The Minnesota Nurses Association has joined the American Nurses Association in urging a more cautious effort in the development of a national vaccination program against smallpox.

"We have too many questions, too many doubts to move at such breakneck speed through this process," said Erin Murphy, executive director of MNA. Nurses are calling for a more thoughtful approach that examines issues from scientific, emotional and economic perspectives.

Nurses' concerns focus on several areas, including:

• the safety of patients and their families as well as nurses and their own families
• maintaining sufficient staffing throughout a crisis event
• preventing retaliation against those refusing to be vaccinated
• worker's compensation issues
• defining the full scope of the volunteer task

The information being received by health care providers is changing on a daily basis and organizations are struggling with determining what is reliable. "I would characterize the atmosphere as 'frenzied,'" said Murphy, "and I certainly don't want our nurses to have to make such a weighty decision under such pressured circumstances."

MNA/ANA is one of several entities encouraging more caution as President Bush's program to immunize 500,000 front line health care workers is set to begin Jan. 24. The Institute of Medicine, other unions and Minnesota's own Department of Health are calling for or executing delays in the implementation of the process.

For more information

Visit the MNA website, www.mnnurses.org