to get the flu shot.”

CHOP employees who were granted medical or religious exemption will wear protective face masks for the duration of flu season. The fired employees offered to do the same, according to McCormack, but were denied.

While most public health officials agree that influenza vaccination of healthcare professionals is an important measure in preventing the spread of the disease, the medical community is divided over whether it ought to be mandatory.

Both the Infectious Disease Society of America and the National Patient Safety Foundation advocate mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises hospitals to offer free vaccination to employees and monitor refusals.

CHOP media representative Peggy Flynn declined to comment further on the situation.

An arbitration hearing for the fired union employees has not yet been scheduled.

Pennsylvania law does not currently compel mandatory influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel, Pennsylvania House Bill 492 — proposed in February and currently in subcommittee hearings — would give state officials the power to vaccinate or quarantine individuals in the event of a public health emergency.

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