Refusing the Influenza Vaccine

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This may have already been talked about... so I apologize. I tried searching for a similar thread, but couldn't find one. I received my acceptance letter yesterday, with a date of June 1st to complete my health related requirements (i.e., vaccines, medical insurance, etc.). One of the requirements posted on the paperwork is the annual Influenza vaccine. I don't want the vaccine, and have no intention of getting it. I'm fully vaccinated for everything else, except Influenza. I won't start the whole mess of trying to explain my reasoning of not wanting the vaccine (it's a personal choice, and there's no need to start those arguments)... I just need to find out if anyone is in the same boat and if they successfully refused.

Specializes in Operating Room.

Is the search function broken? This has been discussed ad nauseam. To sum it up, you have the right to refuse the vaccine, they have the right to refuse admission.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
What about Tamiflu??? Will they allow it as an alternative?
What difference would use of Tamiflu make?

While it is a treatment for flu, it is not a cure. To my knowledge, it is not used as prophylaxis, nor can it prevent you from spreading it once you have the disease. And many people are infectious before they show signs.

And given the cost, I doubt that most students can afford years of Tamiflu. Insurance certainly will not pay for it for prophylaxis in a student especially in place of a vaccination (we have to fight tooth and nail to get higher dosing for PTs that actually need the drug).

The WHO also has noted several areas where people are developing Tamiflu resistant strains of the flu. Misuse of the drug in this manner will only worsen resistance. And in some places the MD prescribing it would get in trouble for writing for the drug without a valid reason.

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Your school is not going to risk its clinical site placements in order to allow you to refuse a vaccine. The clinical sites don't have to allow exceptions (except possibly medically verifiable exceptions) to the vaccination rules. You aren't an employee, you are their guest and the hospital has a responsibility to protect their patients from you bringing in disease to already compromised patients.

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And it makes sense of course you will have a sore arm and some inflammation do to your immune system aquiring the immunity from the shot. I always expect to not feel well 1-2 days after getting the vaccine, but if you haven't already learned about immunity in Micro that is the immune response which is expected to occur. There will be MUCH more to worry about while in school. If its not because of an egg allergy I highly reccommend not making a huge fuss over something that is important to the relationship between the school and their clinical site, in addition your overall learning experience. You don't want to worry about wearing a mask when you will already being sweating up a storm learning how to move patients around for the first time or inserting IVs, ect. GOOD LUCK in school. I start in August and I couldn't be more thrilled!

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Specializes in none.
There is no evidence showing you can get the flu from flu shots.

I guess I was hallucinating then, Two shots two flues the only time in my life that I had the flu. Flu symptoms right after injections, but that can't happen because there is a study stating you can't get the flu from the flu shot. Maybe I was Pregnant.

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Specializes in Midwifery, Women's Health, PCP.
I guess I was hallucinating then, Two shots two flues the only time in my life that I had the flu. Flu symptoms right after injections, but that can't happen because there is a study stating you can't get the flu from the flu shot. Maybe I was Pregnant.

This shows a lack of understanding regarding both vaccinations and viruses. And basic research, since you're convinced correlation equals causation. By the time you start to show symptoms of the flu, you've been infected for days, so the vaccine is definitely not the cause.

How far along are you in your nursing education?

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

we had to get one to go clincal-no vax, no clinical-no degree. Went for 3 interviews in the last month: no flu vax-no job.

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Specializes in Public Health Nurse.

Our school did not require it either but some clinical sites did during the flu season. I chose not to and wore the masks....I put up with it by thinking it was a way of protecting myself from anything else that may come up from a patient, so that way of thinking made the mask tolerable, a way of rationalizing it. The instructors were understanding in my case and were not upset with me. It really depends on yours so good luck.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

If you plan to work in Texas you will need flu and other vaccines. Period. The state has a new law requiring healthcare personnel to be vaccinated in order to protect the public and to provide care for the public.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

If it's a requirement by your school (probably because of clinicals) you're not going to have a choice if you want to attend their program. You have the right to refuse. And they have the right to dismiss you from the program for not having the outlined requirements.

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Specializes in none.
This shows a lack of understanding regarding both vaccinations and viruses. And basic research, since you're convinced correlation equals causation. By the time you start to show symptoms of the flu, you've been infected for days, so the vaccine is definitely not the cause.

How far along are you in your nursing education?

I guess I was not clear enough. I had my first flu shot when I was in the Air Force. I was 18 years old. I Knew nothing of the Flu shots or medicine. I was in basic training.Two weeks after the flu shot, I was fighting for my life in the base hospital. The Doctor told me that they did some test and found out that I was allergic to the flu shot that they had about 20 men and women out of thousands on Base, ( this was during Vietnam) that were allergic. That they would get the flu if they got the shot. He told me not to get the shot again. We fast forward about 55 years. I'm in the doctors office, I had just come off the night shift, I was tired. The Doc bought in a bunch of needles. He gave me them. Then he looked at my chart. He said I have down here that you are allergic to the Flu shot and I just gave you one. When was the last time you had one. I said 1966. He said "Well they have improved from then." This time it took three weeks for me to go to the hospital with the very same symptoms that I had over a half century ago. Never had the flu for 55 years. There you have something you can add to your nursing education. Anti-depressed can make some people more depressed, anti psychotic drugs can make more psychotic, and flu shots sometimes gives some people the flu. CDC web site says "rarely" get serious side effects. I guess I'm the one of the 19 other people on earth that get the flu from the shot.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I guess I was not clear enough. I had my first flu shot when I was in the Air Force. I was 18 years old. I Knew nothing of the Flu shots or medicine. I was in basic training.Two weeks after the flu shot, I was fighting for my life in the base hospital. The Doctor told me that they did some test and found out that I was allergic to the flu shot that they had about 20 men and women out of thousands on Base, ( this was during Vietnam) that were allergic. That they would get the flu if they got the shot. He told me not to get the shot again. We fast forward about 55 years. I'm in the doctors office, I had just come off the night shift, I was tired. The Doc bought in a bunch of needles. He gave me them. Then he looked at my chart. He said I have down here that you are allergic to the Flu shot and I just gave you one. When was the last time you had one. I said 1966. He said "Well they have improved from then." This time it took three weeks for me to go to the hospital with the very same symptoms that I had over a half century ago. Never had the flu for 55 years. There you have something you can add to your nursing education. Anti-depressed can make some people more depressed, anti psychotic drugs can make more psychotic, and flu shots sometimes gives some people the flu. CDC web site says "rarely" get serious side effects. I guess I'm the one of the 19 other people on earth that get the flu from the shot.

You're not getting the flu from the shot. You're allergic to the shot. The flu causes an inflammation reaction from your immune system and allergic reactions can cause severe "flu-like" symptoms. The immune response could be anything in the shot- but since the vaccine does not carry a live virus- you're illness is not from a viral infection (in this case- influenza).

This is just my best guess from my (albeit limited) knowledge of microbiology and immune response.

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