Mandatory h1n1 vaccination to stay in school?!!?

core0 · Jan 26, 2010

Hi all,
I have just gotten off the phone with my friend who is very upset about her school's requirement to be vaccinated against the h1n1 virus in order to remain enrolled in classes. She is currently taking core classes which have all been online - yet is being told that she has until the end of the month to get vaccinated or she will be dropped from her classes. Her reasons for not being vaccinated include:
1. There is a very small percentage of infected persons presenting with life-threatening symptoms (Most time it is self-limiting)
2. Its a new vaccination - where most vaccinations/medications are tested for years, this vaccination was just developed last year and immediately used without proper testing.
3. The recent recall
4. She claims that in her hospital there has been a incidence of Guillain Barre after a pt received the h1n1 vaccination.
Personally, I don't feel that anyone should be coerced into taking the vaccination especially given points 1-3 (I can't agree with point 4 as I've never witnessed it myself)
Jost curious, what are your thoughts?

1. The chance of having a life threating injury is less than the chance of morbidity or mortality from H1N1. The chance of a life threatening injury is much less than the morbidity or mortality from spreading H1N1 to your patient.

2. Its not a new vaccination. It was developed in exactly the same way that the seasonal flu vaccine is developed every year. It was not included in the seasonal flu vaccine because it became prevalent after the seasonal flu vaccine entered into production.

3. There have been two recalls for H1N1. One for the nasal spray and one for the pediatric syringes. Both of these were because the vaccine failed to maintain potency. In other words, the only danger to the public was that they would have received an inadequate dose of the vaccine. This is common with each flu season. Novartis recalled several lots of their seasonal flu vaccine this year for the same reasons.

4. Guillain barre strikes at a rate of around 1:100,000 per year. There has been no association between any modern flu vaccine and GBS. Even the 1976 swine flu vaccine is controversial as a cause. On the other hand having the flu increases the risk of GBS by a significant percent (up to 10x higher according to some estimates). Therefore GBS peaks with flu season and this year with vaccination since the H1N1 flu arrived prior to mass inoculations. Proximity is not the same as causality.

The only real contraindication is egg allergy, GBS from a previous vaccine or vaccine alllergy.

David Carpenter, PA-C

ms_sheesh · Jan 27, 2010

Thanks, David. I'll be sure to pass this information along to her. Maybe she'll delve a bit deeper and do some research of her own.

allnurses Guide · Jan 31, 2010

Personally, I don't feel that anyone should be coerced into taking the vaccination especially given points 1-3 (I can't agree with point 4 as I've never witnessed it myself)
Jost curious, what are your thoughts?

She's not being "coerced" - she's free to leave the school if she doesn't like their policies. In any case, it's probably the policy of the clinical sites and not the school.

caliotter3 · Jan 31, 2010

I made the decision not to get the vaccine but then nobody has pressured me to take it. She has her options open to her. It is like any other requirement except it deals with her health. If she does not want the vaccine, then she should make arrangements to leave the program. I would under the circumstances.

LovebugLPN · Jan 31, 2010

I had a friend who did not want to be vaccinated and her pcp actually said that she was allergic to eggs.