22,000 Nurses Refuse *Mandatory* Vaccinations

Nurses General Nursing

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Today, there is an article posted on how 22,000 nurses are taking a stand against mandatory vaccination. These nurses are willing to lose their jobs to stand up for their Pro-choice rights. I have included the link below so you can read the article for yourself. Learn more about NAMV (Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines)

NAMV was founded when mandatory vaccines were introduced in the workplace, and though it is not pro-vaccine OR anti-vaccine, it is certainly pro-CHOICE. NAMV members believe that all people should have the right to choose and refuse medical treatment, including nurses and healthcare workers.

22,000 Nurses Refuse *Mandatory* Vaccinations | Natural Society

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Specializes in OR.

I didn't say anything about it being ok for nurses to be around vulnerable populations, if they refuse the vaccine. it's not. My point is that the masks don't do a darn thing towards protecting the patients. So if that is the policy in place, supposedly I can circumvent the flu vaccine requirement by hanging a disposable mask around my neck?

Were I making such policy, I would mandate the vaccine for anyone in close proximity to clinical areas. You want to refuse, you can take the next however many months off. While I understand that is not realistic, the mask alternative is stupid and useless. That is my point. I just don't know if there is an alternative. As a poster above said "facilities are free to make what policy they choose." Well, If I want to work there I need to adhere to the policy.

Also for the record...i got my flu shot.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
I didn't say anything about it being ok for nurses to be around vulnerable populations, if they refuse the vaccine. it's not. My point is that the masks don't do a darn thing towards protecting the patients. So if that is the policy in place, supposedly I can circumvent the flu vaccine requirement by hanging a disposable mask around my neck?

Were I making such policy, I would mandate the vaccine for anyone in close proximity to clinical areas. You want to refuse, you can take the next however many months off. While I understand that is not realistic, the mask alternative is stupid and useless. That is my point. I just don't know if there is an alternative. As a poster above said "facilities are free to make what policy they choose." Well, If I want to work there I need to adhere to the policy.

Also for the record...i got my flu shot.

I apologize, I misunderstood what you wrote.

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Personally, I'm prochoice about the flu shot - until you show me it's as universally effective as MMR, HepB, Varicella, I think people should have the right to choose. However, I am very against having a sticker on my name tag that says "I've had my flu shot." I don't wear a sticker that says "I've had my MMR, varicella, Hep B shots" or a sticker that says "I'm HIV negative." I think the flu shot sticker is just bogus - why do we need that one sticker? I shouldn't have to disclose whether I chose to have a suggested by the CDC for my age range shot. Also, what if I'm wearing a mask because I have a small cold, not because I haven't had a flu shot? I should not be forced to disclose to a patient my health status. * NO I AM NOT ADVOCATING FOR WEARING MORE STICKERS ON MY BADGE EITHER.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Where I work, it is now mandatory for all new hires to accept the flu vaccine. I work in a unionized environment and HR ensured they were not violating anyone's rights.

The bottom line? Anyone accepting employment is also accepting the vaccine. Declining? Not hired.

We can't afford to have patients, staff and visitors getting sick.

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I have no problems with most vaccines however I have no desire to get the flu vaccine every year. Where I currently work the flu vaccine is not mandatory.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
There are hospitals that actually do that. The needs of a pt exceed your needs- and that's what hospitals practice. ...These hospitals are under no obligation to conform to your personal beliefs- they do what is best for patients.

I wish I believed that. But when a nurse isn't sent home and is instead required to stay at work and care for patients despite actually testing positive for influenza...it's hard to reconcile that with the idea that hospitals require the flu shot or a mask for no other reason than what is best for the patients.

Guess I'm feeling cynical tonight.

(YesIGetMyFluShotEveryYear.)

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Received the flu shot one time in 86 and became extremelysick with flu-like symptoms. Since then Ihave refused the inj and never came downwith the flu. To me, that speaks volumes, and I work on the medicalfloors and the ER.

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Where I work, we have the mask policy and an optional wear-an-identifier-on-your-badge-if-you-want. I only assume that new employees are required to get the flu shot now, but it may also be a union issue, I'm not sure.

I agree with the statements herein. No, the flu vaccine isn't always effective, but it's the best shot we got (pun intended).

My Deep Thoughts:

22,000 nurses against the flu shot is less than a drop in the bucket percentage of nurses in the US.

Refusing a vaccination doesn't make you a protected class.

I'm also unsure why nurses are reticent concerning the flu shot, but not the mantoux (also yearly at my facility) or hep B or DTAP or whatever.

As others have said, I find the NAMV, the Natural Society article, and the National Vaccine Information Center site the Natural Society article links to be hot garbage.

The worst one in my opinion is the National Vaccine "Information" Center Which at first glance is a slick professional website, sources cited, but with very little digging you find it's really an anti-vaxxer website. It's neat how they subtly weave confusion.

As soon as obamacare hits, all of a sudden I'm required to get a flu shot, of which I had never had prior in my 30 years of existence. Why now? What change? Money, thats what.
Yeah money-Best practice. The vaccination "herd mentality" (one can carry and spread the flu yet be asymptomatic) is designed to keep the public healthier, keeping people out of the hospital and subsequently saving money.

What if the government decided that government funding for financial support to people with disabilities was just not something it wants to support? What if mandatory genetic testing for all pregnant women was instated? What if the genetic makeup of your child dictated the amount of medical care the government is willing to pay for? Yes, these are stretches of the imagination, but stranger things have happened and not that long ago. Tuskegee, Henrietta Lacks, Guatemala experiments in the 1940s, Willowbrook experiments in the 1960s...
This is the Strawman, no? I think our current government law is now the only thing standing between those who would already like to get rid of funding for your examples.

Aside: I wish I could mandate patients to their plan of care to keep them out of the hospital or else have them sign a waiver to not be admitted for X if they don't do Y.

My cynical answer to all of this? Unhealthy people = job security.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.
Received the flu shot one time in 86 and became extremelysick with flu-like symptoms. Since then Ihave refused the inj and never came downwith the flu. To me, that speaks volumes, and I work on the medicalfloors and the ER.

The flu shot is an inactive injection- it is not possible to get the flu from the flu shot and there is a ton of very credible research to back that up. It's misinformation like this, that causes hysteria and noncompliance to vaccinations.

Just bc you were ill does not mean it's related to the flu shot- you work with sick people which is 100% more likely to make you ill than the flu shot.

Can you site credible resources that say you can get the flu from the inactive injection?

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

10 Flu Myths - Harvard Health

I believe Harvard is credible enough, right?

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Specializes in ER.

I believe the issues are that there is still no credible evidence to support the widespread use of the flu vaccine, and also that it contains ingredients such as mercury, which some people choose not to be injected with.

Its not mandatory in other countries and yet the flu 'problem' is no greater in, say, Europe, than it is in the US where the vaccine is mandatory.

I'm guessing we have all seen the CDC report where a US navy ship achieved 100% compliance among its crew and still had a flu outbreak?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I think you have the right to refuse. I also think you are subject to the rules/mandates of the company for which you CHOOSE to work. If you refuse, you must follow the rules, which may include your wearing a mask at all times when working or resigning your position. At my company, if you refuse the flu shot, you must wear a mask when on the unit with the patients. Sounds fair to me.

You certainly do NOT get to claim "protected class status". That is insulting to those who are. And it's ridiculous.

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