Refusing Mandatory Vaccination

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

You are an adult...this is not elementary school...you have the right to refuse any vaccine that you want.

The school should be able to provide a waiver for you to sign.

Circejane · Sep 17, 2009

Be aware that while the school may allow you to attend classes without these vaccines, the clinical sites often require them as well. The nursing homes and hospitals simply won't have you there without them--it's not up to the school. At our school, you cannot attend clinicals unless you are vaccinated or have titers showing immunity to chicken pox, measles/mumps/rubella, etc.--the basic childhood vaccinations.

I believe that influenza and Hep B can be waived, but the others cannot without medical documentation of an allergic reaction or Guillain Barre'.

rachelgeorgina · Sep 17, 2009

In Australia you cannot work on the clinical site (as a student or employee) without the required vaccinations unless there is a damn good reason (like a severe allergy to the vaccination.)

Circejane · Sep 17, 2009

One thing I would like to point out, not just for the OP but for everyone in this situation: When you enter the nursing profession, you are CHOOSING to work with vulnerable populations. Many or most of your patients will be immune-compromised in some way. These vaccinations are required to protect both you and them. They have a purpose.

For those who cannot or will not get vaccines, they can't be forced when simply a part of the general population. But when you become a nurse or a nursing student, you are signing on voluntarily to work with these people, and thus are accepting the responsibility of protecting them. That includes protecting them by insuring your immunity to certain diseases.

Going into nursing and refusing basic vaccinations (I'm not talking H1N1 here, folks) is like going to the police academy but wanting a waiver not to carry a gun, because you disagree with the use of firearms. Hopefully the gun will never be necessary, but it's part of the job. If you have objections, you may want to look at another field that does not require any vaccinations.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 17, 2009

It is unethical for clinical care providers to place their own values above those of the patients they care for. Refusal to acccept vaccinations places your patients at risk. Patient care also exposes us to more pathogens than the population at large. Previous posters are correct; students are not permitted to begin clinical rotations unless they have all vaccinations and acceptable titres.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2009

Going into nursing and refusing basic vaccinations (I'm not talking H1N1 here, folks) is like going to the police academy but wanting a waiver not to carry a gun, because you disagree with the use of firearms. Hopefully the gun will never be necessary, but it's part of the job. If you have objections, you may want to look at another field that does not require any vaccinations.

I agree 190%

Things like Hep B..etc...vaccines that have been around forever...well developed, well tested, millions of people for a good number of years that have received them....sign me up...I have no problem taking them.

It's the yearly flu shots and the H1N1 that I disagree with.

xxlilkacixx · Sep 17, 2009

You may be able to avoid these vaccines with your school (although you couldn't if you went to my school) but you could maybe get by.. BUT once you are out of school I think it will be next to impossible to find a job if you won't get vaccinated against these things. I have my physical in a month and have to get a tetnis shot OUNCH.. not excited! I'm going to to do it though, that's what you do when you want something bad enough, you grin and bear it.

OCD_Mom · Sep 17, 2009

As the mother of an immune suppressed child I would be TERRIBLY upset to learn my child contracted something like chickenpox from a member of the clinical or hospital staff. I simple disease like this can kill him or destroy his transplant. He would be hospitalized for potentially months and that was if he was healthy; can you even fathom the reality or mortality if he was already ill? I think not having vaccines and working in the health profession you would be a great liability.

I choose get all of my vaccines to prevent illness to my child and any other person who maybe immune compromised or is unable have a vaccine, part of the herd theory. My husband and I take turns watching our kids or separating them for 4-10 days when someone receives a live virus as well. I know there are reasons people choose not to get vaccines but the risks of most vaccines they are asking us to get are so little compared to the actual diseases themselves.

TerriS.RN · Sep 17, 2009

Be very aware that since hospitals are mandating influenza vaccinations, it is a precursor to the H1N1 vaccination. I have been a nurse for over 29 years now working in the CCU, ED and Hemodialysis...who could be more ill and immunocompromised than these types of patients. I have never gotten ill from any of my patients and if I was ill, I either called in sick or wore a mask...now then, lets talk about the influenza vaccine! I voluntarily took the vaccination the season of 2003-2004 and became severely ill. I was not advised of the ingredients of the vaccination. I am severely allergic to formaldehyde and was not given informed consent...there was not a single package insert available! Hmmm! I refused the vaccination last year based on my experience which proved to me that God has my back and vaccination is not a good thing. Follow the money my dear young nurses! Who do you think funds the research for these vaccinations? Could it be...the very pharmaceutical companies that manufacture them??? Take a look at the disclaimers for the researchers and you sill see their conflict of interest statements...they are all tied in some way to the pharmaceutical companies funding their research! Good answer!

Please don't be naive to think that your workplace has your best interest at hand. They are attemping to keep their numbers up for Joint Commission, who in turn go by what the CDC recommends, whose Board is chock full of Pharmaceutical Company investors who, by the way are exempt from any conflict of interest when they make recommendations. Oh, and by the way, the FDA is tied into all of this too with many, many Pharmaceutical investors that vote for approving new vaccines...how do you think the HPV vaccination was passed? It was a great way to resoup lost monies from the Cox-2 inhibitor law suits!

Get educated but DON"T GET VACCINATED!!! Last year I wore a mask all season, went to work everyday and never got ill and have not been ill since having been ill that 2003-04 season when I succumbed to the vaccine...never again! Think about what will happen to you 5-10 years down the road, or perhaps less than that, when you find out..."oh by the way, that vaccine that you were given for influenza and H1N1 was mixed up with the H5N1 experimental vaccines, or maybe even some sort of a cancer that was being grown in monkey kidneys! Oops! Sorry about that!

Be smart, work safe, use universal precautions not artificiai stimulation of your immune system...it wreaks havoc on your natural immunity.

God bless you all if you take it, just make certain that you are well informed...read the package insert!

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Sep 18, 2009

i hate reading threads like these. no offense to anyone, but the ignorance is sad. anyway....yes you can refuse any vaccine you want. there are laws in every state and exemptions either for religious, medical or philosophical. here's a site to check out your state. good luck! state vaccine requirements – national vaccine information center

kat von b · Sep 18, 2009

you can refuse any vaccine you want but you may no longer be a nursing student. i saw it happen last year with a classmate. i'm not going to get into whether or not it's right but it's reality.