Flu Vaccine, enough already!

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Yes, we are in flu season. And it seems you can't go anywhere without being bombarded/enticed to get the flu vaccine. A lot of times scare tactics are used also. They tried making it mandatory for nurses last season but that failed, thank goodness. Then a friend went to a job interview, and a condition of employment was that she had to get the flu vaccine even though she did not want it.

Yet recently, a healthcare employer (I have declined to identify) went as far as to offer employees who get the flu vaccine (at work), entry into a raffle for a hot electronic gadget. I just think its too much. People already know about the flu vaccine and have made an educated decision about whether they want it or not. Flu vaccines have become extremely commercialized, which leads me to conclude that a financial windfall is being made somewhere. Just sayin...

I agree 110%. It takes a lot to make me get a shot that I KNOW will make me feel ill rather than negate the risk of maybe feeling Ill.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

It's an individuals choice unless your facility demands it of you, and once again it's your choice to get the Flu-vaccination or move on, we always have a choice...just saying.

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you'll feel like garbage but the flus not usually a matter of life or death.
In a typical flu season, it kills a/b 36,000 people in the United States.
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I haven't gotten a flu shot in 15 years. My husband is a RT who has asthma- irony I know. He gets a flu shot every year. I rarely get sick, he has bronchitis at least twice a year.I personally believe we are are being exposed to too many environmental chemicals ingested and inhaled that are damaging our immune systems.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
I personally believe we are are being exposed to too many environmental chemicals ingested and inhaled that are damaging our immune systems.

I'm afraid to say that it's so true.

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In a typical flu season, it kills a/b 36,000 people in the United States.[/quoteand how much has the flu shot improved that?.......hmmm
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[/quoteand how much has the flu shot improved that?.......hmmm

Excellent point! Those 36,000 people are usually the elderly & immunocompromised folks who may have received that vaccine, but were unable to build an adequate immune response to it. If their fellow healthy community members for whom the vaccine is more efficacious had protected them through herd immunity, they may have survived that flu season. Less than half of Americans received a flu shot last season; I imagine it's hard to blame deaths on vaccine failure with such little uptake. Side note - It's ridiculous how much I'm enjoying this debate.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
[/quoteand how much has the flu shot improved that?.......hmmm

It's ridiculous how much I'm enjoying this debate.

It's refreshing to hear that you're enjoying the subject on hand...Aloha~

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You offered no answer to the question I posed. Try again.

[/quoteand how much has the flu shot improved that?.......hmmm

Excellent point! Those 36,000 people are usually the elderly & immunocompromised folks who may have received that vaccine, but were unable to build an adequate immune response to it. If their fellow healthy community members for whom the vaccine is more efficacious had protected them through herd immunity, they may have survived that flu season. Less than half of Americans received a flu shot last season; I imagine it's hard to blame deaths on vaccine failure with such little uptake. Side note - It's ridiculous how much I'm enjoying this debate.

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Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

...:uhoh21:

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Herd immunity does nothing for contaminated surfaces. Are you going to systemically disinfect EVERYTHING someone may touch, including banknotes? Mass disinfection has also been shown to speed up the evolution of superbugs.

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Specializes in Wilderness Medicine, ICU, Adult Ed..
Thirdly [sic], I have never had the flu shot and subsequently never had the flu. I've had pneumonia and recurring bronchitis, but never the flu.

Good thinking, ZeroNightskye. In fact, I am going to stop using seat belts in my car because I have never been in a serious car accident.

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