[mattsmom81]

Our tax dollars pay for everything else for them, so why are we surprised they're getting flu shots too. Of course, our caring employers will be browbeating us law abiding nurses and giving us points against our evals when we miss work due to the flu.

[cindyrn1]

There is definetly something wrong with society! Our tax money pays for a lot of things for the incarcerated. You just wouldn't believe the kinds of things these people get! Seriously, I have so many of them that would rather be in prison than back out on the streets. And in the Department of Mental health, they simply get EVERYTHING they want. So who would want to leave there? Something is terribly wrong with the whole system when they put these kind of people first and people like us that follow the rules etc get hardly nothing especially when we need it!

Originally Posted by Fire Wolf

I have worked in juvenile correction facilities after burning out in critical care. Now I am back in the hospital on the medical units. There are no flu shots for the renal patients, chronic peds cases, or anyone else.

I have a hard time thinking that those who chose to break the law have better health care and better access to medications than those on the outside.

There is something seriously wrong with a society that puts the lawbreakers and criminals rights before the innocent. Don't know that the problems can be fixed. I just think things are terribly out of balance.

[BBFRN]

I used to work in a prison. I was told that the state paying for inmates' flu shots was cheaper than paying for lawsuits that could incur if someone died as a result of not having the flu shots available. Inmates and their families tend to be very litigious.

[Dixielee]

I have read articles that stated inmates and Congressmen and their families will receive the shots even though members of the health care community cannot. The congressmen said they should receive them because they shake hands and kiss babies. I wonder how many of those babies have the flu?? 1st line health care givers in ER's across the country are not being able to get the shots. Our priorities are screwed up bigtime in this country.

[traumaRUs]

I work in a level one trauma center ER and while I never opt to receive the flu vaccine - nurses, techs, doctors were all offerred it.

[VivaLasViejas]

Originally Posted by Dixielee

I have read articles that stated inmates and Congressmen and their families will receive the shots even though members of the health care community cannot. The congressmen said they should receive them because they shake hands and kiss babies. I wonder how many of those babies have the flu?? 1st line health care givers in ER's across the country are not being able to get the shots. Our priorities are screwed up bigtime in this country.

Oh, yes, Lord forbid some Congressman should catch the flu and be unable to screw the taxpayers for a week or so.

[Jazzylyn]

I too think that when you mention chronic illness in the prison population there should be more detail given as to what bunch that is. I don't think that just because you have Hep C you should get to get the flu shot. I think it should be only those offenders that have SERIOUS medical conditions, pregnant women and the elderly in the prison setting.

I agree with CindyRN1. It should depend on what kind of chronic illness you have. If you have a 25 yr old with only HTN, I don't feel they need a flu shot. I think this is where we are having the problem where I work. We have 400 inmates, but have yet to be notified of who should actually be getting the shot. We have 200 or so inmates that are considered to have "chronic disease"...But no real guidelines. As far as DOC staff and medical staff, we have not yet been offered vaccines. I never get one anyway, and this year would be no different but I really think only the severly chronic ill and elderly inmates should be allowed the vaccine. Someone needs to take a stance and tell us what they want us to do or our vaccines will sit in the refrigerator not benefitting anyone.

[Ethel]

I was shocked as you were to see that inmates are having the vaccine and nursing staff in many hospital will not be having. I thought it only happened in South Africa where prisoners had more rights then the average man on the street.

Originally Posted by mjlrn97

You mean to tell me that prison inmates can get flu shots when millions of at-risk people who DON'T break the law can't? Give me a break!!

[stevierae]

Originally Posted by lgflamini

I used to work in a prison. I was told that the state paying for inmates' flu shots was cheaper than paying for lawsuits that could incur if someone died as a result of not having the flu shots available. Inmates and their families tend to be very litigious.

I can sort of see the rationale for giving inmates and congressmen flu shots. Hear me out.

With inmates, community acquired flu is a huge, HUGE risk, and so is community acquired pneumonia. All it takes is one or 2 cases of flu, and the entire facility will be quarantined--including guards and medical and nursing staff--due to a flu epidemic. That flu epidemic can soon turn into a pneumonia epidemic--all it takes is a few droplets of pneumococcus-- since they are already compromised from the flu and haven't received pneumovax. There could be death on a large scale.

Now, maybe the congressmen aren't so concerned about GETTING flu from the people whose hands they shake and the babies they kiss then they are about GIVING it to those people, and thus SPREADING it. In a perfect world, there'd be enough flu vaccine for everybody. I never get a fluy vaccine, even when it's in plentiful supply---I know that people say this is impossible, but I always seem to get sick after I've had one, so I haven't had one for many, many years.

Now, one thing I do wonder--I don't think there is a shortage of pneumovax--although usually only elderly and immunocompromised patients get it. Would getting just the pneumovax possibly make people more resistant to getting the flu? I know, pneumonia--at least Streptococcus (Pneumococcus) is bacterial and flu is viral, but if one is resistant to pneumonia, maybe their all around general better health would make them resistant to flu and other viral illnesses, especially airborne ones, as well--

[Dixielee]

Stevierae, I think you are giving congress too much credit. I don't think they give a rat's behind about keeping their constituents safe, they are worried about themselves and themselves only. I would hope they would have enough sense not to go out shaking hands and kissing babies while suffering flu symptoms. Of course if they had the real flu, they could barely get out of bed, and that would certainly make congress more effective!

The preceeding was an unpaid political announcment!