Mandated Flu vaccine?

Nurses COVID

Published

Hi- Just received a blanket email yesterday that my hospital in VA is requiring ALL STAFF involved in patient care to get the flu vaccine this year. (incl nurses, physicians, clinical aides etc) I always get the vaccine voluntarily but feels wrong that this can be mandated. I still intend to get it. Is this legal? I remember something similar involving a group of NY Nurses some time back.:uhoh3:

In my facility, if you refuse the vaccine, you will wear a mask when in contact with patients, until the end of flu season.

The symptoms you had last year were not related to the vaccine.It is attenuated and cannot CAUSE the flu.The resdients have received the vaccine, but many will not acquire immunity due to several factors.

I love my flu shot!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia.

Vaccines aren't 100% effective. The more people that get vaccinated the better the chances that no one will get the flu. Everyone feels differently about vaccines, but vaccines are proven to effectively control the spread of many infectious diseases. In one case (small pox) eliminate disease, and in the future polio will probably be eliminated because of vaccines too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.
I work in a nursing home, and all my residents get the flu shot once a year. I had my very first flu shot last year when I started working there, and ended up having the flu for the first time over Christmas. I am still trying to figure out how my employer feels about us refusing the flu shot. But if all of the residents in long term care get vaccinated, is it really that important that I do too? :confused:

It's very possible you were down with a flu that wasn't part of the vaccine. Each year "they" decide which strains will be most prevelant/harmful and develop a vaccine to cover those strains. If they miss the mark, the vax won't protect you from a strain that's not part of that years vax. Did that make sense? LOL---I tried!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

I do not get vaccinated and do not work for organizations that mandate flu vaccines. No thank you for me!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.
In my facility, if you refuse the vaccine, you will wear a mask when in contact with patients, until the end of flu season.

The symptoms you had last year were not related to the vaccine.It is attenuated and cannot CAUSE the flu.The resdients have received the vaccine, but many will not acquire immunity due to several factors.

I love my flu shot!

I always love those who say they got the vax and then ended up sick as a dog: N/V/D, "the whole flu thing". Trying to explain to them that they were vax'd against RESPIRATORY influenza and not the stomach flu is like banging your head against the wall

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.
I work in a nursing home, and all my residents get the flu shot once a year. I had my very first flu shot last year when I started working there, and ended up having the flu for the first time over Christmas. I am still trying to figure out how my employer feels about us refusing the flu shot. But if all of the residents in long term care get vaccinated, is it really that important that I do too? :confused:

Are you correlating the two?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiology and ER Nursing.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/flu_vaccine_updates.htm
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Wouldn't go to work without it (vaccine).

Every year, I get a kick out out of reading the posters who state that they got "the flu" after vaccination for influenza. My husband takes the high octane (quadruple dose) vaccine due to his chronic lung condition. The worst that he suffers is a 24-hour sore arm/achiness. Well worth the protection.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics.

To answer your question, YES it is important to get the vaccine even though all your residents were vaccinated. How would you feel if you were developing a strain of flu not covered by the vax and passed it to a resident during the incubation period? You'd probably end up killing them; you work with a high-risk population.

It is pure coincidence that you got the flu for the first time after being vaccinated. The flu shot doesn't cause the flu.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in surgical, neuro, education.

The shot does NOT "give" you the flu. If you truly had influenza then you probably contracted it before the flu shot or a different strain than they used last year. Those elderly patients have decreased immune systems even with the vaccinations. Better safe than sorry I always say.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I'm in a high-risk group and haven't missed a flu shot since 1992. I also work with a high-risk population, and am pretty militant about staff having them done since THEY work directly with frail elderly people. I don't mandate that everyone get the shot, but I use a lot of education and encouragement, and when necessary, guilt ("what if Mr. Jones or Mrs. Smith got the flu and died because YOU brought it in?"). ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.
To answer your question, YES it is important to get the vaccine even though all your residents were vaccinated. How would you feel if you were developing a strain of flu not covered by the vax and passed it to a resident during the incubation period? You'd probably end up killing them; you work with a high-risk population.

It is pure coincidence that you got the flu for the first time after being vaccinated. The flu shot doesn't cause the flu.

Can you clarify your argument? If she's passing on a strain that isn't covered by the vaccine, then having the vaccine would not have prevented it. And I don't think the OP stated the shot gave her the flu. She merely said she got the flu even though she had the vaccine. As we all (should) know, the vaccine is a guesstimate of what strain will be prevalent in a given flu season - I see plenty of patients in the ER who have the flu every year and who were vaccinated.

That said, I am all for getting vaccinated and will be getting mine this week.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment