Mandatory Flu Vaccines- How do you feel?

Nurses COVID

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Anyone else upset by the requirement to take flu vaccine or else... not even a mask option??? Only way out is a MD note stating "severe" allergy. Why is it we can't force our patients but our hospitals can force us.

I am pregnant and know I am high risk, but I took the vaccine in my last pregnancy and my son has an egg allergy. No proof linking, but no study not linking. I am so close to maternity leave and was going to wait until I delivered to be vaccinated. Do you know that they don't recommend the flu vaccine until a baby is 6 months but somehow it is safe for a near term "fetus"? Shouldn't we have the right to say no, just like out patients?

The flu vaccine is approved for pregnant and nursing women, and the package inserts for most varieties clearly states these populations have not been studied, yet approving it for them certainly implies safety. Patients deserve quality safety studies for any drug they are given, as to most people, it is assumed that drugs are proven safe or they would not be given. There is more than adequate evidence that pharmaceutical companies commonly produce drugs that end up killing and harming people, aggressively market them, after approval based on safety studies they perform themselves. In the case of vaccines they also aggressively lobby to get them mandated, and have absolutely zero liability should someone be harmed, which has happened plenty of times. There is risk associated with any drug, including vaccines. Many nurses choose to work at facilities that do not require flu vaccines when they are hired, but the policy is changed at some later point. When a nurse is given a drug, they ARE a patient.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.

I have never had the flu vaccine nor have I ever had the flu. I've been in nursing for 27 years this year. My father, retired Army SGT, had to have the vaccine and of course, he got the flu every year. My brother, a Navy commander, has to take the vaccine and of course, he gets the flu. My kids and myself, we NEVER get the vaccine, and I'm blessed to say, we've never had the flu. My kids are grown now and make their own decisions. They choose not to get it. In our family, our evidence-based theory is working a whole lot better for me and the kids than it is for my brother and my dad.......just saying......

Whether the vaccine causes the flu or not, my take on it is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Sometimes it pays to leave well-enough alone.

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We had mandated flu vaccines, and guess what...we had the flu sweep thru our unit like wildfire starting in December and still going. At least we aren't as sick as we could have been.

Good point. There is plenty of research to support the likelihood that, even if the flu vaccine did not prevent the flu altogether, it may have reduced the severity of it. This is legitimate assumption.

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Specializes in emergency, psy, case management.

When you say the flu sweep through your unit--was it confirmed to be influenza or was it flu like symptoms? Sorry I dont mean to be a pain--but since this is a vaccination thread I though it would be important to compare apples to apples.

I too, are seeing many employees off with flu like illnesses and some with confirmed influenza ( per quick test) and all have had the vaccination.

Guess what--the hospital still wanted them to work--even though they had been afebrile for only1 day. Most were out for 2 days only. Came to work still feeling bad and most with a cough. Go figure....

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Its mandatory for us because its a money maker. There is no proof that if you get the vaccine you won't get sick again. Great way to make money.

What happens if you get the vaccine and something harmful happens to you, will the pharmaceutical company be liable? No

Its mandatory because 1. money 2. they know that many workers refuse it

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. . . . There is no proof that if you get the vaccine you won't get sick again. . . .

There is no proof that if you wear a seat belt you won't die in a car accident. . . . I guess you don't wear your seat belt.

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Exactly! How can you know. When they say the flu shot is 62% effective, they are counting effective as including those who were vaccinated and got the flu anyways but did not require hospitalization. It is very poorly executed, presented and is quite misleading.

Wrong. Efficacy percentages do not include those who received the flu shot & still got the flu at all.

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The flu vaccine is approved for pregnant and nursing women, and the package inserts for most varieties clearly states these populations have not been studied, yet approving it for them certainly implies safety. Patients deserve quality safety studies for any drug they are given, as to most people, it is assumed that drugs are proven safe or they would not be given.

The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women for several years, and the flu shot has not been shown to cause harm in pregnant women or their babies. This is such a high risk population in flu season that it is important that we as nurses advocate for them to get the flu shot.

There are many medications labeled Category C that we readily give to pregnant women. Not studied in clinical trials does not = not safe.

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I have never had the flu vaccine nor have I ever had the flu. I've been in nursing for 27 years this year. My father, retired Army SGT, had to have the vaccine and of course, he got the flu every year. My brother, a Navy commander, has to take the vaccine and of course, he gets the flu. My kids and myself, we NEVER get the vaccine, and I'm blessed to say, we've never had the flu. My kids are grown now and make their own decisions. They choose not to get it. In our family, our evidence-based theory is working a whole lot better for me and the kids than it is for my brother and my dad.......just saying......

Whether the vaccine causes the flu or not, my take on it is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Sometimes it pays to leave well-enough alone.

-It's not just about protecting ourselves; it's about protecting those around us as well.

-The flu shot does not cause the flu.

-Evidence-based practice is about relying on the best available research to guide your decision-making in nursing.

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Why are we giving a vaccine of any kind to an immunocompromised person, and expecting for it to work?

The flu shot has been given to millions of pregnant women for several years, and the flu shot has not been shown to cause harm in pregnant women or their babies. This is such a high risk population in flu season that it is important that we as nurses advocate for them to get the flu shot.

There are many medications labeled Category C that we readily give to pregnant women. Not studied in clinical trials does not = not safe.

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The most common complication of the flu is bacterial pneumonia. If you are a healthy, active adult it is highly unlikely that you will develop this complication.

Mariebailey you seem like an expert on the topic, can you tell me long term side effects of taking the vaccine over a course of a person's lifetime?

Man Struggling To Recover After Being Stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome | NBC 6 South Florida

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The most common complication of the flu is bacterial pneumonia. If you are a healthy, active adult it is highly unlikely that you will develop this complication.

Mariebailey you seem like an expert on the topic, can you tell me long term side effects of taking the vaccine over a course of a person's lifetime?

Man Struggling To Recover After Being Stricken with Guillain-Barre Syndrome | NBC 6 South Florida

I do not claim to be an expert, but I'll discuss that issue gladly.

GBS occurs in

The vaccine has been administered for over 50 years, & the same trivalent vaccine has been administered in the U.S. since the early 80s. In other words, the vaccine has been studied for > 50 years, & has been affiliated with mild, short-lived SE, rather than long term SE over the course of a lifetime.

While I agree that , normally, bacterial pneumo as a complication of the flu is limited to seniors & other immunocompromised, my 56 year old mother with no serious underlying health conditions became gravely ill from bacterial pneumonia after getting the flu. I partly blame the provider for thinking it wise to give her a steroid shot when she presented with influenza-like-illness within 24 hours of onset. I will digress now. FYI: The CDC started advising against the ol' steroid shot to mask the symptoms when several of the mortalities from H1N1 were linked to this practice. My point: why take the chance? & remember, it's not just about protecting yourself; it's also a/b protecting those around you.

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