Mandatory Flu shots

DuluthMike · Sep 5, 2009

just sitting arround waiting to get sick now!!!!!

I hope this is a joke. Do you take issue with a mandatory shot? What if you were to contract influenza and pass it to a vulnerable patient, killing them. Would you regret not getting that little stick?

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

Its my choice to get a shot or not. No one will make me take it. Ive never taken it and dont plan to. You can still contract the flu, even after taking the shot. We catch colds and risk giving that to our patients too. There is also a risk of having a reaction to this "mandatory" shot. We have to look out for ourselves too. We have a choice at the hospital I work if we take a flu shot or not, which is how it should be.

CathyLew · Sep 5, 2009

not a joke. see this article http://www.truthnews.us/?p=3154 our hosptial Infection control team jumped on it, and made it a policy in our hospital. Many are up in arms. I have never had the flu shot before. and I did not intend to get one yesterday...but the poor gal that was in charge of dolling out the early shots looked like she was about in tears with the rash of $hi+ she had taken from many of my co-workers...so I caved without making an issue.

I think our hospital is about to learn just what an issue this can be. You have to have a Dr excuse to be exhempt from the shot. And they even said that religious reasons against vaccination were not acceptable!

justiceforjoy · Sep 5, 2009

You can be contagious for a week without any symptoms of the flu, so yeah... I agree with the shot being mandatory and unless you have a physical or religious reason against getting one, you are selfish to be working in a field like this.

allnurses Guide · Sep 5, 2009

Sick from what? You can't get the flu from the flu shot as it's inactivated virus. The most you'll generally get is a low grade fever as your immune system is kicking in - and that's the whole point of getting the shot.

I don't think it necessarily should be mandatory, but people should be using evidence based research to base their decisions on - and the recommendation is that HCW get vaccinated. I just don't see the big deal.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

Selfish? obviously she is not selfish, she got it didnt she. Geeez.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

Like the one year that everyone received the wrong strain of flu vaccine, real beneficial. eh? My point is that there comes a point that we should have a CHOICE. Mandatory means you have no right to refuse treatment or what goes into your own body. Patients have the right, but we shouldnt? I risk my life constantly when I care for patients with contagious viruses, meningitis, etc. I am not selfish, by any means.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/31/flu.hm.flu.shot/

CathyLew · Sep 5, 2009

well, by waiting to get sick, I mean the after effects of the shot.... to quote one medical site *flu shots can commonly cause mild side effects fever, muscle aches, and malaise or simply not feeling well*

and one reason I ask, and one reason our hospital nurses are a bit up in arms over this, is considering we are a very small hospital.... abotu 20 Med Surg Ped beds, with a census of about 12 average... we had a case several years ago of a person in the community that was also related to several of our nurses (inbred North Country Folk that we are) who got Guillain-Barré after the Flu shot. he died in our hospital.

Now since the flu shot that seemed to cause the Guillain-Barré syndrome is the old Swine flu vaccine... I would not get the H1N1 vac. the flu shot they mandated at the hospital this year was the regular flu vac.... but if we cave to this.... will next year they demand everyone get the H1N1.... I know they say Guillain-Barré is 1 in a million...but when it happens on your floor, to a family member of co-workers. that seems closer than that 1 in a million stat they throw arround.

highlandlass1592, BSN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

I hope this is a joke. Do you take issue with a mandatory shot? What if you were to contract influenza and pass it to a vulnerable patient, killing them. Would you regret not getting that little stick?

Uh, so because I'm a health care worker I am supposed to give up all rights to control what goes into my body? The H1N1 vaccine is still in human study phase but to jump the gun some facilities are making it mandatory to get vaccinated. Using appropriate precautions is the most important part of prevention. And interestingly enough, if you do get sick they don't want you to come to work...but will PENALIZE you for taking that time off. I was infected by a patient...of course he didn't turn positive till I was already ill. Nothing that a vaccination could have prevented and I ended up in the hospital for 5 days. So by your reasoning this patient should have felt terrible about making me ill! In no way, shape or form do I support mandatory vaccines!!!!! It's my body and according to Roe V Wade I do have a right to privacy....and I choose to exercise that right by not getting this vaccine. My rights don't end at the door to the hospital

LeaRNed · Sep 5, 2009

I guess if the policy states that it is mandatory, I wouldn't protest too much. It seems like the years that I had gotten a flu shot I would come down with that horrible stomach virus instead, and it would last for days. That IMHO, is worse than the regular flu...and very highly contagious. I really don't agree with forcing flu shots on employees. Plus some dr.s I know don't even get them.