Receive the Flu Vaccine or Lose Your Job: Minnesota Doctors and Nurses Choose to Lose Job to Avoid Flu Shot

Health care workers working for Essentia Health in Minnesota received an extra Christmas bonus this year. They were given an ultimatum, to either receive the flu vaccine this year or lose their job. Although many of them chose to receive the vaccination without hesitation, others refused, and true to their word, their employers terminated their contracts. According to recent reports, a number of medical professionals have had their employment terminated by Essentia Health after they refused the now mandated flu vaccination. However, the “bully boy tactics” used by Essentia Health to force-vaccinate their employees may have backfired, as their decision has angered the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), who have decided to take action. The MNA has decided that enough is enough and have filed grievances against Essentia Health in a bid to win back the jobs and wages of every single registered nurse fired for not participating in their mandatory flu shot policy.