St John staff deserve informed choice concerning vaccination

St John staff "deserve free and informed choice concerning measles vaccinations"

It would be worrying if the plan for "an immunisation campaign for all staff without immunity to measles"[1] infringed the human rights of employees of St John Ambulance, says Katherine Smith, spokeswoman for No Forced Vaccines (www.noforcedvaccines.org.nz), an organisation which opposes coerced or forced vaccination.

"It's obviously important for St John Ambulance to take steps to minimise the risk to patients who could be particularly vulnerable to developing complications if they contract measles. It is a sensible precaution to quarantine staff who might have been exposed to measles so they cannot inadvertently pass the disease on to other staff or patients." Smith says.

"However, I hope that St John will respect the human rights of its employees when planning a vaccination campaign and ensure that paramedics and other staff will be able make a free and informed choice about whether or not to be vaccinated."

The right to choose whether or not to accept any medication is a fundamental human right, Smith asserts. She adds that it is particularly important for female employees of St John to be able to make an informed decision about whether or not to be vaccinated.

"In New Zealand, the vaccine used for measles is the MMR vaccine which contains live attenuated (weakened) measles, mumps and rubella virsuses." Smith says. "According to the datasheet produced by the manufacturer of the MMR vaccine, 12-20% women who are vaccinated with the MMR vaccine develop arthralgia and arthritis (joint pain). In most people, this is temporary event and resolves; however, in a small minority it evolves into a chronic arthritis that may persist for years."[2]

Any MMR vaccination involving adults also had implications for staff who may be planning to start a family, Smith added, with the manufacturer warning women against becoming pregnant within three months of MMR vaccination due to the fact that possible harmful effects on a developing embryo or foetus cannot be ruled out.

"St John Ambulance staff provide an essential service and almost every New Zealander will be grateful to voluntary members or employees of St John for the professional care given to them, or a friend or family member," Smith concludes. "New Zealanders can now show their appreciation by supporting St John staff's human rights."

[1] http://www.voxy.co..nz/health/st-john-initiates-actions-around-measles/5/102565
[2] Datasheets may be downloaded from the following link: http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/dsform.asp (The datasheet cited is that of the MMR-II).

ENDS

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