[ad_1]
New York City doctors and firefighters will be among the first to receive the new COVID-19 vaccines as early as mid-December – but they won’t be required to take it.
The FDNY told its members, including emergency medical service workers, in an internal order on Friday that it would provide the long-awaited vaccine to first responders shortly.
“Vaccination will NOT be mandatory, but the ministry recommends that members consider the overall benefits,” Fire Marshal Daniel Nigro and Service Chief John Sudnik wrote in the order obtained by The Post.
A veteran FDNY member said the lack of a warrant would put the public at risk.
“Unvaccinated first responders have the potential to be carriers, and therefore can infect others – from the fire station to the general public, including our most vulnerable citizens,” the MP said.
He added: “The public has no way of knowing who has taken the vaccine and who has not. You could be Typhoid Mary… Imagine a crew going to a nursing home, and three or four are not vaccinated. They could broadcast it to everyone and kill people.
FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer only said, “There is currently no legal obligation for anyone to take a COVID-19 vaccine.”
The town hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eleven members of the FDNY have died of COVID-19, including four EMTs.
The FDNY decree could pave the way for schools, with teachers also being vaccinated only voluntarily.
Leaders of two FDNY unions approved the voluntary distribution of the vaccine, but said they had not pressured the department to make it a policy.
“Members should take the opportunity to get the vaccine if it makes them feel more secure, but it should be an individual choice,” said Oren Barzilay, president of Local 2507, Uniformed Paramedics, paramedics and inspectors.
Vincent Variale, president of the Union of Uniformed Officers of the SME, said the FDNY did not ask for his union’s contribution, but said his position was well known.
“We have always been against compulsory vaccination of members. Our position is that everyone has the right to decide what they want to put in their body, and no one should be forced to take something they don’t agree with, ”he said.
Anthony Almojera, vice president of the union, said he was in favor of the vaccine, but added: “I cannot force a needle into someone’s arm.”
“As long as the vaccine is proven to be safe and effective, we will implore as many people as possible to obtain it for their personal safety as well as for the safety of their families and the patients they care for,” he said. .
The reaction from FDNY members to The Rant discussion board has been mixed.
“I will not consider the Red Death vaccine until there are long-term statistics,” one commentator wrote.
Another adopted it, addressing opponents: “You will not take a vaccine to potentially protect your loved ones at home against the introduction of COVID into your home?” I will take it if it is offered, I value the welfare of my family over my own.
Pfizer and BioNTech applied to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization for their vaccine, which was reportedly 95% effective, on November 20. A decision is expected early next month.
Distribution guidelines are still being finalized. A vote from a CDC advisory committee is expected on Tuesday. Right now, the three levels of government – federal, city, and state – don’t seem to be exactly on the same page.
CDC chief Dr Robert Redfield said the government would likely recommend that the vaccine be sent to nursing home residents first and then to healthcare workers.
As part of the state’s vaccine distribution plan, healthcare workers, including paramedics and paramedics, will have top priority to receive vaccines with nursing home residents and those who care for them. The next phase of distribution will include first responders such as firefighters and police.
The city plan focuses first on a “phase 1a” with health workers and then on a “phase 1b” with those over 65, residents of nursing homes and essential workers.
Daniel Salmon, director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins University, said the practical implications of a vaccination mandate should be taken into account.
“You have to think pragmatically about its impact. If the answer is that it helps some people get vaccinated, but at the same time it creates fiery refusals and they become outspoken and vocal, you may very well be doing more harm than good, ”said Salmon.
Dr David Battinelli, chief medical officer of Northwell Health, the state’s largest hospital network, said he would not initially require employees to receive a vaccine that only received emergency approval . The official FDA approval could come in two or three months.
“It will be entirely their choice,” he said.
Battinelli said he imagines staff would want the vaccine and that the hospital has enough freezers on hand to properly store the vaccine, which should be stored at minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
“We are very ready to distribute the vaccine,” he said.
[ad_2]
Source link