Anti-vax nurses? Are you serious?

Nurses COVID

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We were discussing the Disneryland measles outbreak at work, and I was appalled to find some of my co-workers refuse to vaccinate their kids. They (grudgingly) receive the vaccines they need to remain employed, but doubt their safety/necessity for their kids.

I must say, I am absolutley stunned. How can one be a nurse and deny science?

As a nurse, you should darn well know what the scientific method entails and what phrases such as "evidence based" and "peer reviewed" mean.

I have to say, I have lost most of my respect for the nurses and mistrust their judgement; after all, if they deny science, on what premise are they basing their practices?

Specializes in Anesthesia.

Dr. Paul Offit gave a lecture at the NIH on educating the public about vaccines in that lecture he relates talking one of the major U.S. news editors, and after a long drawn out argument with her she tells him that the news is made for entertainment/sensationalism. The news is not an educational source.

Each news organization caters to a different audience set, but the whole purpose of news in the U.S. is to get as many people to watch as possible and to sell advertising time.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I live near one of the 60% counties. Scares the bejeebers out of me. SO GLAD my kids are old enough to be fully vaccinated. SO worried for my FIL who is currently being treated for leukemia who MAY not have sufficient titers to fight such diseases if he is accidentally exposed to them....

I believe in caring for the COMMON GOOD.

I won't insult anyone or be sarcastic. I will just say some of the ignorance I see here truly frightens me, especially from fellow medical professionals or those with designs on becoming one of us. Shocking. Truly frightening to me. I wager many are happy to ride on the backs of those of us who chose to be vaccinated/vaccinate our kids, taking on the miniscule risks to do so, again for the common good of all, not just ourselves.

I am also VERY MUCH FOR legislation requiring vaccination to attend public school and other events, such as school activities and sports, as well as public amusement parks, like Disney Land/World----- unless medical conditions ONLY prohibit it. If this comes up for a vote, I know I am saying "YES".

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

In most cases it isn't ignorance that causes healthcare professionals to discount vaccines, but denial. The anti-vaccine people have to make a conscious effort to deny all the overwhelming amount of peer-reviewed scientific evidence on vaccines in favor of any snippet of information that will support not being vaccinated.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

One example of me taking a vaccine for the common good was when I got my pertussis/diptheria/tetorifice shot a couple years ago. I was doing so out of concern for the newborns I was caring for when in OB nursing. I did NOT want to expose a newborn to pertussis, ever. I was not worried a lot, as I had had the shots before...but I wanted to be darn certain when it came to helpless, new babies without immunity to such a disease.

And flu, well it IS deadly. My friend's son spend 6 weeks in intensive care on a vent, THISCLOSE to death, before he finally made a recovery. It was touch and go all that time, and twice, the family was called to "say goodbye" when he was crashing and it looked like death was at hand. All his organ systems effectively shut down, including his kidneys, and he was on dialysis for weeks while the injury to his kidneys slowly was healed. He is still suffering disability due to being so sick. His recovery is slow and 5 months later, he is just now able to go back to work.

It was miracle (and a lot of prayer I believe) that brought him out of it. BUT you better believe, the WHOLE family got their flu shots in the wake of this illness they witnessed in this young, healthy man of 30.

My getting a flu shot is another example of doing so for common good. I work with very sick dialysis patients, some of whom have little to no immunity to such illnesses. I get these shots to protect THEM and my FAMILY, as much as to prevent flu in myself.

23 percent effective the flu shot is this year, they say. Maybe. Hey, but hell, 23 percent is far better than ZERO, I say. That does not even take into account "cross immunity" we build up for years, taking flu shots. I have not had flu in 20 years.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

wbtcrna: I, personally, believe there IS a phenomenon of "willful ignorance".

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Andi78, thanks for proving my point!

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I have provided lots of data throughout this. If you choose not to see the other side, you are willfully being ignorant. I don't see how anyone here can say I am when I have provided links. Just because I disagree, I guess that means you are right and I must be an ignorant fool. That's logical.

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You aren't on here to learn and grow or discuss. You are here to force your view and bully anyone that doesn't agree with you. How can some of you be nurses with such little tolerance for others thoughts and beliefs?

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