It's Not About Us

There have been some protests recently about mandatory flu vaccinations for health care workers. The line that the protesters have taken is that being forced to be vaccinated is a violation of their rights.

Now, I'm in favor of protecting people's rights, but the protesters seemed to have missed the point. Vaccination is not about them - it's about the people they serve. I find it hard to believe that there is anyone working in health care who wasn't vaccinated for a wide variety of diseases as a child. I find it hard to believe that there is anyone working in health care who wasn't aware when they began working that they would have to do certain things that might be inconvenient or burdensome. If health care workers can't be expected to be vaccinated, can we expect them to follow other procedures that help stop the spread of disease? Let's forget about handwashing or surgical masks and gowns because these are a violation of people's rights. And if health care workers can't be required to do these things, let's consider allowing police officers and soldeiers to stop wearing uniforms.

We seem to have to forgotten that there is something called the common good and that in serving the common good we often are called to do things that we would rather not do. We seem to have forgotten that a great deal of the time it's not about us.