Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

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  1. Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals?

    • 1998
      Yes
    • 5012
      No

7,010 members have participated

This is a hot topic, so I thought I'd ask all your opinion of allnurses.com community. According a survey linked below, 87% of the public think we should? What do you as a healthcare provider think? Please take a second and answer the poll, and make a comment if you wish. Thanks

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The arguments posed are interesting. The reality is that anyone who is willing to allow another individual to be forced to take a medication through coercion (lose of job) or for any other reason does not understand the concept of freedom, personal liberty, and the right to refuse any treatment. Does it make any sense that a nurse could be forced to take medical treatment by an employer, but if that very same nurse was ill and sought services at an ER would that they would never be forced to take any medication they did not want. Under normal circumstances, the law states that a person has the right to practice self-determination and therefore, patients can not be forced to medical treatment against their will. Those who think nurses or any other health care professional should, does not understand or appreciate the US Constitution; let alone or how the virus is spread, the ways to prevent it, etc..

People need to look at their own health practices long before they need to worry about whether a nurse was vaccinated. Look at how many people practice dangerous behaviors that necessitate them encountering a nurse or other health care worker who may not be vaccinated. Stop the smoking, drinking, drugs, fast driving, no helmets, no seat belts, over-eating, not exercising, etc., etc., and maybe you will not need to worry about encountering the non-vaccinated health care worker. Please...its silly beyond measure.

Regardless of whether the vaccine is safe, not safe, beneficial or not, does not have anything to do with violating a persons personal rights. Medical care is between a patient and their physician-- period.

I wonder who will give the vaccine? After all, its against a nurses code of ethics, the standards of ethical behavior of a American Nurses Association, the patient's bill of rights, etc., etc, to force a patient to do something against their will. So, unless the lawmakers plan of vaccinating everyone, I guess there exists an issue.

I certainly won't be giving vaccinations to anyone who tells me they have been coerced into getting it. The health care system is already suffering a shortage of trained and qualified nurses. Would the general public be at risk more by being "taken care" of vaccinated unlicensed staff (that is who will be left) or well-trained, experienced, competent, non-vaccinated nurses, who know how to use personal protective equipment and wash their hands?

Well, aside from those of us who are allergic to eggs (and I am allergic both to eggs and to Tamiflu!), we don't have a vaccine with any history and very limited testing. Further, it appears with H1N1, the older you are the less risk there is from this flu. Further, those born before 1958 seem to have little or no response to the virus. I am 61, I had it in the first wave, and was very mildly ill for 2-3 days only. Assuming I could take the vaccine, it might have made me sicker than the flu. We are professionals and can certainly judge for ourselves whether to risk this vaccine!

Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

I think the Walmart greeter should be required to get it.

What about those of use who are allergic to the vaccine?

Specializes in MPCU.

I see the vaccine as different. It's not just the HCW at risk but all the patients under the HCW's care. Now, as to mandatory seat belt and helmet laws for adults, that's another story, I say lets give Darwin a chance.

Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

Geez! Are all of you angry protesters who say you know what's good for you (and your patients) unaware of the tried and true saying that the (physician) person who treats themselves (and/or their families) has a fool for a patient?

It isn't the government (in states other than NY) making H1N1 vaccination manmdatory, it's the administrators of hospitals who did that in most situations.

I'm not usually a Yassuh type of person. I got my flu vaccine 2 weeks ago. Yesterday I came down with a bug (severe sore throat, rhinitis, and dyskinesia). I do NOT thionk it was caused by the vaccination I had. I do think there are many flu bugs out there.

In Aug. '09 I had immediate medical care for a similar illness and received Tamiflu; and today I called my doctor, who ordered it over the telephone. Is it a 2nd wave of H1N1? Do I care? I feel yucky, and want relief. In Aug. the test for H1N1 was neg., but the doctor felt that 48 hours since becoming ill, was too early for a positive test to happen.

So I'm going to Costco for the Tamiflu, wearing an N95 mask, since I have no family or friends who can do that and not be exposed to whatever I have. I care about those who could get the virus I have, even though they're probably not sick at Costco, but my conscience says, "Feel stupid wearing a drippy (literally), well fitting N95 mask, rather than guilty about spreading this nasty thing!"

If I could afford to get the Tamiflu at a pharmacy with a drive through window, I'd get it there. Costco pharmaceuticals cost about a third of the price of other pharmacies' preparations.

The health care program planned will rule price disparity of prescription drugs out! I have noticed that the price of all the other products at Costco has inched up, except for "loss leaders". That's capitalism, all right.

Darn, now that I'm sick, I won't get to see Michael Moore's new movie on that topic at the theater closest to my home. Maybe I could call to see if there's anyone else vieing it in the morning, and take Lysol spray with me (just jokin'.)

I had it last march... i don't need it a vaccine... hello!!!

Mandatory vaccination for H1N1 for health care workers??? Just another way for the grotesque pharmaceutical companies to make a ridiculous amount of money off of something that people do not need. I will never get it and will leave the healthcare industry before I do. Its another ploy to scare people into buying something they is not necessary. Same goes for the HPV vaccination. These vaccines only help with certain strains of the viruses. Let big pharma use themselves as guinea pigs...not healthcare workers. And if a patient has a right to refuse treatment certainly it must apply to the healthcare workers.

Specializes in PEDS ~ PP ~ NNB & LII Nursery.

No. I don't think it should be mandatory for anyone. I feel the same about the seasonal flu shot.

rags

I actually don't understand the problem with taking the flu vaccine for H1N1 in order to prevent the patients we are responsible for, from catching it from those that are there to see to the patient's welfare. Correct me if mistaken but I have read you can transmit the flu as much as 24 hours before symptoms show, which means any healthcare worker can spread it to their already weakened patients without knowing it. According to the CDC site there is also vaccines for those allergic to normal vaccines.

Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

I'm not in the Army any more and I get to choose. I am glad that I don't work at either of the 2 hospitals in Cedar Rapids Iowa that are requiring their nursing staff to get it or get out.

Specializes in Med Surg/MICU/Pediatrics/PCICU.

So instead of "requiring" the H1N1 vaccine at the hospital my bf works at, they are adding an extra $20 a month charge to their health insurance if they choose not to receive the vaccine.

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