Is your place of employment offering you the flu vaccine?

Nurses General Nursing

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The hospital that I work at is not immunizing any of the nurses, and I am quite surprised by this. I understand that severity of the shortage, but arent healthcare workers in the high risk category?

I can see it now, once the influenza pts start getting hospitalized, it will spread like crazy.

Specializes in floor to ICU.
How can you say it is unethical not to have the flu vaccine? I have been nursing since 1983 and have always worked directly with patients be it in a ward theatre or is a nurse in a GP's rooms. I have never had the vaccine and never been off with the flu or had any flu symptoms. If one has a lowered resistance or some other illness it is important to be vaccinated if not I think it is your choice.

public health nurse in me coming out...I just think if you are involved direct patient care it is your responsibilty to protect your patients. Many of them are immunocompromised or elderly and spreading the flu to them could kill them. But, I agree it is your choice. However, those of us who have had the real-knock-you-on-your-butt-please-put-me-outta-my-misery flu are usually the first ones in line next flu season with our sleeves rolled up.

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:imbar You have me totally convinced the next flu season I will be first in line here in South Africa it is still summer or should I say spring nearly 2 months to summer.

public health nurse in me coming out...I just think if you are involved direct patient care it is your responsibilty to protect your patients. Many of them are immunocompromised or elderly and spreading the flu to them could kill them. But, I agree it is your choice. However, those of us who have had the real-knock-you-on-your-butt-please-put-me-outta-my-misery flu are usually the first ones in line next flu season with our sleeves rolled up.
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I'm a nursing student and every year our school offers flu shots because all students have patient contact during clinical rotations. This year they are not going to offer us shots because they have none.

At the urging of our student health, I have had the pneumonia vaccination instead. Not much use against catching and spreading influenza though IMHO!

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Specializes in floor to ICU.
:imbar You have me totally convinced the next flu season I will be first in line here in South Africa it is still summer or should I say spring nearly 2 months to summer.

great! now you can educate your co-workers!! :)

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Thank you. I agree. I do not believe I need the flu vaccine more than someone more immunocompromised. I believe it is ethical to pass on the vaccine so someone not as strong can get vaccinated.

Bob

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I am a nursing student and the hopsital where I am doing my rotation not only gave the flu shots to their patients but their staff and the students as well. With the amount of exposure to the patients that my classmates and I have, you can bet that I got mine.

Laurie:)

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The company that I work for offered and gave the vaccine to all of the employees that wanted it last week. Now yesterday, a bulletin came out from the state stating that we (health care workers) are not considered high risk. The unfortunate thing now is all of that vaccine has been used and not technically used on the high-risk patients.

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Our facility hasnt even received its vaccines yet. Last year it was 2 months late. The patients will be vaccinated first, then the staff with whatever we have left....assuming we get any at all.

Guess we are lucky at the VA--I am able to vaccinate my employees involved in direct clinical care. In normal years, when supplies are adequate we offer vaccine to all employees.

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Normally we are offered the vaccine free, but this yr they say only the people with direct contact will be getting the flu shots in our facility( long term care). normally we have lots of people call in because of it so imagine this year will be terrible with out the flu shots for everybody.

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We ordered our supply of flu vaccine. Our company pharmacy is unable to obtain any for any of their facilities, suggested we call the local health department. Did that...no flu vaccine available. THEN, we get a call from the district public health nurse offering about 50% of the doses we need (residents in LTC and staff) and suggested we/doc determine the most chronically ill and sign them up. AND...for $75.00/hr THEY will come out and administer the vaccine to the residents and the nursing staff. We will pay them for something that we can do ourselves, but they need to ensure that the vaccine is used only for those that truly need it. I will not be taking the flu shot this year, I'm not always in the direct patient care area, so I really don't qualify.

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Specializes in LDRP.

our hospital system we hear is giving them to select workers.who those select workers are, i'm not sure, b/c i've had to do my clinicals out of town. but where I am doing my clinicals i saw a sign saying who in the hospital was 1st tier to get shots, etc. of course, this is the world's smallest hospital so they dont have an abundance of dept's. ED staff, Med/Surg staff, phlebotomists, RT's (and a few more i can't remember) could get them easy, on the scheduled days, nearly no waiting.

I got one in my doctors office b/c i am pregnant so I didnt' have to worry about this. I would not want to get the flu and give it out or to get it from a patient. Thank goodness

Rose

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The hospital that I work at is not immunizing any of the nurses, and I am quite surprised by this. I understand that severity of the shortage, but arent healthcare workers in the high risk category? ...

We were offered the vaccine at my place of employment.

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