Nurse: 'I was fired for refusing flu shot'

imjustme123 · Sep 28, 2012

I was sitting at the nurses station at clinicals last night and I looked up on the bulletin board to see this:

PLEASE READ!
As of Sept. 18, 83% of hospital staff and 68% of nursing home staff have had or committed to receiving the flu vaccine. This is well below the goal of 90%. 90% of staff need to be vaccinated for the facility to receive the best reimbursement dollars.

Bells went off. Follow the money. It tells a story. Just think of all the wages and money lost if people stopped getting the vaccine.

I started looking for a job today. Nobody is going to force me to put something in my body.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Sep 28, 2012

Good luck. I am sure you find something. Let us know how it goes.

imjustme123 · Sep 28, 2012

Thanks.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 29, 2012

Something to think about just saying...Aloha~

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 3, 2012

Ask the neurologists if they believe in the flu vaccine and I bet they will tell you they don't. They are the ones who see the unfortunate victims of vaccine side effects such as guillian barre. Also if you end up injured and unable to work no one will care. The vaccine company even has legal immunity and you have to go to a govt medical board to get compensation for your injuries. I don't believe in the vaccines and think it is an unneccessary risk. But the writing is on the wall and I think it is only a matter of time before all the hospitals force their workers to get it. Very sad! I'm sick of all the brainwashing about the benefits of the flu vaccine. It's just one great experiment, guessing it will work, while downplaying the very real and serious neurological risks. Not that long ago we were all told how great hormone replacement was and later the truth came out and now we are told to avoid it!

Reminds me of the push of Guardisal vaccine where Gov Perry in Texas went so far as to mandate that girls be forced to get it, turns out one of his buddies was a bigshot in the company! Nevermind if you read about guardisal you will find girls who have been seriously injured and even died because of this vaccine!

I thought being a nurse we are supposed to think critically so why do so many fall for the brainwashing re meds and vaccines etc. Better to be a skeptic. Don't sign up to be a guinea pig so big pharma can get rich off you!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Oct 3, 2012

Most people agree that acetaminophn is a safe and effective pain medication. When used as directed, the drug is not hazardous. Yet every year about 400 people die and 42,000 are hospitalized as a result of acetaminophen poisoning. Many things in life have a potential to harm, including lack of vaccinations.

I like how Children's Hospital of Philadelphia discusses Vaccine safety and side effects:

Are vaccines safe?

The first definition of the word safe is "harmless." This definition would imply that any negative consequence of a vaccine would make the vaccine unsafe. Using this definition, no vaccine is 100 percent safe. Almost all vaccines can cause pain, redness or tenderness at the site of injection. And some vaccines cause more severe side effects. For example, the pertussis (or whooping cough) vaccine can cause persistent, inconsolable crying, high fever or seizures associated with fever. Although none of these severe symptoms result in permanent damage, they can be quite frightening to parents.

But, in truth, few things meet the definition of "harmless." Even everyday activities contain hidden dangers. For example, every year in the United States, 350 people are killed in bath- or shower-related accidents, 200 people are killed when food lodges in their windpipe, and 100 people are struck and killed by lightning. However, few of us consider eating solid food, taking a bath, or walking outside on a rainy day as unsafe activities. We just figure that the benefits of the activity clearly outweigh the risks.

The second definition of the word safe is "having been preserved from a real danger." Using this definition, the danger (the disease) must be significantly greater than the means of protecting against the danger (the vaccine). Or, said another way, a vaccine's benefits must clearly and definitively outweigh its risks.

Does the influenza vaccine have side effects?

Side effects from the influenza vaccine are extremely rare. Fever or muscle aches generally occur in those who never had influenza or the influenza vaccine before. These symptoms do not mean that you have "the flu." Because the vaccine virus in the shot is "inactivated," it cannot cause respiratory symptoms, such as congestion and cough, which are common with influenza infections; however, people who receive the nasal spray may experience mild congestion or runny nose.

Although the influenza vaccine is made in eggs and some people are severely allergic to eggs, the quantity of egg proteins in the vaccine is insufficient to cause a severe allergic response. But just to be sure, people with severe egg allergies should remain at their provider's office for about 30 minutes after receiving the influenza vaccine.

Do the benefits of the influenza vaccine outweigh the risks?

The influenza vaccine can cause mild side effects. On the other hand, influenza hospitalizes and kills more people in this country than any other vaccine-preventable disease-about 200,000 hospitalizations and thousands to tens of thousands of deaths occur every year. Therefore, the benefits of the influenza vaccine clearly outweigh its risks.

---

My nursing instinct and crystal ball from 35+yrs in nursing predict an early and severe season based on state reports to date, last years mild season and my staff/family having URI already this fall.

One can track the spread of Flu here to use as guide to severity season:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 3, 2012

when they actually can prove those deaths were flu related, ie, test proven flu....maybe, maybe...they might have a case. But, has the incidence of flu death gone done over the years? my understanding is that it has not. Therefore what use has the vacine been? It would seem, little to none. Good nutrition and good hygiene are the way to go.

Most people agree that acetaminophn is a safe and effective pain medication. When used as directed, the drug is not hazardous. Yet every year about 400 people die and 42,000 are hospitalized as a result of acetaminophen poisoning. Many things in life have a potential to harm, including lack of vaccinations.
I like how Children's Hospital of Philadelphia discusses Vaccine safety and side effects:
Are vaccines safe?
The first definition of the word safe is "harmless." This definition would imply that any negative consequence of a vaccine would make the vaccine unsafe. Using this definition, no vaccine is 100 percent safe. Almost all vaccines can cause pain, redness or tenderness at the site of injection. And some vaccines cause more severe side effects. For example, the pertussis (or whooping cough) vaccine can cause persistent, inconsolable crying, high fever or seizures associated with fever. Although none of these severe symptoms result in permanent damage, they can be quite frightening to parents.
But, in truth, few things meet the definition of "harmless." Even everyday activities contain hidden dangers. For example, every year in the United States, 350 people are killed in bath- or shower-related accidents, 200 people are killed when food lodges in their windpipe, and 100 people are struck and killed by lightning. However, few of us consider eating solid food, taking a bath, or walking outside on a rainy day as unsafe activities. We just figure that the benefits of the activity clearly outweigh the risks.
The second definition of the word safe is "having been preserved from a real danger." Using this definition, the danger (the disease) must be significantly greater than the means of protecting against the danger (the vaccine). Or, said another way, a vaccine's benefits must clearly and definitively outweigh its risks.
Does the influenza vaccine have side effects?
Side effects from the influenza vaccine are extremely rare. Fever or muscle aches generally occur in those who never had influenza or the influenza vaccine before. These symptoms do not mean that you have "the flu." Because the vaccine virus in the shot is "inactivated," it cannot cause respiratory symptoms, such as congestion and cough, which are common with influenza infections; however, people who receive the nasal spray may experience mild congestion or runny nose.
Although the influenza vaccine is made in eggs and some people are severely allergic to eggs, the quantity of egg proteins in the vaccine is insufficient to cause a severe allergic response. But just to be sure, people with severe egg allergies should remain at their provider's office for about 30 minutes after receiving the influenza vaccine.
Do the benefits of the influenza vaccine outweigh the risks?
The influenza vaccine can cause mild side effects. On the other hand, influenza hospitalizes and kills more people in this country than any other vaccine-preventable disease — about 200,000 hospitalizations and thousands to tens of thousands of deaths occur every year. Therefore, the benefits of the influenza vaccine clearly outweigh its risks.
---
My nursing instinct and crystal ball from 35+yrs in nursing predict an early and severe season based on state reports to date, last years mild season and my staff/family having URI already this fall.
One can track the spread of Flu here to use as guide to severity season:
CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Weekly US Map: Influenza Summary Update

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Oct 4, 2012

Well I have taken care of three patients personally that had guilliane barre after a flu vaccine and I know of other cases as well. Poo pooing real safety issues does a disservice to our patients and ourselves! The flu vaccine doesn't prevent the flu, they are just guessing as to what flu strains will hit and it might be a total miss. I don't want to take it and I don't want my patients to be pressured to take it because of some marketing campaign! I think its a sad state of affairs where we are being mandated to get it, but considering the way nurses are treated by hospitals it does not surprise me at all. The top down my way or the highway is how the majority of hospitals treat their staff!

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Oct 5, 2012

I was the first one to "just say no" many many years in a row. I am personally against a great deal of medications for myself and my body. Spent multiple years around a bucket load of kids who were sneezing and coughing all over me. I have the immune system of a tank. I don't like people telling me I "have" to get something (especially the government) so that the benefit is more dollars for the facility. No thank you. Where is the declination form.

Then I spent one winter (and yes it was the ENTIRE winter) with the flu. For weeks. Thought my end had come. Crying tears between the hacking, nasty undeniable puddles of nastiness. And I can not be clearer--I am no drama queen, and have the attitude of "take a shower, have a cup of tea, and pull your darn self up by the bootstraps and carry on". I had a 3 babies naturally and over 9 pounds each with not a med on board--and it was a walk in the park compared to the winter of my discontent.

It just takes catching a flu once to realize that the shot, in comparison, far outweighs spending weeks on what I would consider the edge of death. Now I take the shot, pray to the higher power that I NEVER have to go through that again, I take a couple of Tylenol, as a precaution, and would take a benedryl if it made me feel "weird". And it hasn't. And I have been fine and dandy ever winter since.

Coincidence? Maybe. But even if it has a placebo effect, never you mind, just give it to me. I wouldn't wish the flu on my worst enemy.

imjustme123 · Oct 5, 2012

That sounds pretty extreme for the flu. Are you sure it was the flu? At any rate, I think personal choice is what matters. We should all have a choice.

reveriies, BSN · Oct 5, 2012

Wow. Our hospital does ask for everyone to get their flu shots, but we are given a choice: If we don't get it, we are required to wear a mask when in patient contact for the duration of the flu season for our hospital (Oct-Apr). But at least we aren't fired. That's just crazy talk.

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 5, 2012

actually, all nurses should be wearing masks then..You can harbor the virus and not get sick.

Wow. Our hospital does ask for everyone to get their flu shots, but we are given a choice: If we don't get it, we are required to wear a mask when in patient contact for the duration of the flu season for our hospital (Oct-Apr). But at least we aren't fired. That's just crazy talk.