Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Vaccine-will you get it if forced by your employer? why/why not

Nurses COVID

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I was listening to talk radio this week where they discussed a mandate in NY that all healthcare workers will be required to get the vaccines if they want to continue to work with patients. There were many that called in and said they felt it a violation of their rights. I'd like to explore both sides of the topic-we can have differing opinions and that is ok. What do you think?

I will be getting both by personal choice. I have already rec'd the seasonal and awaiting H1N1, which I have been told, will be free at our school.

Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

its only more virulent because its a new strain. It hasn't been around long enough to determine its true virulence. Give it a couple more years and then we will know more solid stats.

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Trust me, I'm the last person to advocate for Fox New's journalistic credentials. But to say that H1N1 Flu is the same as seasonal flu is just plain incorrect. Yes, they have the same symptoms, but their morbidity per capita is different - namely H1N1 is very virulent and more dangerous.

Those statistics about how many people got hit with H1N1 is from last year. This is a new year where it will be with us for the whole season from the beginning unlike last year. Furthermore, vaccinations work best when we as a population have a high population cohort that is immune. If people start opting out in droves, it will defeat the purpose.

Also, inevitably, people will get sick with the virus and will want something for it. They will get anti-biotics despite all efforts, and then bacteria will start to become even more resistant.

Furthermore, the more people that are immune to this the less chance there are for the virus to propagate and mutate to potentially become resistant.

Simply put, there is no good reason not to get it. There are no preservatives (such as thimerosal) in the vaccines - even though there is no evidence whatsoever as to thimerosal having any adverse effects. Vaccination is our first line of defense for very good reasons.

This makes me laugh, lol! I don't mean to rain on your parade really but have you ever even looked into the ingredients and what each chemical is capable of? According to the CDC themselves....some containers of the flu vaccine contains mercury. And I've looked and I don't see on their site that they've listed the ingredients for the H1N1 vaccine yet...so where did you see what's in that one? For me personally...mercury is just one of the many worries of what's in the vaccine. There's other toxins, not to mention aborted fetal tissue and other mammal products they use to grow the vaccines in. So for me...mercury isn't my only worry. Anyway back to the point of this thread....if you or anyone else want to get vaccinated, go for it. But for those that don't want to for whatever reason, shouldn't be "mandated" to do so. I believe my 1st line of defense is my immune system...we have it for a reason.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

there are plenty of good reasons not to get it. What about the hygiene hypothesis? What about allowing your body to build up its own immunity by natural v. synthetic exposure?

Also, you are incorrect when you say that the vaccine does not contain thimersoal. The multidose vials do. I think people have the right to be concerned about exposure to thimersoal and thus should be able to decline vaccination.

Straight from the CDC:

Will the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?

The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA is licensing (approving) will be manufactured in several formulations. Some will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative. Multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine also contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/thimerosal_qa.htm

Many many many people do not get the seasonal flu vaccine each year and I cant remember the mortality and morbidity varying significantly enough year to year to warrant mandated vaccination.

I really suggest you check your information before spreading such falsities.

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there are plenty of good reasons not to get it. What about the hygiene hypothesis? What about allowing your body to build up its own immunity by natural v. synthetic exposure?

Also, you are incorrect when you say that the vaccine does not contain thimersoal. The multidose vials do. I think people have the right to be concerned about exposure to thimersoal and should be able to decline vaccination.

Straight from the CDC:

Many many many people do not get the seasonal flu vaccine each year and I cant remember the mortality and morbidity being varying significantly enough year to year to warrant mandated vaccination.

I really suggest you check your information before spreading such falsities.

Will the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine contain thimerosal?

The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines that FDA is licensing (approving) will be manufactured in several formulations. Some will come in multi-dose vials and will contain thimerosal as a preservative. Multi-dose vials of seasonal influenza vaccine also contain thimerosal to prevent potential contamination after the vial is opened.

Some vaccine manufacturers will be producing 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in single-dose units, which will not require the use of thimerosal as a preservative. In addition, the live-attenuated version of the vaccine, which is administered intranasally (through the nose), is produced in single-units and will not contain thimerosal.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/thimerosal_qa.htm

First of all, I don't see the need for you to get rude about this. I am hardly spreading "falisities." I just believe theres too much hysteria and mole hills being made into mountains. I get it, you're against the h1n1 vaccine and I'm not. We disagree. Lets still do it with respect.

Second, yes, some of the multi-dose vials have thimerosal, but as far as I know my hospital and school will have single dose. So don't get the one with thimerosal if that is really your chief concern. Problem solved.

Third, I don't know what the difference is with antibodies that are made from the real virus or from that of a vaccine. As far as I know, as long as it's the same strain, they have the same efficacy.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

I hardly consider clarifying misinformation so that others are properly informed as rude. But to each their own I suppose.

FYI: my school had the multidose vials for the seasonal flu shot.

Some people don't have an option as to which type of shot they get. Most are limited by whatever is available. So no, problem not solved.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.
I just believe theres too much hysteria and mole hills being made into mountains.

absolutely agree with you there. And its concerning because its forcing people to make a decision on this based on emotions.

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I hardly consider clarifying misinformation so that others are properly informed as rude. But to each their own I suppose.

FYI: my school had the multidose vials for the seasonal flu shot.

Some people don't have an option as to which type of shot they get. Most are limited by whatever is available. So no, problem not solved.

I'm sure someone somewhere probably won't have access to a single dose. But for the most part, the availability of a single dose isn't going to be a problem in most metropolitan areas - maybe initially but not once production hits full swing.

This is a non-issue anyway. People are not saying that they don't want to get vaccinated due to the lack of access to thimerosal-free vaccine. They're saying they don't want to get vaccinated because they think it will give them flu, that it's a totally new prototype of a vaccine and that they are being guinea pigs, that it's made from abortion fetus' was it? or some other nonsense.

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Third, I don't know what the difference is with antibodies that are made from the real virus or from that of a vaccine. As far as I know, as long as it's the same strain, they have the same efficacy.

If you get a disease naturally, you're more likely not to get it ever. Say for instance...my kid gets the measles, he/she won't get it again because it's a natural immunity. Vaccines only provide limited protection....that's why some people still get the flu or measles or whatever even after being vaccinated. That's why I say heck if vaccines aren't 100% effective, what's the point of injecting toxins? Not asking you, lol....it's just my reasoning. And most of these diseases are treatable, so it doesn't scare me.

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But thats because your anti-body or titers decrease due to you not being exposed to it because the disease has been 99.9% eradicated from the general population cohort due to...yup vaccines.

It's not because the vaccine is incorrect or different in an immunologic sense. If i remember correctly there are B-Lympohcytes that have memory cells that can release antibodies. When they aren't exposed to any of those antigens anymore for the formentioned reason, they start to disappear.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.
If you get a disease naturally, you're more likely not to get it ever. Say for instance...my kid gets the measles, he/she won't get it again because it's a natural immunity. Vaccines only provide limited protection....that's why some people still get the flu or measles or whatever even after being vaccinated. That's why I say heck if vaccines aren't 100% effective, what's the point of injecting toxins? Not asking you, lol....it's just my reasoning. And most of these diseases are treatable, so it doesn't scare me.

and on the same token, some never develop immunity no matter how many shots they get. The most obvious example of this is with Hep B. Some people need more than the 3 shots or regular boosters just so their titres show acceptable levels. And for some, no matter how many boosters they get, their titres come up negative.

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and on the same token, some never develop immunity no matter how many shots they get. The most obvious example of this is with Hep B. Some people need more than the 3 shots or regular boosters just so their titres show acceptable levels. And for some, no matter how many boosters they get, their titres come up negative.

Right...but they still get it. With this, you only need 1 shot or 1 nasal spray.

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But thats because your anti-body or titers decrease due to you not being exposed to it because the disease has been 99.9% eradicated from the general population cohort due to...yup vaccines.

It's not because the vaccine is incorrect or different in an immunologic sense. If i remember correctly there are B-Lympohcytes that have memory cells that can release antibodies. When they aren't exposed to any of those antigens anymore for the formentioned reason, they start to disappear.

Actually...a lot of the diseases were on the decline before the vaccines were made. So vaccines were introduced and people automatically thought the vaccines were the reason. I seen a chart at one time that showed the diseases and the years the vaccines were introduced and I can understand why people would think that.

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