Will we be able to refuse treatment from NHS staff who refuse the vaccine?

[lunar1]

I don't mean now, but a few months down the line when they have all had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

DH had his first dose this morning, but there are many staff refusing. Given that it's going to be a long time before the majority of us are vaccinated, having treatment from vaccinated professionals seems a good way to reduce risks.

What rights does anyone think we will have regarding treatment?

I wouldn’t think so as surely if they been vaccinated or not is their private medical information.

No because it’s everyone’s free choice to have the vaccine or not. Whether that’s right or not is another matter.

Doubt it. For me personally l won’t be having it despite being a nurse. In principle l have no issues but due to my numerous allergies and trying to conceive then the current vaccine is not suitable for me. I won’t be justifying or explaining this to Joe Public or colleagues

Are you kidding me? Do you generally quiz your nhs staff on their vaccination history? Do you check to see if they’ve had a yearly flu jab? I’m genuinely shocked this has even crossed your mind!!!!!

Have you ever refused to be treated by someone because they didn’t have their flu jab? Of course not.

You can’t force people to have a vaccine, thankfully we have body autonomy in this country.

@MPolsted don’t forget NHS are owned by the wider population . Back in the real world, then staff do have rights

No, and why would you? If you’re vaccinated you’re protected from the virus no matter whether it comes from a shopping trolly you touch or being touched by an unvaccinated person.

Besides in U.K. it looks like all under 18s won’t be vaccinated, should parents then refuse to touch their unvaccinated children?

No you won't and rightly so. How would you even know who hasn't had it? Whether that be refusal or medical grounds.
We don't live in a country where vaccines are forced (yet).

What about people who can’t have the vaccine? Allergies? Pregnancy? Breastfeeding?

You don’t have the right to ask NHS staff their vaccine status or for personal health information.

You can refuse any treatment you want for any reason.
No one is going to force any treatment for anything upon you.
Don't worry.

It's my first ever! Thought I'd never give one out

How are you going to know?

Also - it's worth noting that at the moment the vaccine has only been proven to stop you getting ill. There's no evidence about it stopping transmission yet. So at the moment getting the vaccine is a very personal decision.

@MPolsted

Are you kidding me? Do you generally quiz your nhs staff on their vaccination history? Do you check to see if they’ve had a yearly flu jab? I’m genuinely shocked this has even crossed your mind!!!!!

NHS staff are fully vaccinated when they are training, when I was a student nurse we have our vaccination history checked by occupational health, bloods taken and any additional vaccines given.

In DH's trust they wear a badge to say they have had their flu jab.

I mean - it's a personal decision anyway, but the herd immunity and social responsibility arguments don't apply.

Grow up

In DH's trust they wear a badge to say they have had their flu jab

Really? That's outrageous. It's nobody else's business.

The flu jab is a choice-as is taking the little badge at the end to say you've had the jab
Key word there is choice

It just depends how you would actually know. If you can tell just by looking at them enough to refuse their treatment then go for it but you may not get treated and you would look a bit weird lol

Where would it end? Refusing that your child be taught by a teacher who hasn't had the vaccine? Dentists, beauticians, hairdressers?

Good luck trying to only be cared for by vaccinated staff, I will be having the vaccine, but most of my department are saying they won’t and we’re short staffed as it is.

Ignoring the silly idea that you'd be told your doctor's medical history...why would it be useful?

The Pfizer vaccine isn't designed to provide immunity. It would be lovely if it does but at the moment it's only confirmed function is to protect the vaccinated person from getting ill.

If there is a conversation to be had about whether the NHS should require vaccination of staff it at least 6 months away when medium-term non-transmissive immunity has been demonstrated. At that point trying to achieve temporary herd immunity amongst hospital staff would have value.

There's a massive back log in for operations/treatment. I think you'd have to make the decision on how grateful and desperate you were for the treatment verses your concerns over unvaccinated members of staff. All over the country there will be people in different professions who aren't comfortable with having it done right now (and those with allergies can't have it done until they've found which vaccines are safer for them), so you could argue if you don't want a nurse near you because she isn't vaccined, you won't want to be working near someone or don't want to be served by someone in Tescos or your local pub. It's not great, but it's personal choice and we just have to hope those that don't have it continue trying to be careful.

I'd actually prefer treatment from non-vaccinated staff as I think there's a good chance that it's going to end up increasing asymptomatic spread. Pfizer will have a very good idea if the vaccine prevents transmission from the primate trials and I think they would have tried to collect that data is they thought it would look good.

You wouldn’t know
Hcp have the right to private confidential medical history

Just like you

"NHS staff are fully vaccinated when they are training, when I was a student nurse we have our vaccination history checked by occupational health, bloods taken and any additional vaccines given.

In DH's trust they wear a badge to say they have had their flu jab."

Only NHS staff who are able to be vaccinated are, many aren't vaccinated as students or thereafter due to allergies etc and you would never know.