Is someone justified in harassing someone to tell them if they got vaccinated or not?

[DesiDani]

Say you got vaccinated and choose not to stand in the middle of the street to tell the world. Yet friend or coworker keeps nagging you to tell them if you did or not 

[guest1163268]

57 minutes ago, K. Everly said:

I agree. Being annoyed is a personal right, whether it’s actually helpful to them or not ?

And I agree that when people ask me politely and I choose to decline, I am grateful that they chose to be kind in their approach and that I choose to kindly decline to answer their question. 

That’s true, you have a total right to ask them. If they refuse to answer your question and you’re in the middle of helping them, I would totally understand saying “okay, do it yourself then.” 
 

I see where you’re coming from, but would it shock you to know I am vaccinated for everything under the sun, including Covid, and yet at least 90% of the time I decline to share that information? Not everybody who likes their privacy is doing so because they haven’t been vaccinated.  

I don't understand that line of thinking! Especially as it pertains to privacy. Unless you are likely to come to physical harm from the asker or it could be used against you in some way, being vaccinated for Covid during a pandemic seems a perfectly appropriate question to me, especially with you being a nurse. 

It's the time of education for antivaxxers whether we like it or not. They are the people who might infect your younger family members or extended family members. Especially if you respond with, the hospital insisted or you wouldn't be able to work, because their research tells them that it's very effective at keeping the virus in check. 

We all have that responsibility currently regardless of own views. I have always understood that responsibility superseded discomfort! 

I certainly don't believe that anyone has a choice re Covid vaccine because of its potential lethality. Sort of like bullets and bullet proof vests. Sometimes bullets kill you, but they always cause you harm. So do you take the risk if you are in that line of work to not wear one on the off chance? And if you don't you are stupid and should be fired, because you are dangerous! 

 

[macawake, MSN]

39 minutes ago, Horseshoe said:

If I were vaccinated and had an immunosuppressed patient whose concerned wife wanted to know if I were vaccinated, the only reason I can think of to refuse to answer is because I find it amusing when my patients are stressed and worried and looking for ways to at least reduce their chances of becoming infected with a deadly disease. And I would hate for them to know that I follow science and understand risk vs. benefit and community health. Good times!

 

21 minutes ago, KathyDay said:

There is certainly nothing amusing about patients wanting to know that their caregivers are doing all they can to reduce their chances of infections.  Take it from an old retired nurse whose father died of hospital acquired MRSA pneumonia....and NONE of the family were ever told they had an outbreak.  Also, we would never have known about the infection if I hadn't badgered the doctors to death to do sputum cultures because he was not responding to treatment.  First they infected him, then they failed to diagnose him, then they couldn't treat him...he was too far gone (sepsis, etc).   There is nothing amusing about families and patients wanting to stay safe. 

I agree that it isn’t amusing. I think that was Horseshoe’s point. Only a nurse who either enjoys or at least doesn’t care, if their patient feels uncomfortable would decline to answer. There is no good reason for a healthcare professional to withhold the information from their patient. It will help put their mind at ease if they realize that their nurse has been vaccinated.

Why would a healthcare professional not want to decrease the amount of stress a patient feels? I genuinely don’t understand why a nurse who has been vaccinated, would feel that information is private and needs to be guarded. That’s just weird to me.

KathyDay, I’m very sorry about what happened to your father. 

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

14 minutes ago, KathyDay said:

There is certainly nothing amusing about patients wanting to know that their caregivers are doing all they can to reduce their chances of infections.  Take it from an old retired nurse whose father died of hospital acquired MRSA pneumonia....and NONE of the family were ever told they had an outbreak.  Also, we would never have known about the infection if I hadn't badgered the doctors to death to do sputum cultures because he was not responding to treatment.  First they infected him, then they failed to diagnose him, then they couldn't treat him...he was too far gone (sepsis, etc).   There is nothing amusing about families and patients wanting to stay safe. 

Ummmmmm....I was being sarcastic/facetious.  ?

[KathyDay]

Yes, I know that and I got that it was tongue in cheek.  I just wanted to bring that comment home, for how it is from the patient and family perspective. 

[Wuzzie]

I also think if I have to work in an enclosed space with someone that the ethical thing to do would be to let my coworker know if I was unvaccinated. Fortunately all of my coworkers understand this principle and are open about their status so we can mitigate our risk. 

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

On 8/11/2021 at 3:29 AM, Wuzzie said:

The problem starts when someone else's choice has the potential to harm or kill me. That is the fundamental difference. I should not be required to suffer those consequences. 

I forget who said it, but something along the lines of 

'The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.'

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

On 8/10/2021 at 11:50 AM, K. Everly said:

Someone else’s choice to share or not share their vaccination status? Because that is purely what I am talking about and what keeps getting hijacked in this conversation for a pro vs. anti vaccination debate. 

No, you don't need to reveal your vaccine status but everyone will know eventually when you can't get a job.  Needless to say, patient care will be a no-no for you since we have to protect the few and far who cannot be valued.  So yes, your employer has every right to know your status.  Smart people will still have to mask forever unless we get 90%.  That bar used to be lower until hold outs allowed even more mutations to evolve while they argue that their right to say has no effect on making it worst for everyone else.

[KathyDay]

Just yesterday, Governor Janet MIlls announced that COVID vaccinations will be mandated for all healthcare workers in the State of Maine. This step will help my state to avoid a piecemeal approach to vaccinations for HC workers.  We have 2 current outbreaks among staff nurses in Maine Hospitals.  The vaccination rates for our hospitals is actually pretty good.  I am 100% behind this mandate, but it still blows my mind that it was even necessary.  It sounds like there will be very few acceptable exclusions from this mandate.

https://bangordailynews.com/2021/08/12/politics/maine-will-be-one-of-the-1st-states-to-mandate-covid-19-vaccines-for-health-workers/

[DesiDani]

I ask if someone has gotten their shots. If COVID is mentioned, I bring up that I got mine. Tell them yes and ask if they got theirs. If they say no, I don't go on the attack or stalk them through out the unit, break room, locker room, bathroom until I'm convince they will. Really once I've got mine I have no real business to know the why they haven't got theirs, or when and if. I do have the responsibility, I feel, to answer their questions and to share my shot experience. Acting like a vaccine spokesperson is more helpful, then a vaccine henchman 

[toomuchbaloney]

3 hours ago, DesiDani said:

I ask if someone has gotten their shots. If COVID is mentioned, I bring up that I got mine. Tell them yes and ask if they got theirs. If they say no, I don't go on the attack or stalk them through out the unit, break room, locker room, bathroom until I'm convince they will. Really once I've got mine I have no real business to know the why they haven't got theirs, or when and if. I do have the responsibility, I feel, to answer their questions and to share my shot experience. Acting like a vaccine spokesperson is more helpful, then a vaccine henchman 

My guess is that the premise for the thread is contrived and related to the way the unvaccinated are treated in forums such as this. 

[Subee2, BSN, MSN, CRNA]

11 hours ago, DesiDani said:

I ask if someone has gotten their shots. If COVID is mentioned, I bring up that I got mine. Tell them yes and ask if they got theirs. If they say no, I don't go on the attack or stalk them through out the unit, break room, locker room, bathroom until I'm convince they will. Really once I've got mine I have no real business to know the why they haven't got theirs, or when and if. I do have the responsibility, I feel, to answer their questions and to share my shot experience. Acting like a vaccine spokesperson is more helpful, then a vaccine henchman 

You have actually witnessed this?  My answer to your original post is why anyone would be entitled to harass anyone for any reason so I think this whole thread is based on a silly question. 

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

On 8/14/2021 at 7:35 PM, Undercat said:

You have actually witnessed this?  My answer to your original post is why anyone would be entitled to harass anyone for any reason so I think this whole thread is based on a silly question. 

Unfortunately it happens. Even the IPCO texting on days off. It's a real thing.