Should the H1N1 Vaccine be mandatory for Healthcare Professionals? - Page 5

I have also had several reactions to "harmless" injections as well and also refuse. However, any employer hiring in the medical field worth any credibility should realize that patients aren't the only people who have rights as well as reactions to medications. If a patient was at a heightened risk for developing the flu but was allergic to eggs would you insist they receive the vaccination because of "protocol" or "statistics'? So why would we enforce that upon a workforce that is already short-handed needing help? If people are so concerned about catching the virus because some refuse the vaccination, then they have the option themselves to receive the vaccination to prevent that. Violating the rights of the healthcare worker is a poor method to protect those asking for such protection when it can be handled at the level of the one concerned while leaving others rights intact.

Yes. It should be required. For your own safety

Since when was a grown nurse incapable of making health decisions for herself an needs the government to tell her what is "best for my safety"? We make countless decisions ON OUR OWN regarding the lives of our patients every day WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE, so why all of the sudden are we treated as children who cannot determine what's good for us and mama government has to?

What would be the benefit? Why not make everyone flying on a plane have to be vaccinated? After all, infection rates in other countries were effected by air travel from Mexico--- not health care workers.

Forcing anyone to be vaccinated would be like forcing people to lose weight, not smoke or drink, etc.

Until the risks of the vaccine are nil, no one should be forced to have it. Those in high risk groups, should weigh the risk versus benefit with their MD and then decide... not a law maker. If a law maker is allowed to force this issue upon someone... imagine what will come next.

If someone is worried about catching the H1N1 from a health care worker as opposed to public transportation, schools, shopping malls, etc., then I would suggest they get vaccinated and take the worry off the table.

Exactly!:yeahthat:

This discussion just goes to show how pathetic our country will be under a government-ran healthcare system. If we are already arguing about, "To vaccinate or not vaccinate?" then how will thing be then? hmmmmmm...

look what happened in the '70's with the first swine flu vax. it was a big fiasco.

the way the gov't is pushing this so quickly - makes a person wonder how much will be mucked up in the future. (Just google the last swine flu "epidemic" during the 70's)

I'll take a couple shots of 151, chase it with a shot of H1N1 and sip the night away with some MD 20/20 *wine

I'm willing to risk growing a corkscrew tail and waking up with some nasty morning oink

The arguments posed are interesting. The reality is that anyone who is willing to allow another individual to be forced to take a medication through coercion (lose of job) or for any other reason does not understand the concept of freedom, personal liberty, and the right to refuse any treatment. Does it make any sense that a nurse could be forced to take medical treatment by an employer, but if that very same nurse was ill and sought services at an ER would that they would never be forced to take any medication they did not want. Under normal circumstances, the law states that a person has the right to practice self-determination and therefore, patients can not be forced to medical treatment against their will. Those who think nurses or any other health care professional should, does not understand or appreciate the US Constitution; let alone or how the virus is spread, the ways to prevent it, etc..

People need to look at their own health practices long before they need to worry about whether a nurse was vaccinated. Look at how many people practice dangerous behaviors that necessitate them encountering a nurse or other health care worker who may not be vaccinated. Stop the smoking, drinking, drugs, fast driving, no helmets, no seat belts, over-eating, not exercising, etc., etc., and maybe you will not need to worry about encountering the non-vaccinated health care worker. Please...its silly beyond measure.

Regardless of whether the vaccine is safe, not safe, beneficial or not, does not have anything to do with violating a persons personal rights. Medical care is between a patient and their physician-- period.

I wonder who will give the vaccine? After all, its against a nurses code of ethics, the standards of ethical behavior of a American Nurses Association, the patient's bill of rights, etc., etc, to force a patient to do something against their will. So, unless the lawmakers plan of vaccinating everyone, I guess there exists an issue.

I certainly won't be giving vaccinations to anyone who tells me they have been coerced into getting it. The health care system is already suffering a shortage of trained and qualified nurses. Would the general public be at risk more by being "taken care" of vaccinated unlicensed staff (that is who will be left) or well-trained, experienced, competent, non-vaccinated nurses, who know how to use personal protective equipment and wash their hands?

Well, aside from those of us who are allergic to eggs (and I am allergic both to eggs and to Tamiflu!), we don't have a vaccine with any history and very limited testing. Further, it appears with H1N1, the older you are the less risk there is from this flu. Further, those born before 1958 seem to have little or no response to the virus. I am 61, I had it in the first wave, and was very mildly ill for 2-3 days only. Assuming I could take the vaccine, it might have made me sicker than the flu. We are professionals and can certainly judge for ourselves whether to risk this vaccine!