Munson Medical Center employees have until Saturday to get a flu shot or they could be fired.

This is the first year the hospital is making the vaccine mandatory for all its 5,000 plus employees, students and volunteers. And it’s not alone. At least five other Michigan hospitals, including Northern Michigan Regional Hospital and Spectrum Health, are also requiring employees to get a flu shot.

In the past, flu vaccines were voluntary at Munson, and about 65 percent of the employees got them. Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Karen Speirs says that number is not high enough.

“There’s no doubt about it, flu shots do work,” she says. “And our job as a hospital is to protect the public, our patients and our staff.”

Munson has made a few exemptions for a small group of people who won’t be forced to roll up their sleeves and get a shot. Those include workers with egg hypersensitivity, a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome (a condition where the body’s immune system attacks itself), or a religion exemption validated by a religious leader.

Dale Killingbeck of Munson says so far, fewer than 100 people have applied for exemptions. Most of those have been granted. Registered nurse Roberta Mesko, who has worked at Munson for almost two decades, is one employee who was granted an exemption.

“I’m a born-again Christian,” she explains. “I believe my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and I shouldn’t be forced to put vaccines into it,” and adds, “It should be a personal choice, not mandated.”

Suzanne Waltman, President and founder of Michigan Opposing Mandatory Vaccines, agrees, and says no one should be forced to take a drug against his or her will. She says Munson’s new policy is “misguided and disrespectful to their employees and patients.”

While the mandatory vaccines are free at Munson, is it even legal for hospitals to make its employees get them? According to Traverse City attorney Ryann Embury, the answer is “yes.”

“This is ‘at-will’ employment,” he explains. “An employee can be fired for failure to follow hospital policies. If they don’t like the policy, they can quit.”

Embury adds, however, that there is litigation going on across the country because of mandatory vaccines, but in the long run, he doesn’t think the lawsuits stand much of a chance.

As of Friday, 97 percent of Munson’s personnel had gotten their flu shots.

What do you think: Should employers be allowed to make flu shots mandatory?