(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?
First, it's not my place to tell a patient not to take the vaccine. My response was geared toward a nurse who did not want to take the vaccine, and felt that her right to choose was being violated. I responded to her post. She was also being bullied because of her decision. At least, she stated that she would look for other employment, which I agreed with. Just like the school I'm going to attend is not bullying students to take the vaccine. More than likely, some of the administration have misgivings as well. Not everyone is on board with taking this vaccine. What I find is just evidence of mass hysteria, which is evidence by the continual comments I am getting like yours and many others. My notification bell is ringing off continually. People are so deluded, that you are not even reading what I have stated in my previous responses, and to whom it was directed to. People are asking me questions about my beliefs. We are still able to have independent thought aren't. This country hasn't turned communist yet has it?
IMHO, you are confusing thinking with typing. You are an unskeptical person who believes whatever comes your way to reinforce your belief system. You aren't even a nurse yet and you are NOT going to get anything but an introduction to science in an LPN program. But if you can open you mind a bit and you have great instructors, you will learn to forage through scientific data instead of what you hear "on the street." You will have a beginning foundation in learning how to read studies in a null hypothesis kind of way. Your ideological slip is showing when you accute people who disagree with you as communists.
First, I did not ACCUSE anyone of being a communist. My statement was that I believe that THIS COUNTRY, meaning the USA, was not communist yet, and that I was entitled to my opinion, such as there is no law, as of yet,criminalizing FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Please read with understanding. As for how I will do in this second chosen career field. I will do just fine, thank you very much. It's only a step stool to where I plan to take it. I'm not a novice to education. I chose to start at a lpn level on purpose. I already have 2 other degrees, one being a graduate degree in psychology specializing in abnormal behavior.
Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
I feel fortunate. My employer provided the Moderna vaccine to all employees who wanted it. I got the second dose last week. So far, the only side effect I have had is some mild tenderness at the injection site that lasted for a few days.
Thank you for your post. It is really helpful to hear about the positives of the vaccine. I am grateful for an employer like yours. May you continue to be well.
I agree with you, and it's alright. That's what makes our country great. The right to agree or to kindly disagree. May the wind always be at your back. Peace and blessings!
I am undecided about the vaccine mostly because I am bothered by the many unanswered questions about the illness itself. There is a lack of clarity about the origin of this disease. The illness itself has such a bizarre range of symptoms. After doing contact tracing for this disease, I am still bothered.
At this point, if anyone has the acute onset of a loss of taste and/or a loss of smell, I believe they have COVID-19. Those are strange symptoms. There is a small, but distinctive number of people who have a post-COVID syndrome with pretty disturbing pulmonary injuries. Strange stuff.
So, I will put my tin foil hat on and say that I think it is possible (not probable) that this is an engineered virus. That makes me uneasy about getting a vaccine which is essentially gene therapy.
I know I will end up both receiving and then administering this vaccine, but there is some uneasiness for me.
Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
58 minutes ago, FlorentineRN said:
I am undecided about the vaccine mostly because I am bothered by the many unanswered questions about the illness itself. There is a lack of clarity about the origin of this disease. The illness itself has such a bizarre range of symptoms. After doing contact tracing for this disease, I am still bothered.
At this point, if anyone has the acute onset of a loss of taste and/or a loss of smell, I believe they have COVID-19. Those are strange symptoms. There is a small, but distinctive number of people who have a post-COVID syndrome with pretty disturbing pulmonary injuries. Strange stuff.
So, I will put my tin foil hat on and say that I think it is possible (not probable) that this is an engineered virus. That makes me uneasy about getting a vaccine which is essentially gene therapy.
I was with you until the end. Not everything that’s new has to be “engineered”- there is no evidence of this whatsoever. There is no lack of clarity as to its origins- it’s a type of virus long known to science, coronaviruses, with known antecedents. Being able to sequence this virus’s gene has made it possible to identify its vulnerability so a vaccine can make it possible for our bodies to fight it off by attacking that vulnerability. But there is nothing whatsoever in the vaccine that alters any gene, either ours or the virus’s.
Gene therapy is an entirely different process from vaccination. Gene therapy inserts a gene into a person to replace or supplant a defective one. As an example, imagine when they perfect the gene to replace the one that is responsible for sickled hemoglobin (working in that now). That would cure sickle cell disease. Imagine a gene that would replace the gene for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, this would allow normal muscle growth.
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology as well as a Master's Degree, specializing in abnormal behavior. Most of my career life, when I wasn't in the military, was spent working in the Department of Correction as a Social Worker. I've only recent decided to venture into the nursing field, after having taken care of a terminally ill mother. She was an ADN for over 30 years. I feel quite confident that she and many of the nurses that I know will not take this vaccine. One of them being a close childhood friend who is a FNP, specializing in Onocology. As for me, I plan to bridge my way right up to a DNP in psychiatrics. Thank you very much
Aries I really hope you know there are people out there who think the people who are responding to your posts on here are condescending and out of line to say the very least.
Assumptions that because you are trying to get into an LPN program that you aren’t educated. Assumptions that because you are skeptical means you will spread that skepticism to your patients. (Like what are you going to spread your religious beliefs to your patients too... come on) Assumptions that it is only because you don’t have enough information and aren’t science based is why you have made your personal medical decision at this time.
Assumptions that you shouldn’t even work in healthcare if you don’t volunteer in the early release of a new vaccines (before data has been collected for long term effects and pregnancy and fertility outcomes. )
These are all shaming tactics.
The best thing I ever did was stop engaging with people who have no respect for other’s skepticism, concerns and desire for more long term scientific data. No respect for people to have their own choice regarding their personal medical treatments and care. I’m all for healthy debate that includes respecting different perspective and sharing opposing information. That happens around here too, but not enough.
Doctors, nurses, all spectrums and educational levels of healthcare providers have varying opinions regarding these new vaccinations and just because you are not yet a nurse has nothing to do with your perspective.
Nurses have a history of belittling and judging others who don’t go along with whatever new research is current. Even though research and outcomes continue to evolve as time goes on. For example, CDC said masks don’t work and two weeks later said they did. Some hospitals fired workers for wearing masks and forbid it and said they were following CDC guidelines. In the early 1900's people believed that radioactivity was good for you. In the 1500's mercury was used in the treatment of syphilis. The lobotomy was thought to be a cure for mental illness. There was a time when the medical community considered drinking urine or applying it as a poultice an effective treatment for maladies ranging from acne and asthma to migraines and cancer.
Let’s remember our history and how science actually works instead of science shaming people.
“There are surprisingly few proven facts in science. Instead, scientists often talk about how much evidence there is for their theories. The more evidence, the stronger the theory and the more accepted it becomes.
Scientists are usually very careful to accumulate lots of evidence and test their theories thoroughly. But the history of science has some key, if rare, examples of evidence misleading enough to bring a whole scientific community to believe something later considered to be radically false”
Time and long term research is aligned with better scientific evidence and safety. Over the past two decades the FDA has sped up its authorization processes and nearly one third of fda approved medications result in later finding that the medications are unsafe.
“Nearly a third of FDA-approved drugs had problems, study finds”
Many health care professionals are taking a wait and see approach in hopes of acquiring *more* evidence data and research. You are not stupid, unscientific or uneducated by default for not jumping to take a new treatment.
I only encourage people to respect others medical treatments and choices. You should treat your patients and your peers with a little respect. Educate, inquire, do not shame or pressure. Very unethical. And extremely ignorant to think that just because today something is thought to be safe, effective etc that time can possibly show us more scientific data to contradict what we once thought to be true.
Aries, your best bet is to just stop talking to these people on here who have no respect for you and confidently know that your medical treatment choices are your own. I hope you are continuing to follow research as it unfolds and will make your personal decision by weighing your own risks and benefits and using scientific data to do so and not acting out of any fear mongering misinformation on either side of the perspective. Personally to me it’s way to early to tell how all of this will play out and I know I need more time, but I will absolutely be closely watching the data over the next year or two and making my health decisions intelligently and independently.
subee, MSN, CRNA
1 Article; 6,115 Posts
IMHO, you are confusing thinking with typing. You are an unskeptical person who believes whatever comes your way to reinforce your belief system. You aren't even a nurse yet and you are NOT going to get anything but an introduction to science in an LPN program. But if you can open you mind a bit and you have great instructors, you will learn to forage through scientific data instead of what you hear "on the street." You will have a beginning foundation in learning how to read studies in a null hypothesis kind of way. Your ideological slip is showing when you accute people who disagree with you as communists.