(So glad I stumbled across this website again after almost 6 years! I need to change my username because I am not an aspiring nurse anymore, I have been a nurse for almost 3 years! ?)
Anyway, I really do not want to take this new covid vaccine. I know I can’t be the only one who feels this way. Typically I am not an anti-vaxxer but something about this illness is making me think otherwise. For personal reasons I really do not want to take it when available at my hospital, but I’m afraid it will be mandatory. I am almost considering finding a new job if my hospital forces us all to take it. What a shame because I do like my job and wouldn’t know what else to turn to that isn’t nursing, because chances are most healthcare related places of employment will likely require all employees take it.
I want to use the excuse of it being against my religion but I already took the flu vaccine this year. I have nothing against the flu vaccine but didn’t necessarily want it, but my hospital practically FORCED everyone to take it unless they grant you an exemption. I’m afraid they’ll question me why I took the flu shot but cannot take the covid vaccine.
What do you guys think about this? Will you be taking the vaccine? I just want us to be able to make our own decisions about this. If patients can refuse medications, procedures, and treatments, why can’t healthcare workers do the same? I read in multiple articles it will not be required by the federal government but each state and employer can decide whether or not it will be mandatory.
And forget the $1500 “stimulus check” that may be offered if you take it. All the money in the world would not change my mind about taking the vaccine. I feel as though if you have to bribe people to take it, something is peculiar.
I don’t know why this is bothering me so much. It should be a choice in my opinion. But by telling a few friends about not wanting it I feel judged. I have worked with covid patients multiple times since I am one of the younger nurses who does not have any kids/am pregnant. I feel like week after week I was always chosen to go to the covid section. At first I was mad but now it doesn’t bother me. I am not afraid to be near covid patients. Luckily through all this time I haven’t caught it. I always tell people I’d rather catch it than get this vaccine. That’s how strongly I feel against taking the vaccine. All of my non-nursing who have had covid are covered and thriving. To me catching it isn’t the biggest deal but others have called me selfish because I could be spreading it to others. Why is it looked at as selfish for not wanting to inject something into MY body. #mybodymychoice
Am I thinking about this too much? What would you do?
Generally speaking, talking about reasons to avoid vaccination invites responsive comment in discussion forums like AN...talking about fear and misinformation as the basis of the vaccine refusal almost guarantees response.
No you don't have to explain. What's the point in posting if not to discuss?
I cannot find any indication that any employer, anywhere in country, has mandated the emergency use vaccines. That means that all of you work for employers who have not mandated the vaccine. Currently no employer has adequate vaccine to vaccinate all staff, so it's a mute point.
I have seen posts from people who claim that they are being made to take the vaccine as a condition of employment. Granted, not too many people have said this, but there are a few.
Discussion is fine but topics like this bring out the Martyr Mary’s who claim that any good nurse must do whatever random thing or else they are terrible people who shouldn’t practice nursing. At the end of the day, receiving this vaccine is up to the individual. Period. You can think it’s coming from a place of fear or misinformation or religious obligation. It doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter, my opinion doesn’t matter.
I have seen posts from people who claim that they are being made to take the vaccine as a condition of employment. Granted, not too many people have said this, but there are a few.
Discussion is fine but topics like this bring out the Martyr Mary’s who claim that any good nurse must do whatever random thing or else they are terrible people who shouldn’t practice nursing. At the end of the day, receiving this vaccine is up to the individual. Period. You can think it’s coming from a place of fear or misinformation or religious obligation. It doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter, my opinion doesn’t matter.
And, the expression is “it’s a moot point”..
I believe that the concerns about mandatory vaccination emanated from past experiences with the influenza vaccine (which is mandated by many employers and most nursing schools). Thus, it stands to reason that at some point this vaccine may fall in to the same category (I do believe the military is likely to mandate sooner when I was in the reserves they gave me so many shots I could not even count and there were never even any disclosures). Still, in the "short term" nurses who don't want vaccines are a good thing. They leave more vaccines for those who do (there simply isn't enough vaccine to go around right now) and more opportunities for cohort studies of outcomes.
I believe that the concerns about mandatory vaccination emanated from past experiences with the influenza vaccine (which is mandated by many employers and most nursing schools). Thus, it stands to reason that at some point this vaccine may fall in to the same category (I do believe the military is likely to mandate sooner when I was in the reserves they gave me so many shots I could not even count and there were never even any disclosures). Still, in the "short term" nurses who don't want vaccines are a good thing. They leave more vaccines for those who do (there simply isn't enough vaccine to go around right now) and more opportunities for cohort studies of outcomes.
A good thing in the sense that there is limited supply and more people want the vaccines than is available. There is no likely outcome where enough people in the next year are gong to be able to take the vaccine to achieve herd immunity (even if they wanted to due to supply). Thus, the best protection for the vulnerable is to get the vaccine. Ergo, it is a good thing for those who the vaccine it is a good thing so long as supply remains limited that some do not want the vaccine. It would be an even better thing if cohort studies were done given that the similar population are "at hand" and would yield data likely to better understand risks and benefits.
A good thing in the sense that there is limited supply and more people want the vaccines than is available. There is no likely outcome where enough people in the next year are gong to be able to take the vaccine to achieve herd immunity (even if they wanted to due to supply). Thus, the best protection for the vulnerable is to get the vaccine. Ergo, it is a good thing for those who want the vaccine it is a good thing so long as supply remains limited that some do not want the vaccine. It would be an even better thing if cohort studies were done given that the similar population are "at hand" and would yield data likely to better understand risks and benefits.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
10 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:
Generally speaking, talking about reasons to avoid vaccination invites responsive comment in discussion forums like AN...talking about fear and misinformation as the basis of the vaccine refusal almost guarantees response.
No you don't have to explain. What's the point in posting if not to discuss?
I cannot find any indication that any employer, anywhere in country, has mandated the emergency use vaccines. That means that all of you work for employers who have not mandated the vaccine. Currently no employer has adequate vaccine to vaccinate all staff, so it's a mute point.
We got word overnight that we now do have enough vaccine to provide to 100% of our hospital staff. We employ over 14K people. Pretty exciting if they are going to be able to roll this stuff out at this rate plus guarantee the second dose. I suspect Moderna getting approved is making a big difference. We will have both types.
You understand that you're posting a survey from before the results of the vaccines' clinical trials were published, right?
No doubt that would affect numbers but I suspect at least 30 percent will be in the “not now category”. As for insufficient supply I was alluding to the entire population not just health care workers.
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
12 hours ago, GadgetRN71 said:
I have seen posts from people who claim that they are being made to take the vaccine as a condition of employment. Granted, not too many people have said this, but there are a few.
Discussion is fine but topics like this bring out the Martyr Mary’s who claim that any good nurse must do whatever random thing or else they are terrible people who shouldn’t practice nursing. At the end of the day, receiving this vaccine is up to the individual. Period. You can think it’s coming from a place of fear or misinformation or religious obligation. It doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter, my opinion doesn’t matter.
And, the expression is “it’s a moot point”..
Thanks for the correction.
We don't have to guess whether or not vaccine refusal originates in fear when they come right out and tell us that's why. Come on now...
Of course our opinions matter. Mine or others may not matter to you personally, but they matter.
To quote a meme I saw recently, I would take this vaccine in my eyeball right now. I'm scheduled to get it tomorrow morning, luckily only in my arm ? I'm currently breastfeeding and tried to get into a clinical trial for breastfeeding moms who get the vaccine that studies the effect of the vaccine exposure on your milk, but it's already full of participants, which is encouraging. I feel confident in the vaccine and the process that went into developing it and emergently approving it for use, while also knowing there are risks to everything in life. I hope 2021 will see dramatic drops in case and death rates, and perhaps 2022 will be as "back to normal" as we can hope to be after living through this hell.
GadgetRN71, ASN, RN
1,841 Posts
I have seen posts from people who claim that they are being made to take the vaccine as a condition of employment. Granted, not too many people have said this, but there are a few.
Discussion is fine but topics like this bring out the Martyr Mary’s who claim that any good nurse must do whatever random thing or else they are terrible people who shouldn’t practice nursing. At the end of the day, receiving this vaccine is up to the individual. Period. You can think it’s coming from a place of fear or misinformation or religious obligation. It doesn’t matter. Your opinion doesn’t matter, my opinion doesn’t matter.
And, the expression is “it’s a moot point”..