Today, there is an article posted on how 22,000 nurses are taking a stand against mandatory vaccination. These nurses are willing to lose their jobs to stand up for their Pro-choice rights. I have included the link below so you can read the article for yourself. Learn more about NAMV (Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines)
NAMV was founded when mandatory vaccines were introduced in the workplace, and though it is not pro-vaccine OR anti-vaccine, it is certainly pro-CHOICE. NAMV members believe that all people should have the right to choose and refuse medical treatment, including nurses and healthcare workers.
Why should a job mandate that I receive a flu vaccine or Dtap? Why should the opinion of others impact my ability to work? It is a disgrace that we as nurses allow legislation to bully us into what they feel is the correct course for vaccine, behavior, appearance. I do not and will never get the flu vaccine I take care of many sick patients who have the flu and yet to get this virus. Me not getting the flu vaccine doesn't impact my ability to provide care. I work on neonatal intensive care units and the emergency room. I have fought and won the right to decide what is put into my body. I have been in nursing 16 years with three sick days. Just because the government says jump doesn't mean we should jump. Interestingly all these hospital jump on the band wagon but at federal or dept of defense jobs flu Dtap vaccines are an individual choice. Wonder why that is? All should be allowed their own opinion but don't force me to follow the crowd just because you chose that course.
I applaud any healthcare worker who is brave enough to stand up for their rights! I had to do the same back in 2011. I was told that the new mandatory influenza vaccination policy meant take the shot or be terminated from my hospital nursing position. I chose to decline the vaccine and was terminated then denied unemployment due to policy violation. Let's just say I have not done hospital nursing since then and I wouldn't change my decision! Kudos to everyone who is letting their own voices be heard!
I did not read all the comments in this thread, but here is my 2 cents.
At our facility, we are allowed to refuse the flu vaccination with medical/religious exemption only. Those who are exempt must wear a mask from October to March anytime they are within 10 feet of a patient.
Interestingly enough, in 2014 and at the beginning of 2015, half our facility still ended up getting the flu although the vaccination compliance rate was 99%.
I am still pro vaccination all the way. I do believe people should have a choice though. I would like to know the statistics in regards to how many flu vaccines have been effective for nurses and what the infection rate was before mandatory vaccines were enacted. There are risks with everything we do. The chemical-filled drinks, foods, and products we use daily are more cause for concern than a flu vaccine, in my opinion.
Someone here said that he or she knew of nurses (plural) who turned in false documentation to their employers. The papers said they had been vaccinated and it was all false (fraud?).
People who talk about how the flu vaccination should have a higher rate of effectiveness before they get it should realize that it's their own anti-vaccination people providing false data, claiming they had been vaccinated when they weren't, that screws up the numbers. Depending on how many people at any facility are lying about having been vaccinated, I can see why people would believe the shot to be less effective than it actually is!
Data is only as good as the people who are supposed to be ethical enough to provide truthful information. Blame the people who lie about their immunizations and make good vaccines look like they don't work as well as they do.
Any nurse who refuses vaccinations for a reason other than being immunocompromised should be fired. The have no business calling themselves a healthcare provider.
Oh give me a break. I don't even understand people that say this. This is the most unoriginal thing you could say about this topic.
What is important here is knowing and understanding immunity - which I think most people do NOT. Most doctors, most nurses do NOT understand. IF you get a flu shot (and they, for 80% of us, they are not even effective this year, but, who cares, better get it anyway, because you know, the flu is dangerous) - you can still contract and SPREAD flu virus. When a person gets the flu shot, they are thinking "Oh, I don't have the flu, because I got my flu shot!" and guess what they do? They go to the store. They go to the library. They go to the movies. They go to work - with the FLU. Because why? Well, because they had their glorious flu shot. So they certainly do NOT have the flu. They are NOT walking around spreading the FLU. And ESPECIALLY medical healthcare personal that are required to take it - they are especially not spreading it since they had their flu shot - they just have a bad cold, right? Well, no...wrong actually. At least the people that do NOT get the flu shot, know and believe that when they get ill there is a possibility that they have an actual flu virus so that they can stay away from others.
I saw a friend post on social media last month "Well, I have influenza b, my doctor said it's a good thing I got my flu shot or it would be much worse." What? Because this doctor knows exactly how her unique immune system was going to react to the flu, and it was going to be much, much worse? What a stupid thing to say. What a stupid thing to believe, on so many levels.
I'd like to know when the flu became this big scary epidemic of a disease. When I was a child (and there was not a vaccine for the flu) I had the flu maybe two or three times as did my siblings. We had a fever, a sore throat, a mild cough and we were tired. We stayed home from school for a week. Sure a week is a lot, but it happened maybe twice in all of our school days. No big deal, life went on. Our parents worked and we stayed home alone when we had the flu. No one was scared we were going to die. We didn't even go to the doctor. There are people with higher risk. These are the people that are more likely to actually benefit from the flu shot, not being around people with the flu shot (especially the mist, which can spread flu). You people are acting like the flu is some scary alien from the deep recesses of outer space that is coming ton conquer us once and for all. NO. Just NO. It is not that big of a deal. You know what IS a big deal? Car accidents. Yep, car accidents.
Do you know how many people died from influenza last year? Not as many people that died in car accidents. Where is the car accident vaccine? If saving people from dying is so important why aren't we trying to save people from driving unsafely? Where is the campaign for driver safety courses? Are hospitals requiring employees to take safe driving courses? It seems like if more people die from driving then the healthcare workers should be doing something to improve that outcome, no? When people come into the ER with injuries from a car accident are they berated with "Did you have your safe driving class? Why not? You know, it saves XXX amount of lives a year? If you'd just take a safe driving class we could save XXX lives, please just take your safe driving class."
We can't save people from illness by instituting mandatory DRUG implementation. We CAN save people by teaching them correct preemptive healthcare like eating healthy, exercising, and staying away from others when they feel illness coming on. That is what our parents did and were taught to do. If I can't force people to eat the right foods and exercise then how can someone else force a prescribed drug onto me? The highest rate of death from influenza is those over the age of 65 (ironically, the flu shot is less effective for this age group). It stands to reason, in my obviously out of the box brain, that the 65+ population should be targeted from a different health standpoint regarding the flu. And when the flu shot is only 18% effective, all of us healthcare workers that are caring for the elderly population need to pay attention to our own symptoms and illness and not be so cavalier with thoughts such as "well I had the flu shot, I'm obviously not going to transmit it."
If you get the flu shot, and then just think you are safe so you can go to work and breathe all over everyone without a mask and believe there's no way you can give someone the flu - you are just as ridiculous as the people that GO to work sick and breathe all over everyone. The flu shot is the LEAST effective vaccine. It has been said time and time again that it is the least effective. It is so sad to think that this bandwagon of healthcare workers wants to get all holier-than-thou about taking the flu vaccine because it is the "right thing to do," when really the right thing to do is different for everyone. Let people make their own healthcare decisions.
The person that walks into a hospital and thinks "I'm in the hospital, so I can't possibly get sick from anyone," probably has a problem with logical thinking. Healthcare workers can and do transmit illness. Healthcare workers should not be at work when ill. Healthcare workers therefore should not be transmitting illness. Just because a healthcare worker receives the flu shot does not mean they cannot transmit the flu. Don't think you're better than anyone else because you may be 18% more likely not to get the flu. Those are slim pickins'.
I am all for the tried-&-true childhood vaccines, but the Flu vaccine is a money grab all the way around. The yearly influenza vaccine is formulated from the best guess of the researchers in government and influenza vaccine manufacturers on how the current influenza virus is going to mutate since the formulation of last year's influenza vaccine based on a scientific "best guess". From the Webster's/Merriam Dictionary: medical : A substance that is usually injected into a person or animal to protect against a particular disease, from Medicinenet.com: Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against the microbe, thereby preventing disease. The CDC has admitted that the flu vaccine does neither.
Invariably the government and independent research scientists have admitted that the annual flu vaccine either; 1) This year's vaccine has limited efficacy. Or, 2) That it doesn't work at all. As a matter of fact, they have admitted that of any flu vaccine produced works (mind you, their definition of works†is broad) only about 60% of the time under optimal conditions – that is, when the vaccinee is a healthy adult 65 and under and the vaccine is a good match to the flu strains currently circulating. The vaccine works a lot less than 60% of the time on the people who need it most, the elderly and the sick. Some studies even suggest that it may do no good whatever in preventing influenza among the frail elderly, who are likeliest to die if they catch it. Other studies show reduced hospitalizations and deaths – that is, milder cases – when members of this vulnerable population are vaccinated but still catch influenza.
Every year the expectation is to manufacture 190,000,000 doses flu vaccine in approximately ten months (I dare you to manufacture 190,000,000 of anything and guarantee flawless quality control) compounded with the fact much of this done overseas and flu vaccine manufacturers have been given a special no-fault Vaccine Court†by a U.S. Supreme Court decision and government regulation that has drug companies almost immune from liability for injuries and deaths caused by vaccines. How about, that Australia, Canada, Japan, and many other industrialized countries have banned certain influenza vaccines altogether.With all this in mind do you really want to take a chance with your health and inject that into your body?
The annual flu vaccine is like many other cult followings (think Magnet Statusâ€)that sounds great when you blindly follow what the talking heads put out, but with a little research proves that it means nothing when the rubber-meets-the-road. For every single article touting the benefits of the annual flu vaccine there are three that says that it's short of useless. Doubt what I'm saying? Do an internet search with terms like Liability Shield For Vaccine Makers†or Annual Flu Vaccine Efficacy†or Flu Vaccine Bannedâ€. Now, think about how healthcare conglomerates have treated nurses over the last decade ~ do really want this crap in your body based on what your employer tells you?
Today, there is an article posted on how 22,000 nurses are taking a stand against mandatory vaccination. These nurses are willing to lose their jobs to stand up for their Pro-choice rights. I have included the link below so you can read the article for yourself. Learn more about NAMV (Nurses Against Mandatory Vaccines)
NAMV was founded when mandatory vaccines were introduced in the workplace, and though it is not pro-vaccine OR anti-vaccine, it is certainly pro-CHOICE. NAMV members believe that all people should have the right to choose and refuse medical treatment, including nurses and healthcare workers.
if mandatory vacc is beung enforced. .what do nurses and med staff do about isolation pts with transmitable terminal illnesses ? with no vaccine available.. ?
if mandatory vacc is beung enforced. .what do nurses and med staff do about isolation pts with transmitable terminal illnesses ? with no vaccine available.. ?
Your username indicates that you are a nurse. I assume that you're familiar with standard, droplet and airborne precautions? We use the appropriate one.
I'm not sure I understand how your question about infectious diseases with no available vaccines pertains to the influenza vaccine which is available to us?
I am not going to decide what a Nurse should allow to be put in her or his body as I do not know medical history or anything about each Nurse. I choose to be vaccinated to not bring anything back to my family and to protect my patients. Each individual Nurse has to make a decision as to what their standards are.
Do you know how many people died from influenza last year? Not as many people that died in car accidents. Where is the car accident vaccine?
Well, requiring a driver to have a license, speed limits, laws against driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, seat belts, engineering of vehicles and roads all help promote a safe traffic environment. But I agree, there is room for improvement. (Probably not in the form of a vaccine though :))
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Why should a job mandate that I receive a flu vaccine or Dtap?
Because that is perfectly within their rights. You are free to choose not to follow said mandate and find an employer whose policies match your desires. Don't like an employer's policies? Vote with your feet.
It is a disgrace that we as nurses allow legislation to bully us into what they feel is the correct course for vaccine, behavior, appearance.
What states have passed legislation requiring nurses to become vaccinated against the flu? As far as I am aware, it is employer policy. At least, in my state and the surrounding states.
cajrio
46 Posts
Why should a job mandate that I receive a flu vaccine or Dtap? Why should the opinion of others impact my ability to work? It is a disgrace that we as nurses allow legislation to bully us into what they feel is the correct course for vaccine, behavior, appearance. I do not and will never get the flu vaccine I take care of many sick patients who have the flu and yet to get this virus. Me not getting the flu vaccine doesn't impact my ability to provide care. I work on neonatal intensive care units and the emergency room. I have fought and won the right to decide what is put into my body. I have been in nursing 16 years with three sick days. Just because the government says jump doesn't mean we should jump. Interestingly all these hospital jump on the band wagon but at federal or dept of defense jobs flu Dtap vaccines are an individual choice. Wonder why that is? All should be allowed their own opinion but don't force me to follow the crowd just because you chose that course.