How do you feel about mandatory influenza vaccines?

Nurses COVID

Published

I am totally against the influenza vaccine. I know many of my close relatives and friends, as well as other nurses, who have received the vaccine and it did more harm than good to every one of them. Five of these people in particular were hospitalized after and a few of them were sick for months. I have never received the vaccine and I personally think it is wrong for an employer to force you to get it. I have done some research on it and some hospitals are going as far as terminating people who refuse the vaccine. I am a new graduate (December 2012) still unemployed and actively looking for RN jobs and many of them state that they require the influenza vaccine for all employees. I was wondering if your particular hospital has a waiver or any exemptions to the mandatory vaccine?

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

II went to employee health just today to address the issue. I've been a rebel of sorts during my lifetime, but this time I thought I would actually give evidence-based practices a try. I arrived at the office. I asked the IC nurse if she had the nasal version. She had to go check. Then she said that she does and asked which one did I prefer. I told her that I really didn't want either. Then she wanted to know why. I told her of my military brothers and dad who receive the vaccine every year and get the flu every year. She began her spill about the vaccine being 60% effective; I began my spill about the literature that I read requires the vaccine every year because it is not known which particular for of the flu is circulating. I asked her if they don't know, why are they pushing the issue? She began to 'educate' me. When her supervisor left the room, she told me that in that office of 5, 3 of them went out with the flu shortly after being vaccinated! As she spoke, her supervisor returned to the room and, of course, her 'educating' me resumed. I told her to give me the declination letter so that I can sign it and move away from the door. She informs me that I will be required to wear a mask if I am within 6 feet of the patient. She was shocked when I said ok and wanted to know if that bothered me. I told her no, because at my other job, we put the mask on at the time clock and it comes off when we clock out. Besides, I have slanted eyes and the mask just adds to the mystery.:D

For those who are forced to receive it or resign, two things: if enough people resign, they may rethink their approach if they want to maintain experienced help. Secondly, if they are taking it that seriously, has anybody asked what they are doing to address the average visitor who comes through the doors? I feel that if it is taken to that extreme, then they should enforce the vaccination or mask on the visitors just as they do their non-smoking, drug-free, weapons-free policy for staff and visitors alike.

Ironic. They are making us wear masks to keep from contracting a virus that they are trying to force us to take.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

This is common practice now and baring allergies I think its a good thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is becoming standard practice for a reason. I work for a nationwide ambulance company that employs thousands and since we have started mandating vaccines our flu related sick days have been dramatically reduced. The evidence is overwhelming that the flu vaccine reduces the chance of contracting the flu and spreading it to your patients, your coworkers, and your family. I don't see what the big deal is. If you work in healthcare, get the flu vaccine unless you have a known systemic reaction to it. And if you don't / can't get vaccinated, wear a mask for every patient encounter during flu season.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in FNP, ONP.

The RN in our office refused the flu shot stating she had an anaphylactic allergic to eggs. We ordered her the RIV imminization. She still refused it, stating she "didn't trust" the RIV version. She was just going to wear a mask all winter.

Last week we had a catered breakfast, with you guessed it, omelets. She apparently forgot about her life threatening allergy. We all sat there and watched her sit down and start to eat an omelet, idly chatting about her morning, oblivious to what was about to happen. We fired her on the spot for dishonesty. Literally, walked her out the door and came back before our breakfast was cold.

RNs are a dime a dozen lately; we sure don't need dishonest ones with poor clinical judgement.

For the love of Mike, just get your bloody flu shot people. There is no bogey man and no government conspiracy to poison you. Sheesh.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's strange to me that those who are at most risk of death should they contract influenza still have a choice whether or not to take the vaccine, and yet those who are at low risk, i.e. healthy adults, are mandated to take it or face losing their livelihoood. It seems to me that if the persons at most risk decline to take the vaccine, then they are knowingly taking a risk.

I'm not going to argue against the flu shot, but I do dislike mandating that someone put a substance inside their body or face losing their livelihood.

As for the nurse who lied, she deserved to be terminated for the fact that she lied.

Last year, I wasn't having that much patient contact, plus I avoid crowds most of the time, and I am at low risk of harm from contracting the flu, so I opted out and agreed to wear a mask for patient contact during flu season. It wasn't a big deal. This year, I just went ahead and got it since I will be having a lot more patient contact and I don't want to get sick (although I do understand that there is no guarantee that the flu shot will prevent me from contracting a strain of influenza that is not in the vaccine). I like that it is my choice. You know, that silly "autonomy" thing that we advocate for on behalf of our patients?

And, RNs may be a dime a dozen, but RNs *like me* are not! ;-)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I think anytime you use the word "mandatory" it immediately gets people all riled up and against something. I think there should be some better wording to it. I completely understand why they do it. In this day and age with viruses and certain bacterial infections becoming more dangerous our health personnel has to be vaccinated for several reasons. One if there is an outbreak they will be first on the line and cannot be carriers. Two, since they are first on the line we can't have them also sick. Yes, every year the WHO takes a look at what is going on in southeast asia to try and predict what is coming our way and they basically guess on the vaccine. So it is a hit or miss thing. But being vaccinated against a couple of strains of flu that may be coming our way is so much better than no vaccine at all. I got my flu vaccine for the first time this year because my doc thought it would be a good idea and I am glad I did. I also have the pneumonia vaccine and guess what, I still got pneumonia last year. But I don't get it every year like I used to which is good. It is a personal decision but if you want to work somewhere then you have to abide by their guidelines.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency.
Interesting. I wonder how a registered nurse who is opposed to the influenza vaccine herself will be able to advocate for the greater good of her patients (and of public health in general) by encouraging the flu shot... Do you still educate the patients according to the CDC literature? Which by the way is based on case studies on every reported adverse reaction by the flu shot, not just a few of their friends who got sick afterwards.

Yes-yes finally some "reason" in this thread...it is extremely hard to believe that any of these people with anecdotal fear ever went to nursing school at all and even heard the term evidenced based practice yet alone understood it! What is truly appalling is the people who act like the shot is mandatory to protect THEM! Dare I even explain the reasoning for healthy people to get the shot-especially those who work among the most vulnerable...no I feel it would be met with a fearful blank stare...I am sure I will be ridiculed for my harsh stance, but I have reached the age where I no longer have time for ignorance in the light of overwhelming SCIENTIFIC evidence....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am just astounded that some of you are nurses and believe that the flu shot can cause the flu. If someone gets the flu after getting the shot, it's a coincidence. It is not caused by the vaccine for god's sake.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree that nurses should get the flu vaccine. I previously worked on an oncology unit with in house chemo. Do you realize what it is like for them to get the flu? Their immune systems are zilch. There are also other debilitated patients in the hospital that are at risk. I believe that it is negligent not to. We are suppose to protect our patients. I also believe there should be severe consequences for nurses to refuse unless they have an allergy. This business of some of them being sick for weeks and months after a vaccine is in their head.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Being the rebel that I am when it comes to "mandatory" regarding my health if they push the issue where I work I will refuse the shot and "wear" the mask-----pinned to my uniform (they don't specify where it has to be worn on my body) I have been working in ED since 1979 and the only time I got sick with the flu was after a mandatory flu shot.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
Yes-yes finally some "reason" in this thread...it is extremely hard to believe that any of these people with anecdotal fear ever went to nursing school at all and even heard the term evidenced based practice yet alone understood it! What is truly appalling is the people who act like the shot is mandatory to protect THEM! Dare I even explain the reasoning for healthy people to get the shot-especially those who work among the most vulnerable...no I feel it would be met with a fearful blank stare...I am sure I will be ridiculed for my harsh stance, but I have reached the age where I no longer have time for ignorance in the light of overwhelming SCIENTIFIC evidence....

What is science today, can easily be fiction tomorrow. These tests are all run by humans, which places those same tests ALL at risk for error. So, I wouldn't be so quick to judge and call other colleagues ignorant. There may come a day when you just might have to eat that word. At some point in time, all things appeared to be true. But things evolve and they change. There is a study out now that says evidence indicates that lower nurse-patient ratios correlate with safer and improved care. How many of us needed a study to know that? But before at some point, somebody somewhere felt it was safe or just as beneficial to pile on the work of the nurses. So there was a push for that practice based on evidence, and now here we are: over-worked, over-stressed, nurses leaving the field, new grads being sugar-coated with what is soon to follow, and having to answer to the resulting development of patient satisfaction scores because, unlike popular belief, nurses cannot be in all these places at once.

From what the IC nurse said yesterday, the healthy people who got the shot were no longer healthy at least for a short period of time because they were out of work for a week or so each with the flu.

My grown children and I do not get the vaccine and we never get the flu. My military brothers and dad get that vaccine each year and each year, they get the flu. Every year, we get to watch them suffer. In my opinion, it is just a matter of time before evidence shows that previous evidence was incorrect. Lots of proven trials are later disproven. It was said back in the day that we got vaccinated for childhood illnesses to prevent us from contracting those diseases. We were not allowed in school if we did not receive them. Well, I received my shots and got none of those diseases.....until I reached the age of 23 (chickenpox) and 34 (again chicken pox). Have the medical records to prove it...got them twice when it wasn't thought possible. And it was not documented as shingles. It clearly states chicken pox. I remember the nurses really getting a kick out of someone my age with that diagnosis.

So, I'll wait, because so far, I've been flu-free for nearly half a century. We, as nurses, know that every thing does not apply to every single individual on this earth. That is what we were taught in nursing school. Even facility policies has to be catered to fit specific patient needs. That's why we have Individualized Plans of Care.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.

No flu shot for me, I'll happily wear a mask again this flu season. Last year I elected to wear a mask and I didn't catch a single cold or upper resp virus. Pts and visitors tend to cough in your face and the mask protected us both. My take on the flu shot is when you inject me with a killed virus, my body still treats it as a threat, attacks and form antibodies in response to the antigens as intended. The problem is the side effects, low grade fever, chills, body aches... For some the side effects are minimal, for others like me, the immune response is accelerated/exaggerated to the point that I stay in bed and whine a lot. I have had several flu shots in the past and each time the side effects kick my butt, so thanks, but no thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment