Pregnant Nurse Dreonna Breton Fired For Refusing Flu Shot
A pregnant Pennsylvania woman lost her job after refusing to take a flu shot.
Dreonna Breton worked as a home nurse for Horizon Healthcare Services. She is three months pregnant and says she chose not to get the shot in order to protect her baby.
"It would be a false statement to say the flu vaccine is known to be safe during pregnancy. I have lost my job, one that I love and am good at, because I chose to do what I believe is best for my baby," she told the Patriot-News.
Every Horizon Healthcare Services employee has been required to receive a flu shot for the last several years. The Patriot-News reports that due to her concerns about the safety of flu shots for pregnant women and her previous two miscarriages, Breton says she didn't want to take any risks by getting the shot.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it is recommended that pregnant women get flu shots. But Breton cited warnings directed at pregnant women seen on well-known flu vaccines as part of her reason for opting out this year, reports Gothamist.
Breton did receive a shot last year, saying she gave into "peer pressure." But this flu season she told her job she would be willing to wear a mask around patients. But they did not accept her offer to do so.
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