Nurses Union Sues Over Hospital's Vaccination Mandate

The nurses' union at one of Boston's major teaching hospitals has sued to block a policy that would require nurses to get flu shots.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association suit against Brigham and Women's Hospital comes as state public health officials are leaning on hospitals to improve influenza vaccination rates among health care workers. State officials say workers can transmit the flu to already vulnerable patients.

Brigham and Women's has a worker vaccination rate of 77 percent and has mandated vaccination.

The Boston Globe reports that the union, which represents 3,200 Brigham and Women's nurses, said in the suit that the hospital's mandate, which could lead to termination of employees who refuse vaccination, violates a state regulation that bars hospitals from requiring employees to the receive a vaccine if they don't want it.