Immunocompromised patients and the flu vaccine

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

If you worked in an area that mainly took care of patients immunity issues (cancer, organ transplant, etc.) would you feel compelled to NOT take the seasonal flu vaccine? Even if it meant you worked in an at-will state and you would no longer be employed. I have a friend grappling with this issue right now.

[sethmctenn]

I would certainly avoid the attenuated live nasal flu vaccine Flumist but would get the inactivated flu vaccine injection

[Otessa, BSN, RN]

I would certainly avoid the attenuated live nasal flu vaccine Flumist but would get the inactivated flu vaccine injection

This is a nurse who works with patients that have immunity issues and is unwilling to be vaccinated for the seasonal flu and is possibly risking her employment on one hand and risk patients' health on the other-just wondering what to say...

[DeepFriedRN]

I'm understanding you to mean that your friend is being mandated to take the shot, and prefers not to. Is there a specific reason she doesn't want it (like an allergy)? This is such a difficult issue, because on the one hand I totally understand someone objecting to being forced to take a vaccine, but on the other hand I completely understand the reasoning behind mandating vaccines for HCW who are working with high risk populations. These patients are already compromised/sick, and the flu is much more likely to potentially kill them.

So for me, this fact outweighs any problem I might have with being told that I HAVE to get vaccinated. (Well, that and the fact that I would get the flu shot anyway..) I guess, unfortunately, she will have to choose which is more important to her: her job, or not backing down. Not really fair, I suppose, but a choice that more and more of us will have to make as an increasing number of hospitals mandate an annual flu vaccine.

[sethmctenn]

If she wants to reduce the risk from the flu vaccine, she could choose to have one from a single dose syringe rather than a multi dose vial. Often people who object to flu vaccination do so on the basis of mercury content. The single dose vaccine does not contain the mercury containing preservative thimerisol.