"Mandatory Flu Shots Hit Resistance"

"CrunchRN;
Nice.

It's about you , all about you............"

I am absolutely speechless that you could even say this! Outrageous and unbelievably insensitive.

Sorry, my only intention was to question your what appeared to be emphatic No-No.

"Based on what we currently know about influenza, well-fitted N95 respirators offer health care workers the best protection against inhalation of viral particles," said Kenneth Shine, chair of the committee that wrote the report, in an IOM news release. "

This came right out of the IOM page.

The reality is that we don't realy know, and that it's not a magical shield. When you look into masks though and how they work, the normal surgial masks weren't designed to protect anyone from inhaling small particles, the N95's were. So it'a a theoretical concept. But it's a "high probabilty" benifit was the way I saw one ID site rate it.

Now as to the origional post, the H1N1 isn't really a NEW vaccine in one sense. the base is one that has been used to decades as well as the production method. It's just a new virus, and in one sense it's easier and safer than the the standard flu vaccine because they already know the virus and don't have to guess. That's why it's production time is shorter, bot because they are inventing something new. Another reason it's happening so fast is the primary manufactures already had the system up and running to produce the normal annual flu vaccine.

I believe that all vaccines should not be mandatory to anyone...we live in a country that still allows us to have choices. But if you are risking someone's life by working around that person possible being sick, don't you think it would be smart to get the vaccine? How many times as a nurse do they frown on you because you call into work for the sniffles or maybe a low grade fever. We are taught in school to work through the pain and come in even when we are sick. it is sad but true. Help your patients and family and think about getting your flu vaccine this year. I want to know that if my family has to go to the doctors or hospital or anywhere else, that I don't have to worry about the person who is caring for my family. I don't wont to worry about that person making them sick because they are not properly immune from diseases that may be going around. I believe I am a knowledgeable, intelligent person that has done my research because of where I work and what I do. I will get the vaccine and do the same for my kids. Here is a question for everyone. Have you ever had a child die of the flu or known or cared for a child with the flu who has died...it is heart retching to say the least. I have! I rather risk the side effect than have another child die from the flu and Im not talking about kids that are high risk with respitory or any other complication that can suppress the immune system. I'm talking about the healthy child that one day is fine and a few days are dead from the flu. It happens and it happens way to much.
I'm very passionate about this because I never want to go through the loss of loosing a health child again because they got the flu.
Tricia RN

We cannot say it was preventable because the H1N1 vaccine is not yet available.

My "no-no" was reusing the N95 respirator when they are supposed to be one-time-use only.

Why turn this into something it isn't? Many are making this all about politics.

Really it is about public health and protecting the most vulnerable.

Mandatory stuff like this does truly suck, but after listening to horrible grief of the mother of a healthy 14 year old that died herer yesterday I can see why they may feel the need to mandate.

IF the vaccine is low risk many will still take the "no way", "not me" stance and so many will be exposed and a small percentage liike this child will die.

Maybe the greater good does need to be considered instead of turning this into a political "my body" fight to the death.

That mother's voice will be with me forever.......it was that bad.

Do you think, Crunch, that the resistance among health care professionals to getting the vaccine is exacerbated by the rancorous times in which we live? I mean, I wasn't alive during the McCarthy years but sometimes I wonder if that particular chapter in history is repeating itself. And those who exploit fears and hysteria---are they doing so to protect the people or to advance their own agendas? Just some food for thought---again---perhaps better discussed on a different thread.

The story you shared is heartbreaking. I have made it completely clear to my college-age sons that they are to get the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines so they can avoid getting sick if possible. Then again, I'm their mom and that's my job. I think, in the interest of public health, it is imperative to not only vaccinate as many people as possible (because of allergies and objections, it is not possible to vaccinate everyone) and to encourage proper handwashing and infection control techniques. I cannot imagine how anyone would think that teaching appropriate in infection control habits would be an infringement on individual freedom.

While working in health care, I have considered it my professional responsibility to get vaccinated. I don't want to spread anything to my patients and I also do not wish to catch something from them. Having said that, I also believe that if a nurse is sick, he/she should not be at work, so would not hesitate to call in if I thought I had something contagious. However, I have had nursing supervisors argue with me, one in particular who refused to let me stay home because "lots of nurses work when they're sick." Oh-kay! And, we're supposed to be concerned about our patients' welfare?

I know there are efforts being made to educate the public to stay home when sick. Sometimes it can't be helped, but good grief, have a little common sense. Don't go to work when you have a fever. Stay home when you have symptoms of the flu. What upsets me about the case of the 14-year-old was that the flu was probably contracted at school, maybe at the mall, because someone either was sick and didn't realize it---which happens---or someone was sick and went out into world anyway. (But then, do we quarantine people? I don't know. My sons have said at their colleges anyone with the flu will be quarantined for a week, so they're both getting vaccinated as soon as they can.)

I guess I think that if health care institutions weren't so anal about direct care staff calling in sick, there might be fewer health care workers who work when they're ill and at least they won't be exposing their patients to their sickness. Maybe instead of making flu vaccines mandatory they should offer bonuses (say, an extra day of PTO?) for those who are vaccinated; those who are not and get sick can stay home and not get written up or otherwise disciplined for "excessive absences." But then that's a problem, too. Is it completely fair to those who get vaccinated to have to work extra during a pandemic because some refuse to get vaccinated?

There are no easy answers to this. I think no matter what we do, someone, in some way, is going to lose. Or think they've lost.

But I would be heartbroken if it had been my son who died an unnecessary and preventable death. And I would be heartbroken and angry if I were in your shoes.

The day that I am required to get a mandatory Flu Shot from my employer is the day that I find another employer. No person, or place is going to tell me what to put in my body. If I wanted to give up my choices, I would have joined the military.

I'm getting my shots this year, and I will be ready to take any other vaccines designed by the SCIENTISTS who sweat blood and dedicate lifetimes to research, with such inestimable benefits to the public health.