Students on Placement are being Told “Take the Vaccine or End your Studies”
Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín TD has voiced serious concern over communications that have been issued by the HSE that Student Nurses and Students in other medical disciplines are being given an ultimatum to take the vaccine or lose their position on Training Courses. An Teachta Tóibín stated;
A large number of Students have called me other the weekend in relation to correspondence issued from the HSE Chief Clinical Officer to higher educational institutions which stated that from the 1st of April "Students that are eligible for vaccination, that have been offered vaccination and decline vaccination should not be assigned to clinical placements in HSE facilities”.
Some of the Students that have contacted me have told me that they only have a week or two left on placement and all their work could amount to nothing if they do not take the vaccine. Obviously many people like myself believe that the vaccine is a key tool against the illness however like most people we do not support the idea of mandatory vaccination.
We believe that all adults should have the right to decide for themselves on whether or not to take the vaccine. What’s unfolding among many students at the moment is a form of Mandatory Vaccination. Students are being told take the Vaccine or say good bye to all the work that they have done and to their medical careers.
Brow beating people when it comes to vaccines has been shown to backfire. It builds resistance. A Mandatory Vaccine creates a two-tier citizenship. Those with a vaccine passport would be entitled to freedoms and those without, would be denied them. There are fundamental human rights at stake here. Equality and non-discrimination, freedom of movement, privacy in terms of health treatment , and the right to determine what you inject into your body. Encouragement and persuasion are better strategies when it comes to vaccines uptake.
We also note that there has been no engagement or consultation with the INMO. This is absolutely wrong. Aontú is calling on the Department of Health and the HSE to suspend the threat it has issued to Students and engage with the INMO and Student representative bodies.
