Unions Urge OSHA to Enforce Swine Flu Worker Protections
With more than 5,000 confirmed and probable cases of the H1NI (swine flu) virus in the United States—including 82 infections in health care workers—as well as six deaths and reports that the virus is continuing to spread, the AFL-CIO and several unions today urged the federal government to act swiftly to protect workers.
In a letter to Jordan Barab, acting director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, AFL-CIO Safety and Health Director Peg Seminario writes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suspects the number of confirmed cases understates the actual level of infection and that the H1N1 virus is spreading. Says Seminario’s letter:
As OSHA and CDC have recognized, health care workers, emergency responders and other workers who come into close contact with patients infected with the novel H1N1 virus are at increased risk of exposure and infection and require protection.
Did You Get Your Flu Shot Yet?
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If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, this coming week is a great time to go ahead and protect yourself and your family from those nasty ravages of the flu. Dec. 8 kicks off the third annual National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with Families Fighting Flu, designated the week to remind families who have not yet been vaccinated about the seriousness of influenza, the value of vaccination and that it is not too late to get a flu vaccine. The AFL-CIO is part of the coalition.
Tuesday has been designated Children’s Flu Vaccination Day and will focus on vaccinating children and their close contacts. Thursday is set as Seniors’ Vaccination day and Healthcare Professionals Vaccination Day is Friday.
