So you think flu vaccinations don't work . . . .

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 25, 2013

your point? We can have no idea about underlying disease process, nor genetic issues, from this article.

Steve123 · Mar 27, 2013

Big Pharma pays for such kind of spooky articles. If immunocompromized child with CA dies of flu, it does not mean that a flu shot is a solution. Healthy children are not expected to die of flu. On the contrary, they are expected to built up their immune system. Only 105 children die even though some of them were vaccinated? Do you know about serious complication of flu shot? 1 out of 100,000 vaccinated develops GB. There are 55 millions of school age children in US. If you vaccinate all of them you will have 50 + paralyzed children as a result of GB. Plus some of the vaccinated still die of flu. What is the benefit? And do not forget to add preschoolers to those 55 millions... So my conclusion is: risk outweighs benefits. But it is money for Big Pharma.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Mar 27, 2013

You know, we as people, as parents, and as nurses are all entitled to our opinions. As a parent, I am certainly entitled to make my own informed decision for care regarding my child's health, with my fiance of course.

What YOU are not entitled to do is to try to make parents feel neglectful or worthless for that choice. As nurses, we can provide information, but the final choice belongs to the patient. You could have simply posted the article, however biased it is, and let people form their conclusions. Your extremely judgmental comment was not necessary.

KJM-RN, BSN · Mar 28, 2013

You know, we as people, as parents, and as nurses are all entitled to our opinions. As a parent, I am certainly entitled to make my own informed decision for care regarding my child's health, with my fiance of course.
What YOU are not entitled to do is to try to make parents feel neglectful or worthless for that choice. As nurses, we can provide information, but the final choice belongs to the patient. You could have simply posted the article, however biased it is, and let people form their conclusions. Your extremely judgmental comment was not necessary.

Very well said ?

MunoRN, RN · Mar 28, 2013

I would agree that parents have the right to make informed decisions regarding their child's health. "Informed" being the key word. I'm not sure that every decision a parent makes to refuse vaccines could be described as "informed", which makes many of them a bit reckless and therefore deserving of criticism.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Mar 28, 2013

Well this one is specifically referring to the flu vaccine.

allnurses Guide · Mar 28, 2013

As a parent, I am certainly entitled to make my own informed decision for care regarding my child's health, with my fiance of course.
.... the final choice belongs to the patient. .

One of many ethical problems here lies in the contradiction within your own response. In these cases the choice was not made by the patient, it was made by a proxy.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2013

So who then makes the choice? The child who can't understand? I know as a kid I would have chosen anything that avoided a painful shot. Or perhaps the government? Lord knows they always do what is best for the people.

Other than in real messed up cases, parents want what is best for their child.

allnurses Guide · Mar 29, 2013

So who then makes the choice?
Other than in real messed up cases, parents want what is best for their child.

The parents, the providers, the government. It really doesn't matter, the ethical concern that providers are faced with remains. A decision needs to be made in proxy.

I would like to think/hope most parents do want what is best for their kid. Whether all parents actually know and/or do what is best for them is ultimately the concern. Unfortunately, that line of thinking led to 90+ children dying from a virus that could have been (partially) prevented, in this case.

The waters are further muddied by the principles if herd immunity.

Steve123 · Mar 29, 2013

Nurses believe sincerely they are professionals. So why to discuss article written on a level of 6th grader which lacks important facts such as preexisting conditions of those who dies of flu. By the way, I noticed every time when really professional articles about medication or diseases are published here. nurses are not interested to discuss it. It looks like that nurses are not professionals, they are just pill pushers, doctors' aide, who believe as if they are professionals.

uRNmyway, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2013

Steve, clearly you have not read many threads on here. Many of them are addressed professionally, if the context is professional. This thread came off as an attack.