smallpox vaccine

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Should healthcare workers be required to receive the smallpox vaccine

    • 0
      Yes, definately
    • 13
      Only if an outbreak is likely
    • 7
      No, not under any circumstances

20 members have participated

Specializes in NICU.

As a nursing student I have to debate the topic "should health care workers be required to receive the small pox vaccine." I need to include a survey as part of my data.

0 Votes

At my hospital we would care for a patient who has small pox only if we ourselves have had the vaccine. It's hard to be motivated to take the vaccine.

On the other hand, you can take the vaccine after being exposed to someone who has smallpox and be protected. I would opt for this way.

I think it's unlikely that a terrorist act will occur in this way.

0 Votes

Good question, however I was turned down for the vaccination because I have a child at home under 12months of age. Many other nurses I work with were turned down as well. Some because of exsiting medical conditions ( Lupus,DM, skin conditions ), others because they had not had the vaccination before. And we are all E.R. nurses. Our ED is about 1.5 hours from D.C. It was offered, we agreed, we were turned down.

So theres another question. The government is being very safe so maybe the threat is not as eminent here at home.

0 Votes

I originally thought "no way" not untill there is an outbreak then something happened...

A patient came into the ER with a rash all over his body, fluid filled pustules. 2 days earlier he had come to the ER with the same rash and the MD tells him he had chicken pox. He is back now because of fever and SOB. He has a bad pneumonitis and needs 100% nonrebreather. The ER doctor on this day decides the patient does not have Chicken pox but the rash is probably an allergic reaction to an antibiotic he had been on for another problem. My report from the ER is that the infectious disease doctor had "looked in on him" and his opinion was that the rash was an antibiotic reaction. I get report from the ER with all this info and ask if the patient is on isolation. Answer is "no" it is not contagious. All his symptoms are SCREAMING chicken pox if not small pox. I decide to put him in isolation anyway and the CCU house doctor agrees. I get a very condescending look from the ER nurses transporting him (without mask) to the negative pressure room. The ER doctor I guess also found this amusing because she sent us info about small pox with a little smiley face. Guess what- the patient has chicken pox!!! So I guess the ER staff is now all exposed not to mention all the patients who were in the ER at the time. My point....if the ER docs can't recognise Chicken pox how can we trust them to identify small pox before we are all exposed???

0 Votes

When people come in with small pox it's much clearer than chicken pox. They get a unique rash on their upper torso that spreads outward. And when they come into the hospital they'll be ICU admissions. They'll be real sick. There are other symptoms which I can't recall right now, fever?

0 Votes
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