Are there any nurses that are not vaccinated? How to prepare to be safe at work?

[PrettyNerd]

So I wanted to come on here because I've been thinking about something and it has kinda taken away my excitement.

So I haven't worked in 2 years and I haven't really had a hands-on, bedside care nursing experience since I graduated nursing school 5 years ago. So last year I didn't work at all because of the pandemic and since I don't have any real nursing experience, I didn't want to start during a pandemic, I didn't feel I was ready for that. I was really scared. So now that (I thought) the pandemic is slowing down I wanted to start looking for a job, I applied for a CNA position at a SNF I used to work at, at least to start working again. Surprisingly they are looking for an LPN for part time. I was so excited because I thought it would be a lot better now since everything is slowing down. However, they asked me if I am vaccinated and I said no. I had set my mind to not get the vaccine but now that I got this job I feel bad if I'm the only person that doesn't have the vaccine. I don't want to get anyone sick and I would feel bad if I'm the only one unvaccinated because I don't want people to not trust me. I don't know how bad it is at SNFs but I feel a little stressed now, and I was honestly excited to FINALLY get an LPN job after 5 years of graduating. I've also been hearing about this new variant virus, which sucks because I thought we were close to the end of the pandemic. I've not been keeping up with the news because honestly I get a lot of anxiety over the virus and it discourages me from looking for a job and I really want to get back to work. I don't participate in risky behavior like going out and not wearing a mask. I didn't get sick at all last year and I pretty much just stay home.

My question is: Are there any nurses out there that are working and are not vaccinated?

Also, what can I do to be safe at work? Is there anything I should bring with me, like disinfecting wipes, spray... 

Also, curious question, did anyone NOT get sick last year?

Thank you!

[macawake, MSN]

2 hours ago, Sugarbear55 said:

I am not here to argue with you. I have immunity. I will deal with your worry about the next time  when I get there. Please stop with the invalid arguments and explain to me  why a person with immunity should take a non approved injection for an illness to which they have immunity. Please enclose references. 
As to your quip about being the unluckiest family, I sincerely doubt that . 

The last paragraph in my response to you was all about making you think about why it might be a good idea for a person who has already had a Covid infection to get vaccinated.

Here it is again…

2 hours ago, macawake said:

Ongoing research will tell us when it’s time to get a booster dose. My guess is that we in all likelihood will have to at some point in time. The only ”booster shot” available for a person who doesn’t want to get a vaccine, is to get a new infection when sometime in the future their immunity wears off. Pneumonia doesn’t sound like great fun and how do you know that you won’t have a more serious illness next time around, especially considering your comorbidities? Do you know if your infection was from the ”original” virus or one of the variants?

After all, you did ask..

3 hours ago, Sugarbear55 said:

My question is why should I subject myself to a "vaccine" for an illness that I now have immunity?

Why did you make your post in the first place if you aren’t interested in answers? 
 

What kind of references are you asking for? I’m not sure what it is you want me to provide evidence for? Do you doubt that for a person who won’t get a vaccine, a new infection is the only type of ”booster” available when you or any other previously infected person, reach a point where immunity wanes or new variants partially or completely escape the immunity built after the infection?

You can doubt, but it is a fact considering how rare the serious side effects are, if each and every one of your family members got serious adverse reactions as you claim, then you would have to have been extremely unlucky. And I do mean extremely. 
 

 

[Sugarbear55]

I stand by my right to state that I now  have a natural immunity to Covid. It is my personal right to refuse vaccination. Especially in view of the side effects I have seen within my own family. 
I made this post in an effort to show the two sides to any story as well as encourage you to think outside the box. I see my effort was futile. 
As far as additional illness , I am more afraid of Enterovirus D 68 (EV-D68).  

[toomuchbaloney]

10 minutes ago, Sugarbear55 said:

I stand by my right to state that I now  have a natural immunity to Covid. It is my personal right to refuse vaccination. Especially in view of the side effects I have seen within my own family. 
I made this post in an effort to show the two sides to any story as well as encourage you to think outside the box. I see my effort was futile. 
As far as additional illness , I am more afraid of Enterovirus D 68 (EV-D68).  

No one has questioned your "right" to be poorly informed, fearful or unvaccinated. If thinking outside the box leads to belligerent anti-vaccination beliefs during a pandemic then that's really not encouraged. 

I don't believe your report of vaccine side effects.

[macawake, MSN]

28 minutes ago, Sugarbear55 said:

I stand by my right to state that I now  have a natural immunity to Covid. It is my personal right to refuse vaccination. Especially in view of the side effects I have seen within my own family. 
I made this post in an effort to show the two sides to any story as well as encourage you to think outside the box. I see my effort was futile. 
As far as additional illness , I am more afraid of Enterovirus D 68 (EV-D68).  

I haven’t questioned your right to refuse vaccination. I’ve only tried to make you think about why it might be a good idea for people who have had a Covid infection to get vaccinated. I only responded because you actually asked the question. If I were you I would at least talk to my healthcare provider about this. They are the only ones who know you and can give you medical advice.

Doesn’t Enterovirus D68 infections mostly affect infants and children/teenagers? And haven’t the outbreaks you’ve had in the U.S. every couple of years been in the range of a few thousand cases? I’m sure that trying to avoid getting an EV-D68 infection is a good idea, but I’m trying to understand why you think that it poses a greater risk to you than a virus that has infected at least 34 million Americans and killed over 600,000?

What does ”thinking outside the box” mean in this context? I am quite wary about your intention for making your initial post here. It seems to me that you are trying to convince people that very serious side effects from the vaccines are in fact quite common considering your claim that all your family members have had them. We actually know that they aren’t common. In fact they are rare. You haven’t provided any evidence. Only your anecdote. And it doesn’t jibe with what we actually know about the vaccines and the side effects. That’s what’s making me wary. So I offered the only possible explanation there is, if your claims are in fact accurate. You would have to have been extremely unlucky. In a way that actually blows my reasonably well functioning statistical brain into a gazillion pieces ? ? 

[klone, MSN, RN]

Maybe Sugarbear’s family has a weird genetic mutation. They should get that studied. 

[guest1178273]

1 hour ago, klone said:

Maybe Sugarbear’s family has a weird genetic mutation. They should get that studied. 

This statement is not helpful or useful. And those who "liked" your post  must share your sentiment of trying to belittle people who do not think the same way you do. 

[toomuchbaloney]

14 minutes ago, underpressure said:

This statement is not helpful or useful. And those who "liked" your post  must share your sentiment of trying to belittle people who do not think the same way you do. 

In your opinion it's not helpful or useful...but then maybe you feel compelled by incredible reporting from anonymous people on the Internet who seem to intend to sow doubt or fears about the vaccines.  I am the one who suggested that the reported cluster of side effects were inflated or not believable. Is that belittling a person or is it offering an honest and blunt appraisal of the information posted?

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

3 hours ago, Sugarbear55 said:

I am a retired RN. I  tested positive for Covid in April  approximately 10 days after caring for an elderly Aunt who became ill on day two post vaccination. On day three she was admitted to the hospital with a dx of weakness, mental status change. She is now in an SNF and is effectively bedridden as she is too weak to ambulate and remains confused.   My covid sx were pneumonia with fever and body aches.  I survived despite  my history of multiple comorbidities. My question is why should I subject myself to a "vaccine" for an illness that I now have immunity? I have had several family members who received the vaccine and each one had severe adverse reactions.  Another  Aunt developed fever, body aches , anorexia and confusion. CVA was ruled out. She is currently cared for in her home by her spouse . Other family members had   cerebral blood clots / CVA sx with noted alteration of their platelets and left sided facial paralyses,  and another was hospitalized with GBS.  To date, the only explanation I have received as to why I should be vaccinated is  Covid is an unknown and no one knows how long acquired immunity will last. My response is that no one knows how long the vaccine immunity will last. 
I know that I will probably be frowned upon for my vaccine stance. Time will tell who is correct.

Wait a minute.  I can't follow your logic here.  Yes, you are right ((somewhat) that no one knows how long vaccine immunity will last" but what does that have to do with not wanting the vaccine because you already had Covid?  And you are also somewhat correct that you do have some immunity after infection.  However , how do you know if it will last 3 months,  6 months or longer?  How will you know when it's gone?  The fact is that we don't have a test for public use that is accurate enough to market so it's not like we can monitor it ourselves.  Your elderly aunt or anyone else may have a side effect because they didn't know they had Covid recently before getting the vaccine.  These folks can have an exaggerated inflammatory response and if they are physiologically aged and fragile, that's a problem.  Fortunately you are retired and can lay low forever, but the question would be more complicated if you were still doing patient care.  If anyone came to my house and told me they weren't vaccinated, I wouldn't let them in because I have a small house and couldn't stay far enough away and Delta is in my community. Good luck with that post-Covid immunity.  If you were sick enough to have pneumonia it is likely to last longer since uou were so sick.

[guest1178273]

12 minutes ago, toomuchbaloney said:

In your opinion it's not helpful or useful...but then maybe you feel compelled by incredible reporting from anonymous people on the Internet who seem to intend to sow doubt or fears about the vaccines.  I am the one who suggested that the reported cluster of side effects were inflated or not believable. Is that belittling a person or is it offering an honest and blunt appraisal of the information posted?

Yeah, in my opinion. So what. And as far as the rest of your post, I don't know what you're talking about. "Incredible reporting from anonymous people on the internet"?? Questioning the safety of a new vaccine does not = sowing doubts or fears. And to answer your question, your suggestion that   "the reported cluster of side effects were inflated or unbelievable" is both a blunt appraisal AND belittling a person. 

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

5 minutes ago, underpressure said:

Yeah, in my opinion. So what. And as far as the rest of your post, I don't know what you're talking about. "Incredible reporting from anonymous people on the internet"?? Questioning the safety of a new vaccine does not = sowing doubts or fears. And to answer your question, your suggestion that   "the reported cluster of side effects were inflated or unbelievable" is both a blunt appraisal AND belittling a person. 

3.8 BILLION vaccine doses have ben given in the world.  That speaks for itself.  Do you believe you are being lied to about it's safety?  If you believe that the entire world collaborated to keep the truth from you, well that's just entering the Twilight Zone.

[guest1178273]

4 minutes ago, Undercat said:

3.8 BILLION vaccine doses have ben given in the world.  That speaks for itself.  Do you believe you are being lied to about it's safety?  If you believe that the entire world collaborated to keep the truth from you, well that's just entering the Twilight Zone.

I didn't say I think I'm being lied to. I don't think anyone "collaborated to keep the truth" from me. ? Quit with the conspiracy theory labeling. Yes, lots of vaccines have been given. That doesn't mean we know what the long term effects will be. 

[toomuchbaloney]

On 7/23/2021 at 11:51 AM, underpressure said:

Yeah, in my opinion. So what. And as far as the rest of your post, I don't know what you're talking about. "Incredible reporting from anonymous people on the internet"?? Questioning the safety of a new vaccine does not = sowing doubts or fears. And to answer your question, your suggestion that   "the reported cluster of side effects were inflated or unbelievable" is both a blunt appraisal AND belittling a person. 

Yeah...you don't know that someone claiming that all of their family suffered significant side effects from the vaccine is telling the truth, because this is an anonymous forum and people are sometimes not honest...especially when they are discussing an emotional topic like this. You must not understand what it means or looks like to actually belittle a person versus calling their claims unbelievable.  Oh well, I guess that's just more of your opinion to be taken at face value. 

For the record, it is sowing fears to misrepresent the safety of the safest mechanism for ending this pandemic, when that misrepresentation is not in line with the data, the evidence, the expert consensus on the matter and also serves to encourage others to have similar unfounded fears and concerns.