The Women Warriors

[MessiahMews]

WE ARE SO CLOSE TO VICTORY-WE JUST NEED A BIT MORE HELP FROM YOU!

Subject: WE ARE SO CLOSE TO VICTORY-WE JUST NEED A BIT MORE HELP FROM YOU!
Poster : Russ Tanner
Date : 04/02/07 02:26 AM

Hi All,

Well, today was one of the busiest I have had in some time - and I am very tired tonight - but in a really good way Because I can see that light at the end of the tunnel and I also see the way in which we can win this fight to protect the rights of health care workers and students and it is not hard at all - nor should it mean having to go to court. And through our hard work, we in NSW can help those in other states and territories defeat the new policy that requires vaccination for jobs or for school before it is even brought into existence there.

That's the good news. Now, here is where we are up to and what each one of you needs to do to bring that to fruition.

This afternoon, I received a phone call from 2 representatives of the NSW Nurses' Association. They readily admitted that they were instrumental in drafting this policy but that from the outset, it was never their intention that vaccination be mandatory or that nurse's jobs be placed at risk if they didn't vaccinate. When I mentioned that it actually SAID it was mandatory in the policy, they said that the plan was that nurses would not be fired if they didn't vaccinate - they would simply be moved to another area of the hospital where they would not be placing themselves at risk of contamination from sick patients.

Firstly, I asked how many desk jobs a hospital could possibly have. Then, I pointed out that the policy actually says that it is trying to protect the patients - not the staff.

To which they replied that nobody would be fired as a result of this new policy. When I told them that people already are being threatened with being fired, they said that they had not received any notification from their members or from students that this was the case.

This is where you all come in - and this is extremely important, easy and needs to be done straight away.

We need to get nurses who have been warned, harassed, threatened or in any other way told that if they don't vaccinate, they may have to leave work to contact the union. We have already had nurses contact us who had contacted the union about this in the past, only to be told that the union agreed with this policy and therefore, there was no help for them.

What I got these two ladies to agree to - and their names were Liz McDonald and Susan Taylor and from my understanding, they were pretty high up in the Union management so if you feel it will be helpful to use their names or to speak directly to them - go for it. They have agreed that if enough people call them to complain about these issues, they will work with the AVN to get changes made to the policy allowing Conscientious Objections.

They have also said that they will put a notice in the Lamp - the magazine of the NSW Nurse's Association which goes out to all members - stating that if anyone has had problems as a result of this new policy, they need to call the Association. This is what we wanted all along - this magazine reaches just about every nurse in NSW - and will raise the profile of this issue. Hopefully in time to stop its implementation!

If you would like to write to the Lamp magazine, teir FAX number is 02 9550 3667 and if you do write to the Australian Democrats (see below), please send a copy of that letter to the Lamp so they see the depth of feeling which this issue has engendered. You can also email them at lamp@nswnurses.asn.au.


Now, this is huge and they have actually said that they will want all parties, including the AVN, to be involved in this right up to the level of the Minister for Health whose off-sider - Sue Campbell-Lloyd - is the contact and the manager of implementation for the new policy.

This is so important and so positive! If we get this conscientious objection put into the policy - and believe me, if the AVN has anything to do with it - it will be a simple State Dec that anyone can write and submit without the need to visit a doctor - after all - doctors are affected by this policy as well as nurses - this will send a clear message to the government that we in Australia will NOT accept mandatory vaccination. That we will stand up for our rights and for our ability to make free and informed health choices.

OK - so here are the numbers:

For the Nurse's Union - people need to call 02 8595 1234. This number is only for nurses and nursing students (both McDonald and Taylor agreed that they were responsible for protecting students of nursing as well so anyone who is getting kicked out of their courses or can't get into practical work because they are not vaccinated - please do call!) in NSW - not other states. But in other states, I suggest that you call your respective Unions - it could not hurt to get in early so they have on record that there are protesters to this policy just in case they decide to buck the trend and bring it in anyway.

VERY IMPORTANT! Get the name of the person you spoke with, make a note of that with the time and date that you called and what their response was. If at all possible, email this information to me at meryl@avn.org.au. You don't need to do the last bit but if I have a record here of how many people have called, it will be very helpful when and if I go to Sydney to meet with the Dept of Health and the Union. We already know of many people who have called as I said above and yet the Union reps claim that there have been no calls. That is why it is important to keep these records - as proof that you actually did call.

Next, you can call with the same information to Sue Campbell-Lloyd. She is the official who is administering this policy at the Dept of Health. Her phone number is 02 9391 9196.

So, you're not a nurse or a nursing student - doctor, medical student or allied health professional? You must know at least one - if not more. Send them this information and forward it on to other email lists where these health professional or their friends may see it. Even if they are believers in the safety and effectiveness of vaccination, they must agree that nobody should lose their job nor should students lose their right to an education simply because they don't want to be vaccinated.

I spoke with someone yesterday who told me that the head of their area health service, a woman who is extremely pro vaccination, is up in arms over these changes and has already been told by some of their longest-serving nurses that they will leave the professional before they submit to these vaccines. If this woman feels that way - other pro-vaccine nurses will as well. So please spread the word and get the calls coming in. Aged care nurses can also call as well as nurses who work in private medical practices. Let's send a strong, clear message to NSW Health and to the Union - we will support freedom of health choice as any citizen in a democracy must! We will not waste this opportunity which has been given to us and we will gain back the freedoms that these bodies have tried to take away from us.

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Keeping the bastards honest?

The democrats seem to have moved further and further from their roots as the overseers of our rights and the seekers for corruption and abuses in the major parties. The following, very disturbing email was sent to me yesterday. It is a reply to a letter written by one of our members who was asking if it was true that nurses and doctors were going to be required to vaccinate. It is from Jo Dower, the policy advisor for Lyn Allison, Health Spokesperson for the Australian Democrats (following this letter is my reply to Jo):

Dear Mr _____________,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding mandatory vaccination of health professionals. It has been forwarded to me as the health researcher for the Democrats.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook, published by the National Health and Medical Research Council provides recommendations for standard vaccination procedures, including for certain occupation groups.

The Handbook provides guidance about vaccination practice as recommended by the NHMRC, which is considered best practice. The Handbook performs an advisory role and makes recommendations concerning vaccination; these are not mandatory requirements.

The Handbook acknowledges that certain occupations, including health care workers, are at increased risk of some vaccine preventable diseases, and that health care workers may transmit infections such as influenza, rubella and pertussis to susceptible patients.

The Handbook includes a table of recommended vaccinations for those at risk of occupationally-acquired vaccine preventable diseases. The Handbook recommends that all health care workers be vaccinated against Hepatitis B and influenza. It is also recommends that certain categories of health care workers working in particular sectors be vaccinated for specific diseases, eg it recommends that health care workers in paediatric facilities be vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough).

In addition to the recommended vaccination schedule for health care workers, state and territory health departments may have a range of guidelines or directives relating to workers undergoing vaccination or providing details of vaccination status. These vary from state to state.

The policy that you refer to is the NSW policy. It does not make vaccination compulsory, but it does refer to restricting the type of work that can be undertaken if the employee is not vaccinated.

The policy does not suggest that employees would be fired and there is considerable emphasise on the provisions of adequate information and education so that they employee can make informed decisions about vaccination.

It is likely that students would need to meet similar provisions if they wished to operate in public facilities.

Immunisation has been repeatedly demonstrated to be one of the most effective medical interventions we have to prevent disease.

I hope this information is helpful

Regards

Jo Dower

My reply:

Dear Jo,

I have received a copy of correspondence which you have had with one of our members in regards to the new policy - Occupational Assessment, Screening & Vaccination Against Specified Infectious Diseases; Document Number PD2007_006; Publication date 01-Feb-2007 - and note that you say that these are recommendations and not requirements. Unfortunately, the policy begins with the words, "Compliance with this directive is mandatory for NSW Health and is a condition of subsidy for public health organisations."

In fact, the Australian Vaccination Network, in its role as a public health lobby group and supporter of the personal right to health choice, a view which is shared by the Australian Democrats according to your various position papers and policies, has been contacted by dozens of nurses who have been told - get vaccinated or get out! We have contact details from these current hospital employees and are happy to provide these details to the Democrats should you wish to confirm the veracity of this statement.

More unfortunately, we have also received many reports of serious reactions and one report of the death of a nurse following vaccinations which these employees tried to refuse but were told they could not. I'm sure you will agree that no citizen of a democratic nation should ever have to decide between their health and their job. Yet this is just the decision which NSW Health and in fact, the Health Departments in every Australian State and Territory is prepared to ask these dedicated health professionals to make.

In addition, we have heard from many nursing and medical students as well as students in allied health professions such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy who have had to leave their courses because they will not be vaccinated. Just yesterday, I spoke with a mother who has been an RN for over 30 years as is her husband. Two of their 5 children were in nursing school - one had completed his first year, the second was about half way through that first year. Both were due to start practical work at the end of April and had been given until the 30th of March to show full vaccination status. If they were not vaccinated, they were told in a letter from the school that they would not even be allowed through the doors of the hospital - how is that for fear based and illogical behaviour?

Since both of these young adults had never been vaccinated (their mother worked at a hospital in Fairfield which exposed her to a large number of vaccine-damaged children prior to her having children of her own and as a result, she chose not to vaccinate when her children were born) and had studied the issue thoroughly, they have decided to give their chosen careers away and instead, chose their health.

I don't think I need to tell you that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses in Australia. These draconian mandatory vaccination measures will do nothing to ease this situation and in fact, there are many experienced and active health professionals who are prepared to leave their jobs rather than be forced to vaccinate.

What are the Democrats going to do about this situation?

On your website, in the section where you discuss the need for an Australian Bill of Rights, you say that, "The Democrats believe it is particularly important to provide protection for core human rights recognised in international treaties to which Australia is a signatory. These include equality before the law, freedom of speech, religion and political protests, as well as freedom from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, sexuality, disability, or pregnancy." Further along in this paper, the Democrats state that they will, "Work hard to ensure that Australia ratifies significant human rights treaties and honours its obligations under those treaties;"

One of those treaties which I assume the Democrats support, states the following: "8. ...The right to health contains both freedoms and entitlements. The freedoms include the right to control one's health and body, including sexual and reproductive freedom, and the right to be free from interference, such as the right to be free from torture, non-consensual medical treatment and experimentation." (The right to the highest attainable standard of health : . 11/08/2000.)

Surely, requiring compliance with vaccinations, despite an individuals belief that this could be harmful to their person, is non-consensual medical treatment as described above. Surely the Democrats, with their long history in support of individual freedoms, would have to be strongly and vehemently opposed to these restrictions.

Jo, when I met you in Canberra several years ago, you were ready at that time to have Senator Allison introduce a Bill to Federal Parliament which would protect the rights of Australian parents with regards to their rights to choose not to vaccinate their children. I do hope that things have not changed so substantially since that point of time that the Democrats will now countenance this sort of repressive and coercive behaviour.

I anxiously await your reply.

Kind regards,

Meryl Dorey,

President

Australian Vaccination Network
Enabling Australians to make informed health choices
Editor
Informed Voice Magazine
Your Health - Your Rights - Your Options
PO Box 177
BANGALOW NSW 2479
Phone: (61 +2) 02 6687 1699
FAX (61 +2) 02 6687 2032
meryl@avn.org.au
www.avn.org.au
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