Against vaccines:

lovablelvn · Aug 21, 2008

Congrats on deciding on nursing! :yeah:

But maybe I just have a different job, but I have been a LVN since 2005 and have never been required to have vaccinations. Before nursing school I had to have the Hep B series (but had those in high school) and have to have TB test every year but never any vaccines. Maybe I am missing something... But I am TERRIFIED of recieving shots, lab or anything done that requires me to have something sharp under my skin but it is really all worth it.

Good Luck! I hope someone else can fill us in on required vaccines if there are any.

colleennurse, ASN, RN · Aug 21, 2008

I know some of them you can opt out. I am not sure of MMR or Tetorifice. You may have had some of them as a child (ones that would not require a booster). I realize you said that part of your reasons are religious, but those vaccines are to protect your health and the health of others. Some vaccines have wiped out certain diseases. To each his/her own though

ruralnurs · Aug 21, 2008

As far as nursing school I would think that if you have reasons not to be vaccinated you can show your evidence and perhaps be excused. It may be different when it comes to getting a job after nursing school. A place does not have to hire you and may look at your refusal for vaccines as an issue. However, if you truly have valid reasons to not have vaccines then gets some real evidence to back yourself up.

In my state there is a requirement for kids to be vaccinated for school. some parents don't want to do that and state religious reasons. But some have had it backfire when they don't even go to a church and can't provide the doctrine to prove what they are saying. If it is truly for religious reasons then the church you are affiliated with should have true doctrine that states that, and you really have to be a member of that church. I am only telling you this so you know that to say religious reasons, in some states has to be backed up with proof.

And be careful of using anxiety disorder as a reason. After having been a psych nurse for 5 years, that may come back as a reason for you to not be hired as well. Even if they do not say that.

So do yourself a favor, if you really do not want to be vaccinated then get some real information, valid, evidenced based info to back you up.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2008

Here in Florida you don't have to be injected every few years. Other than the flu shot, which isn't mandatory I haven't had an injection in 17 years.

Refusing the vaccines is the easy part. Living with the fear of getting serious illness comes after that.

The vacinnes serve a purpose. If you are willing to take the risk of getting Hepatitis (one of the easiest blood borne diseases to catch) and other illnesses, which I would think would fuel your paranoia and anxiety disorder, then go for it and try to opt out but only for reality/ethical based reasons, not anxiety.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 21, 2008

I have always wanted to become a nurse & finally took the leap this year. On top of having an anxiety disorder I get paranoid at the idea of having to get all these vaccines I hear nurses HAVE TO HAVE. I don't want to be injected every few years or whatever it is, not only for my anxiety disorder but for religious reasons as well. Should I just consider another career path because I know myself, I will not get vaccinated. Do they allow healthcare worker to "opt out" or decline vaccines?? Please help!! What options do I have?
Thank you kindly,
Nervous wreck!

Honestly, it sounds like the vaccines are the least of your worry. If you're a "nervous wreck" at the prospect of possibly having to get a vaccine, I wonder what kind of anxiety you'd experience on a daily basis at being exposed to the disease of the week in school clinicals for a couple of years? Nurses are exposed to germs on an ongoing basis; I wonder if this is the best fit for you.

That said, the only vaccinations I'm aware of that are mandatory are ones for entering school, such as Hep B series, Tetorifice, and either Varicella or having a titers drawn to show you've been exposed already.

If it's true that you are avoiding vaccines for religious reasons, you might be able to swing that by a school, maybe. They aren't required to let you in without them; it's secondary education, not public school for minors. If you seek to avoid vaccinations for any other reason, please do the research and be SURE WHY you want to opt out. If you have valid evidence to support your opinion, that too may be considered when you apply to school. If not, and you're just "a nervous wreck", don't be surprised if you don't get admitted anyway.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 21, 2008

It is unlikely that any pediatric facility would let you near a kid without you first showing either that you had acquired immunity by having the disease in the past (as evident by a blood test) or that you had received the appropriate vaccine. I work for a children's hospital and am responsible for processing the paperwork for all nursing students. NO exceptions are made for any reason. Our first priority is to protect the children.

Other facilities may similarly require that you be able to show evidence that you are not a possible threat to the patients -- particularly those who deal with immunocompromised patients (e.g. those with cancer) or the elderly.

While you could probably find some jobs without such requirements, your career options will be limited if you can't show proof of immunity -- and the schools are powerless to change that. It's the agencies in which you will do your clinicals that set those rules -- and an increasing number of health care agencies are requiring immunity to protect their patients from the diseases you may carry and protect themselves from lawsuits should a patient acquire a disease from a caregiver.

TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN · Aug 21, 2008

Even if you can get around the whole vaccine thing and get into a school, have you considered what you will do if you get an accidental stick, or exposure once you are on the job. Will you refuse the necessary shots then, or just risk developing hepatitis, HIV, etc?

Another thing that you have to consider is that these vaccines are not just to protect you from your patients, they are to protect your often vulnerable patients from YOU.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Aug 21, 2008

you probably will not be allowed to work around kids without a MMR in your past. For one thing, you could cause an outbreak in the community and for another you could possibly sue the hospital for allowing you to be exposed to disease. Remember, some patients have no idea why they are in the hospital and you may be exposed without knowing it. Of course, standard and universal precautions are supposed to decrease that risk. I think your best option would be to call the school to find out their requirements and to find out what local facilities are doing so you can decide appropriately. Good luck!

nessajune21 · Aug 22, 2008

I think it is very important to have your vaccinations- not only for your own safety, but for the safety of your patients.

If you choose nursing as your profession, then the health of your patient is first priority-over your own feelings- and vaccinations are vital in ensuring this safety.

GilaRRT · Aug 22, 2008

I have always wanted to become a nurse & finally took the leap this year. On top of having an anxiety disorder I get paranoid at the idea of having to get all these vaccines I hear nurses HAVE TO HAVE. I don't want to be injected every few years or whatever it is, not only for my anxiety disorder but for religious reasons as well. Should I just consider another career path because I know myself, I will not get vaccinated. Do they allow healthcare worker to "opt out" or decline vaccines?? Please help!! What options do I have?
Thank you kindly,
Nervous wreck!

You should consider another career. I had a needle stick early on in my career and was exposed to HEP B. Had I not had the HEP B series, I may have been dead as a door nail by now. A wife left to fend for herself, a family without a member, and friends without a friend. Seems a pretty high price to pay IMHO.

I think your stance on vaccinations is absolutely wrong; however, I respect your wishes to refuse vaccination. However, you need to consider another career.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Aug 22, 2008

I always think of my old division chief. "Its better to be a little bit sick [from a vaccination] than a whole lot dead [from an illness]." I would do your research about vaccinations. CDC.gov has excellent resources such as The Pink Book about vaccines.

at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/default.htm