Fired for refusing??

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  1. Did you refuse the Flu shot this year?

53 members have participated

Thoughts on employer mandatory Flu vaccine...

Specializes in Critical Care at Level 1 trauma center.

Unless you have a serious medical issue with getting immunizations I dont see how them being mandatory is a big deal. Hell be eradicated polio and small pox with immunizations obviously the good outweighs the harm

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Specializes in PCCN.

funny, 2 of my co workers got the flu, both were vaccinated. one even had to be hospitalized...

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.
funny, 2 of my co workers got the flu, both were vaccinated. one even had to be hospitalized...

Name one person that thinks the vaccine makes you 100% immune to all strands of the flu. I dare you.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
funny, 2 of my co workers got the flu, both were vaccinated. one even had to be hospitalized...

Call JAMA and see if they want to publish!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
funny, 2 of my co workers got the flu, both were vaccinated. one even had to be hospitalized...

And your point is what that no one should get the flu shot because it isn't 100% effective? Did you even know that even if you get the flu the influenza vaccine can reduce the severity of the flu? Maybe, instead of being hospitalized your coworker could have died instead without the flu vaccine.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

The flu shot won't protect you from EVERY strain of flu out there. It's a crap shoot, at best, and when they set out to develop the vaccine for the season, they have to decide which versions might be most prevelent and protect people from those. Noone has EVER said that getting the flu shot means you won't get the flu!

funny, 2 of my co workers got the flu, both were vaccinated. one even had to be hospitalized...
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Specializes in Anesthesia.

[h=3]"Varicella[/h]

  • Because the effects of the varicella virus on the fetus are unknown, pregnant women should not be vaccinated. Nonpregnant women who are vaccinated should avoid becoming pregnant for 1 month after each injection. For persons without evidence of immunity, having a pregnant household member is not a contraindication for vaccination. 15
  • Wild-type varicella poses a low risk to the fetus. . . . Because the virulence of the attenuated virus used in the vaccine is less that that of the wild-type virus, the risk to the fetus, if any, should be even lower. 15
  • Because of the importance of protecting women of childbearing age against rubella and varicella, reasonable practices in any vaccination program include asking women if they are pregnant or might become pregnant in the next 4 weeks; not vaccinating women who statethat they are or plan to become pregnant; explaining the theoretical risk for the fetus of MMR, varicella, or MMRV vaccine were administered to a woman who is pregnant; and counseling women who are vaccinated not to become pregnant during the 4 weeks after MMR, varicella, or MMRV vaccination. . . . Routine pregnancy testing of women of childbearing age before administering a live-virus vaccine is not recommended. If a pregnant woman is inadvertently vaccinated or becomes pregnant within 4 weeks after MMR or varicella vaccination, she should be counseled about the theoretical basis of concern for the fetus; however, MMR or varicella vaccination during pregnancy should not be considered a reason to terminate pregnancy. 5
  • In 1995, Merck and Co., Inc., in collaboration with CDC, established a Pregnancy Registry to monitor the fetal and pregnancy outcomes of women who inadvertently received varicella vaccine 3 months before or at any time during pregnancy. In 2006, the registry was expanded to include exposures to ProQuad® and Zostavax®. After 17 years of monitoring, no cases of congenital varicella syndrome or increased risk for other birth defects have been identified. However, the theoretical risk to the fetus for congenital varicella syndrome, although small, cannot be completely ruled out. In 2013, FDA approved the closure of the registry and new patient enrollment was discontinued in October 2013. Merck will continue to monitor exposures to the VZV-containing vaccines (Varivax®, ProQuad®, and Zostavax®) during pregnancy or within three months prior to conception. To report administration of VZV-containing vaccines to a pregnant woman, call 1-877-888-4231. See Merck’s websiteicon_out.png for more information. The annual reports of registry data are available to health care providers in the U.S. from the manufacturer upon request (1-877-888-4231). (Updated FEB 2014)" Vaccines: Pubs/Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women

[h=2]"Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women[/h]Risk to a developing fetus from vaccination of the mother during pregnancy is theoretical. No evidence exists of risk to the fetus from vaccinating pregnant women with inactivated virus or bacterial vaccines or toxoids. Live vaccines administered to a pregnant woman pose a theoretical risk to the fetus; therefore, live, attenuated virus and live bacterial vaccines generally are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Benefits of vaccinating pregnant women usually outweigh potential risks when the likelihood of disease exposure is high, when infection would pose a risk to the mother or fetus, and when the vaccine is unlikely to cause harm.

CDC. General recommendations on immunization: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 2011; 60 (No. 2): 26." Vaccines: Pubs/Guidelines for Vaccinating Pregnant Women


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Specializes in Anesthesia.
Very interesting update on Vericilla for pregnant women. The case probably ended around 2001 at the latest. At that time there were many concerns about pregnant women receiving the vaccination. It appears almost twenty years after the shot became popular there are not any reported cases of fetal harm, but there is still an advisory not to do it if pregnant.

The Varicella vaccine like any other treatment used for pregnant women is very difficult to get IRB approval for testing in human trials. That is why most medications used never receive an A pregnancy safety rating. It isn't because they are not safe to use, but because the testing has not been done and probably will never be done on pregnant humans.

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Hep vaccine was optional for school and employment as the flu shot has been as well. I did get the Hep vaccine but was not "forced" to by anyone

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Never in the history of the world has a nurse ever been FORCED to get a flu shot.

Actually, a nurse in my area was fired for not receiving the flu vax this year. She was pregnant and her OB gave her a note excusing her from the vaccine. Infants cannot even receive the vax till 6 months of age, so what on earth made this employer think it was ok to give it to a pregnant woman? Sorry but the touted protection hasn't added up to much in the past 3 years...not enough to give it to someone pregnant in my opinion. Also, for the person who was concerned about a healthcare provider spreading the flu: the flu can be spread by someone who is vaccinated. They only need to touch something with the virus on it, and not wash their hands. Handwashing is still the single best preventative to spreading disease. And I would count on that much more than I'd ever count on the vaccine.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

[h=1]"Impact of Maternal Immunization on Influenza Hospitalizations in Infants[/h]Katherine A. POEHLING, MD, MPH,1,2 Peter G. SZILAGYI, MD, MPH,3 Mary A. STAAT, MD, MPH,4 Beverly M. SNIVELY, PhD,5 Daniel C. PAYNE, PhD, MSPH,6 Carolyn B. BRIDGES, MD,6 Susan Y. CHU, PhD, MSPH,7 Laney S. LIGHT, MS,5 Mila M. PRILL, MSPH,6 Lyn FINELLI, DrPH,6 Marie R. GRIFFIN, MD, MPH,8,9 and Kathryn M. EDWARDS, MD10, for the New Vaccine Surveillance Network

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

The publisher's final edited version of this article is available at Am J Obstet Gynecol

See other articles in PMC that cite the published article.

[h=2]Abstract[/h][h=3]Objective[/h]To determine whether maternal vaccination during pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of laboratory-confirmed influenza hospitalizations in infants

[h=3]Study Design[/h]Active population-based, laboratory-confirmed influenza surveillance was conducted in children hospitalized with fever and/or respiratory symptoms in 3 U.S. counties from November-April during the 2002–2009 influenza seasons. The exposure, influenza vaccination during pregnancy, and the outcome, positive/negative influenza testing among their hospitalized infants, were compared using logistic regression analyses.

[h=3]Results[/h]Among 1510 hospitalized infants

[h=3]Conclusion[/h]Infants of vaccinated mothers were 45%–48% less likely to have influenza hospitalizations than infants of unvaccinated mothers. Our results support the current influenza vaccination recommendation for pregnant women."

Impact of Maternal Immunization on Influenza Hospitalizations in Infants

CDC - Seasonal Flu Vaccine Safety and Pregnant Women | Seasonal Influenza (Flu)

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

Health Care professionals/nurses should actually utilize scientific research instead of conspiracy theories....

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