Okay, so, I have studied vaccinations rather intensely and have chosen not to get vaccinated.
When I went to my nursing school they mad dogged me about having my vaccinations up to date.
I know I can file a personal beliefs affidavit when I apply, but I'm nervous about being black listed since the program I plan on attending chooses students by lottery and there would be no way to know if I was blacklisted.
I'm also worried about eventually getting a job....will I be passed over because I don't have my vaccinations?
I am also concerned about the sources the OP has considered in making this decision. There is so much misinformation out there and pseudo-science when it comes to vaccines.
At some point, though, don't we have to draw a line? I think at the time you enter nursing school, the rubber is hitting the road. You either have SOME idea of how to assess reliable information or you are an idiot.
Very early in my nursing school program, one of the instructors stood in front of the class and made a very terse statement on the school's policy and clinical sites' policy on vaccinations.
I don't know if he made believers out of the few loonie tunes anti-vax people in the classroom (this was the height of the Jenny McCarthy BS), but they sure kept their traps shut about it for the next two years.
I had a patient once- a young teenage girl with Guillain -Barre syndrome after a vaccine. Terrible what she went through. But this is such a rare event that to me it is worth the risk. Please don't consider these people loonie tunes. They have a very real fear. There are a few who are simply resisting government control, but most of them are just terrified. If you have to deal with an autistic child or a brain damaged child who is that way possibly as a result of vaccines, then you have to deal with that guilt the rest of your life. It is a terrible choice to have to make when you fear that the vaccines may result in brain damage. Now as adults, I am not sure what they are afraid of. But for parents I can understand their fear.
Personal beliefs do not empower you to endanger your patients. The requirements are there primarily to protect the patient population by preventing the healthcare worker from being a disease vector.
You could claim a personal belief against washing your hands, but educational institutions and workplaces would inform you that you are entitled to your belief, just not while being a medical professional... especially if in your personal belief affidavit you repeatedly spell "through" as "threw."
We don't expect perfection, but if you want to go on and on about how much research and self-education you've done while posting on a website for medical professionals, then extremely poor writing undermines your position.
I'm thinking OPs list of "wise doctors" includes Mr. Wakefield, formerly known as Dr. Wakefield until he was stripped of his medical license for willfully fraudulent research techniques in his anti-vaccine research.
If we wish to bandy about accusations of murder when it comes to vaccine refusal, then Mr. Wakefield is a mass murderer.
My state has one of the lowest rates of vaccination due to a comination of religious based denials from certain sects of fundimentalist Christians and the new-age all-natural granola hippies. As a consequence of these luddites, this state has one of the highest rates of vaccine preventable illnesses in children.
Not everyone should get a vaccination; a poster mentioned their child was immunocomprimised! Others are predisiposed to other complications. Society relies on herd immunity in the rest of the children and healthcare workers to protect these children who cannot be vaccinated as well as those who were vaccinated, but the vaccine did not result in immunity.
My girlfriend was vaccinated for pertussis. It did not result in immunity. Her region had low vaccination rates. She has asthma. She contracted pertussis. IT LASTED 4-5 MONTHS. She nearly died. It is her most miserable memory of childhood.
I think the OP has been beaten into submission enough already.
I also have some lovely memories of childhood illness- Mumps, German Measles, Scarlet Fever, Chickenpox. Miserable times. I think we have grown complacent because today's parents do not remember those things. Many illnesses are not as severe in adults, but we do have the responsibility to avoid spreading them. I get frustrated when people don't even want the flu shot.
You have to remember though that a nursing student just entering the program does not yet think like a nurse. Informing is good, but endless criticism?
I know this isn't exactly the same, but when we were moving from the U.S. to Germany I had to get all of my boosters done all at once. It went fine. I had some soreness from the shoots, but did fine. I'm sure they can stagger some of them if you ask them to do so. Are you completely against updated shots?
If you have to deal with an autistic child or a brain damaged child who is that way possibly as a result of vaccines, then you have to deal with that guilt the rest of your life.
There is no link between autism, Guillian Barre, or "brain damage" and vaccines. It was suspected that swine flu vaccinations in 1976 MAY have caused Guillan Barre. However, there is no increase in Guillian Barre in any of the vaccines used today.
So, no, I don't have to deal with any guilt from a situation that you just completely fabricated.
There is no link between autism, Guillian Barre, or "brain damage" and vaccines. It was suspected that swine flu vaccinations in 1976 MAY have caused Guillan Barre. However, there is no increase in Guillian Barre in any of the vaccines used today.
So, no, I don't have to deal with any guilt from a situation that you just completely fabricated.
Indeed. We as healthcare providers have to stomp out this sort of misinformation that is being spread around. It is this stuff that causes people not to vaccinate kids who should get vaccinations!
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I remember the old swine flu vaccine......we saw 4 nurses fall ill (between 2 hospitals) with Guillain Barre after vaccination. I have remained cautious over the years. I don't trust the government telling me it's fine.....they lie too much.
That being said, I have been immunized. I agree with everyone here that he maybe restricted on where he can work. We as nurses are exposed to so many different diseases in caring for the general public that it is foolish not to protect yourself in an environment where exposure is likely.
It's like wearing a condom when having sex, infection/exposure may not be likely but why take the chance.
Hey don't blame me. I did not start it. No proof, yes. But that is what they documented back then. She fell ill after a vaccine. She was 19 years old. And if you read the vaccine fliers there are reports of adverse events listed on them including these exact things. How dare you say I fabricated this? I was there, you were not. I handle vaccines, do you? Do you read the vaccine inserts? I do.
This from the CDC on Tdap:
"Severe problems (very rare)
Permanent brain damage."
Also on CDC for flu vaccines:
"In 1976, a type of inactivated influenza (swine flu) vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Since then, flu vaccines have not been clearly linked to GBS. However, if there is a risk of GBS from current flu vaccines, it would be no more than 1 or 2 cases per million people vaccinated."
Does this sound like a total disclaimer? No - it is rare and unproven. But it is listed as a possible side effect that we have to inform our patients of. This is why they have the VAERS system to track these rare events.
I am not going to comment on autism because this has not been linked, all I said was that people are AFRAID because of the publicity that surrounds the possible increase in autism which may or may not be associated with vaccines.
MN-Nurse, ASN, RN
1,398 Posts
At some point, though, don't we have to draw a line? I think at the time you enter nursing school, the rubber is hitting the road. You either have SOME idea of how to assess reliable information or you are an idiot.
Very early in my nursing school program, one of the instructors stood in front of the class and made a very terse statement on the school's policy and clinical sites' policy on vaccinations.
I don't know if he made believers out of the few loonie tunes anti-vax people in the classroom (this was the height of the Jenny McCarthy BS), but they sure kept their traps shut about it for the next two years.