Are FLU shots mandatory?

Nurses General Nursing

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i'm going to be volunteering at a hospital soon and was wondering if i needed a flu shot.

i know lots of people who had flu shots who got sick after it or even months after it with a different and sometimes worse strain than the original flu they were vaccinated with.

how many of you actually think the flu shot works and take it every year?

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No, they aren't mandatory.

People who get sick after the flu shot would probably get sick without it. It protects against only one strain of flu, and there are a lot of other things floating around.

I get it every year. I had the flu once before that and was in bed for 10 days. It wasn't fun at all. Haven't had the flu since I've been getting them.

Don't confuse the flu with GI infections. People get a stomach bug and call it the flu. The flu is respiratory.

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Specializes in Pediatric ICU.

I've got to check around but everywhere I've seen lately, they're only offering flu shots to the elderly and high risk. My family doc said they wouldn't give me one (unless I was over 70). Costco is offering them but only to the elderly.

I volunteer at the hospital twice a week and am traveling overseas to Cambodia in November. I'd say I'm kind of high risk, wouldn't you? I'm going to contact the Occupational Health dept at the hospital and see if they'll give me one. I'm just kind of hesitant because that'll mean at least a 3 hour wait. Ugh. Hmmmm how much do I NOT want the flu????

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Working in a hospital puts you in high risk-although the hospital will usually provide the shots for you. I take the flu shot every year, and since I have been doing that I have been much healthier. I used to get bronchitis frequently due to my asthma. A regular cold or flu can easily turn into bronchitis, then pneumonia.

I hear people all the time talk about the flu shot getting them sick. There are some folks who are sensitive or allergic to the shot so they shouldn't take it, but what really happens is that right after you get the shot, your immune system is 'busy' dealing with this bug (which is dead). Therefore you are slightly immunocompromised after any immunization. Sometimes another bug will slip in and make people sick. But the flu shot cannot give people the flu. And the flu shot is made months in advance based on the CDC/WHO's best guess as to which flu is going to make it over here and proliferate. Sometimes they are right on, and sometimes not. If you are going to take care of sick people, then take the shot. There is nothing like the CABG pt who is recovering fine and then comes down with the flu from his nurse.

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Our hospital offers free flu shots to the staff. If there is an epidemic they want the staff healthy so we can deal with the higher census. They aren't mandatory, but I get one every year since I am in a high risk group (diabetic) and am a nurse.

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thanks for the advice all, but are there ANY medical professionals here who don't believe in taking the flu shot?

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I think flu shots protect against the strain they are designed to protect against- saying in a long way, yes I think they work.

I do not take the flu vax however, for a variety of reasons.

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I think flu shots protect against the strain they are designed to protect against- saying in a long way, yes I think they work.

I do not take the flu vax however, for a variety of reasons.

but you manage well without it, right?

Does anyone have tips to help avoid the flu(other than constant washing of the hands?)

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