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This week, six paramedics in Kingston were suspended without pay for refusing to be immunized against the flu but paramedics in the capital who don't want the shot will work as usual, said spokesman J.P. Trottier.



The vaccinations are not required by law, but municipalities must report the paramedics' vaccinations to the Ministry of Health.



Paramedics who come into contact with patients with flu-like systems must wear protective gowns, gloves and masks, said Trottier.



'PROTECT PATIENTS'





"In the end, we want to protect paramedics and the patients," he said of measures used to protect against communicable illness.



After Toronto's SARS outbreak, paramedics rely on protective clothing to guard against illness.



In 2001, four full-time and many part-time paramedics in Ottawa were threatened with suspension after they didn't receive the flu shot. In the end, all of the city's full-time paramedics agreed to the shots, despite pleas from the paramedics' union to oppose the regulations.



The County of Frontenac, which operates ambulances in the Kingston area, requires all paramedics to get vaccinated or take the anti-flu drug Tamiflu during a flu outbreak such as one underway at a long-term care facility in the region. The only exception is those who can prove they suffer an allergic reaction to the vaccine.



Kaynak: SağlıkHaber