Letter

Mandatory flu vaccination

Patient care drives mandatory vaccination

BMJ 2008; 337 doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2588 (Published 19 November 2008)
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2588

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

  1. Stephen B Lambert, medical epidemiologist1
  1. 1Queensland Paediatric Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Royal Children’s Hospital, Herston, QLD 4029, Australia
  1. sblambert{at}uq.edu.au

    Both sides debating mandatory flu vaccination for healthcare workers canvass central arguments,1 2 but key issues require further exploration.

    Neither side acknowledged that health care differs fundamentally from other work. Its primary aim is not individual protection but protection of patients by reducing nosocomial flu. John Stuart Mills would support, not oppose, a mandatory programme.2

    The autonomy argument focuses …

    Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment

    Subscribe

    Article access

    Article access for 1 day

    Purchase this article for £20 $30 €32*

    The PDF version can be downloaded as your personal record

    * Prices do not include VAT

    Rapid responses

    THIS WEEK'S POLL

    BMJ most popular