Nurses angered at the ‘chocolate for flu vaccination’ suggestion

As a response to an HSE official’s suggestion to give chocolates to nurses as an incentive to get them to take up flu vaccination, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) furiously commented that the suggestions were “patronising and insulting”.

Earlier, Assistant National Director for Health Protection Dr Kevin Kelleher had put forward the controversial suggestion. According to him, chocolates and iPad draws work well as incentives to encourage more nurses to get the flu vaccine.

INMO called on HSE assistant national director for public health Dr Kevin Kelleher to respect nurses’ decisions not to avail of vaccines.

Meanwhile, HSE director general Tony O’Brien responded that the ongoing controversy is useless, calling it ‘much ado about nothing’.

O’Brien supported the HSE suggestion stating that these initiatives have actually worked “in reality”.  These initiatives have contributed to increased uptake of vaccines by healthcare professionals, O’Brien said.