Flu Vaccine, enough already!

Nurses COVID

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Yes, we are in flu season. And it seems you can't go anywhere without being bombarded/enticed to get the flu vaccine. A lot of times scare tactics are used also. They tried making it mandatory for nurses last season but that failed, thank goodness. Then a friend went to a job interview, and a condition of employment was that she had to get the flu vaccine even though she did not want it.

Yet recently, a healthcare employer (I have declined to identify) went as far as to offer employees who get the flu vaccine (at work), entry into a raffle for a hot electronic gadget. I just think its too much. People already know about the flu vaccine and have made an educated decision about whether they want it or not. Flu vaccines have become extremely commercialized, which leads me to conclude that a financial windfall is being made somewhere. Just sayin...

Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I've never gotten a flu vaccine. It wasn't required for my BSN program but strongly encouraged. It wasn't required last year at work but again strongly encouraged...if we refused, we had to sign a waiver. Not sure if they are going to make it mandatory this year or not. I think mandatory vaccination is just wrong.

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. . . Thirdly, I have never had the flu shot and subsequently never had the flu. . . .

Influenza vaccination does not give someone the flu.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
Influenza vaccination does not give someone the flu.

I'll 2nd. that Emotion.

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Didn't say it did, did I?

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.
Didn't say it did, did I?

Yeah, you kinda did.... what other inference should be made from your use of the word "subsequently"? :confused:

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
Yeah, you kinda did.... what other inference should be made from your use of the word "subsequently"? :confused:

(grin) :smokin:

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Pet peeve: the "But it doesn't give you the flu!" people:

The flu vax may not give you the flu, but flu-like symptoms are flu-like symptoms, whether caused by the flu or the flu vax. While you won't be contagious, saying, "You don't have the flu!" doesn't make it FEEL any less flu-like.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
Pet peeve: the "But it doesn't give you the flu!" people:

The flu vax may not give you the flu, but flu-like symptoms are flu-like symptoms, whether caused by the flu or the flu vax. While you won't be contagious, saying, "You don't have the flu!" doesn't make it FEEL any less flu-like.

My sentiments exactly......Aloha~

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but flu-like symptoms are flu-like symptoms, whether caused by the flu or the flu vax. While you won't be contagious, saying, "You don't have the flu!" doesn't make it FEEL any less flu-like.

These side effects are generally minor, lasting no more than 1-2 days, and the many recipients do not experience any side effects other than pain at the injection site. Such minor SE are not equivalent to the flu. I receive my flu vaccine every year. I've tried live (intranasal) and inactivated (IM) with absolutely no noticeable flu-like side effects, and I am not an exception to the general rule.

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Number of nurses with reactions to vaccinations

I have been following these vaccination threads for a long time and I am surprised at the number of posters who claim to have an adverse reaction to influenza vaccinations. Here is a quote from October, 2011 from another thread.

After watching these flu vaccination threads here for several years here, I am astounded at the number of nursing professionals that have had a "reaction" or "side effect" to the vaccination or have "gotten the flu from it".

If flu vaccinations of health care workers caused such a significant number of reactions, I would think vaccine researchers would be all over the data.

I don't think I could have said it better myself. :)

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I misspoke on that I suppose. But I do believe the vast majority of healthy individuals don't particularly need a flu shot. If you're not elderly or immune compromised, yeah you'll feel like garbage but the flus not usually a matter of life or death.

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These side effects are generally minor, lasting no more than 1-2 days, and the many recipients do not experience any side effects other than pain at the injection site. Such minor SE are not equivalent to the flu. I receive my flu vaccine every year. I've tried live (intranasal) and inactivated (IM) with absolutely no noticeable flu-like side effects, and I am not an exception to the general rule.

Yes, but EVERY vax that I get (flu or not), I get flu-like symptoms. So yearly a couple days of symptoms that I KNOW I'll have versus possibly getting the flu every 15 years for even 2 weeks... For my personal health, I come out better on the gamble going without. (Especially since that last flu was before flu vax was available.)

Now if you want to talk about herd immunity, or my bringing death upon everyone that I come across, you're in fair argument territory.

But telling me, "YOU WON'T GET THE FLU YOU STUPID IDIOT" does not negate the fact that in 15 years I'm looking at 15-45 days of guaranteed feeling like crap (in my case, it's EVERY vaccine from flu to HepB to DTaP) if I do get the vaccine versus the risk of feeling like crap for the length of the flu if I do happen to get it which isn't certain to happen every year.

As for "Such minor SE are not equivalent to the flu." I've had the flu. I had the flu BAD. But on a purely selfish flu vaccine argument, I'll take the risk of that over the GUARANTEE to me that I will feel like crap. For me, the "minor SE" aren't that minor. You telling me that they're "minor" doesn't make them feel any better to me than telling me that it's "not the flu."

I know I won't get the flu if I get the flu shot. The "not being the flu" doesn't negate the GENUINE flu-like symptoms that some people get after getting the shot. Telling people they're "minor SE" doesn't negate the GENUINE flu-like symptoms some people get after getting the shot. And when you minimize that, you instantly lose credibility with people that might be won over to your side on the herd immunity and carrier arguments.

Just because someone says they feel like poo after the flu shot does NOT mean they're claiming they get the flu. Parroting "It's just minor side effects" and "You can't get the flu from the flu shot!" might make you sound like a fabulous Infection Control nurse, but if you actually want to change someone's mind by discussing things in a reasonable manner, which involves actually LISTENING as well as parroting the flu vaccine dogma, you need to listen to their ACTUAL complaint, which is the feeling like poo, not that they "GOT THE FLU FROM THE FLU SHOT."

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