Mandatory flu vaccines

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My hospital has instituted a new policy that you are required to have a flu vaccine. If FOR ANY REASON you cannot or will not get one, you must wear a mask from now until they deem the end of flu season. 2 years ago after getting my flu vaccine from employee health, I got a huge localized reaction, red raised hard bump, and had a fever for several days. I was going to start antibiotics, but the fever broke before I got them filled. They assumed it was a site infection, but never really know for sure, so I never got one last year since employee health has me listed as "bad reaction". So they refuse to give me a vaccine and are requiring me to wear a mask for the next several months. This seems rather unfair.

What do you think about being forced to get vaccines?

With previous bad reactions, should you be excused form the mask wearing?

I already struggle with getting the hard of hearing to hear me speak, since I have an accent, and Im a sweater.

Boohoo. Was thinking of getting the one they shoot up your nose, but my pcp thinks I shouldnt since we never knew what caused my reaction.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

There's about eleventy billion posts on this same subject including a very active one right now that is over 50 pages long. If you type "mandatory flu shots" in the search bar you will find about a week's worth of reading.

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If you have not had the vaccination (for whatever reason) then you are capable of spreading the illness to others before you recognize signs of illness in yourself. So, yes, it makes sense to have you wear a mask (and follow proper donning/doffing protocols) during flu season if you have not been inoculated against it.

As for the rest of the discussion/debate....I just can't :(

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Specializes in Hospice.
There's about eleventy billion posts on this same subject including a very active one right now that is over 50 pages long. If you type "mandatory flu shots" in the search bar you will find about a week's worth of reading.

Not so much-that one has kind of degenerated into a peeing contest, and has wandered off into homeopathic cancer treatment.

Some interesting reading, but you have to wade through about a metric butt-ton of dreck first to find it.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

Okay JM you made me laugh out oud. Metric butt-ton. Hee Hee!

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

If in the shortest form possible:

- it is fair, because you can get infected and spread infection if not vaccinated in any way;

- you can go in your public health department and get live vaccine, unless you are working NICU, ICU, BMT, transplants and onco. In this case, go below.

- go to your health department, get a paper of having "bad reaction" before. Then go to your PCP and ask for intradermal vaccine. You need to have doc's prescription for that because the last year's cost was $400+ out of pocket, but many insurances will cover part if patient cannot get a flu shot or live vaccine. The intradermal thing is painless and excellent in terms of allergies, but you need to get script and find pharmacy.

Good luck!

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What do you think about being forced to get vaccines?

You mean mandatory, not "forced," right? No matter how heavy handed the policy, there is no forced vaccination here. It is a condition of employment that you have every right to refuse. There are still facilities which do not make vaccination a condition of employment, so your right to choose remains intact.

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This is what will probably happen, but my pcp thinks I should not get ANY vaccine because we dont know what caused my reaction. However, it seems MOST LIKLEY that my reaction was a site infection although it was an odd presentation. I work in surgery so I come in contact with a lot of at risk patients you mentioned as far as getting the live vaccine.

If a regular flu vaccine caused my reaction, how is the intradermal going to be safer? I mean if the vaccine itself was the problem? Is the vaccine itself any different?

If in the shortest form possible:

- it is fair, because you can get infected and spread infection if not vaccinated in any way;

- you can go in your public health department and get live vaccine, unless you are working NICU, ICU, BMT, transplants and onco. In this case, go below.

- go to your health department, get a paper of having "bad reaction" before. Then go to your PCP and ask for intradermal vaccine. You need to have doc's prescription for that because the last year's cost was $400+ out of pocket, but many insurances will cover part if patient cannot get a flu shot or live vaccine. The intradermal thing is painless and excellent in terms of allergies, but you need to get script and find pharmacy.

Good luck!

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You mean mandatory, not "forced," right? No matter how heavy handed the policy, there is no forced vaccination here. It is a condition of employment that you have every right to refuse. There are still facilities which do not make vaccination a condition of employment, so your right to choose remains intact.

Right, through no fault of my own (a bad reaction to the vaccine, that was quite scary and cost me a week of pay to boot) I am being left with some pretty crappy choices. Lose my job, risk another reaction that could be worse, or wear a mask for several months. So while I have a CHOICE, its not much of one. Its not like I just decided not to get it, I got a bad reaction last time it was given to me by my hospital.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I don't understand the rationale behind why you think it's unfair that you have to wear a mask. The purpose of the mask is not to punish you, but to protect yourself and others from getting influenza. That doesn't change based on the REASON for not getting the vaccine.

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Right, through no fault of my own (a bad reaction to the vaccine, that was quite scary and cost me a week of pay to boot) I am being left with some pretty crappy choices. Lose my job, risk another reaction that could be worse, or wear a mask for several months. So while I have a CHOICE, its not much of one. Its not like I just decided not to get it, I got a bad reaction last time it was given to me by my hospital.

You can work somewhere else. My facility encourages the flu shot but does not mandate it. I know it's not the only one.

Choices are not always easy, but again, there are not FORCED vaccinations. If one is dead set against it, or one has medical contraindications such as yourself, there is no one who is going to force you.

FWIW, most institutions would not fire someone who has medical contraindications against a vaccine, but yes, they might well insist on a mask. As stated above, whether or not you agree with it, it is not usually done as a punitive measure.

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I have a vision in my head of a gun held against the top of a sweater. I am soooo bad.

Posters really should use proper grammar and avoid hyperbole to avoid giving ammunition to people like me.

By the way, if you search "mandatory flu vaccine" or any combination thereof, you will find years worth of discussion on the subject.

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