Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSSwine flu vaccine gains union backing
Nurses and other health workers have been encouraged to get vaccinated against swine flu by the union UNISON.
The union yesterday announced its full support for the forthcoming swine flu vaccination programme.
UNISON head of nursing Gail Adams said: “We are strongly recommending that all health workers have the swine flu vaccination. Unison will work with Department of Health to ensure that staff have the right information to protect them, their patients and their families.
“There should be no shortcuts to safety when it comes to getting the vaccine up and running,” she added.
A snapshot survey of Nursing Times readers, carried out in August, suggested that a third of frontline nurses would not get vaccinated – the majority citing concerns about the safety of the jab.
Nurses can expect to be offered the vaccine in October, subject to the granting of licences by the European Medicines Agency.
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Anonymous | 26-Sep-2009 11:23 am
Do I care that UNISON is backing the use of swine flu vaccine in its workers - No. I still will not be having this vaccine and have yet to meet a colleague that does want or will have it! The fact that this vaccine has been fast-tracked and also that that all the manufacturers have been absolved of any comback for any side effects speaks volumes!! Perhaps they have trained nurses too well to look at research and weigh up the pros and cons!
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