Swine flu vacc being MANDATORY for HC workers.

[gremcint]

I can't find anyone who said this in the thread. Was it in the article?

right here in the op

HC's being forced to get this DOES NOT include doctors (and also imo, most have horrible hygiene practices between patients)

When I was at the hospital for a temp job they told me I didn't have to get a flu shot but if there was an outbreak I couldn't come in to work. That makes sense to some extent and I'd say you don't want to get he vaccine fine but don't expect to come into work if there's an outbreak.

And honestly as for vaccinations being required for those in the healthcare field, good, you have chosen to be in the healthcare field you are expected to follow certain best practices. You are expected to show up to work healthy, sober and ready to work, you are expected to keep a certain level of hygene and take care of even the sickest people. Giving you a vaccine is just like expecting you to wash your hands before and after surgery, it maintains a certain level of hygene and makes you less likely to pass on diseases.

[Amy]

Something to take into account
here


Apparently, a few people end up paralyzed after getting a flu shot. Not extremely likely, but interesting nonetheless, and maybe something to take into account when deciding. I think. like many, that people should make their own choice based on research and what is best for themselves.

[BroomJockey]

people should make their own choice based on research and what is best for themselves.

Except it's not about the health care workers who need to be concerned. They need to make a decision that affects more than just themselves. What's best for them may not be what's best for everyone they come in to contact with. Every job has special concerns, and in the health care field, that concern is that you ARE a transmission vector to the most vulnerable portion of the population. It'd be nice if they'd simply volunteer for it and say "Hey, I realize that I need to do whatever I can to protect the patients I'm caring for, so I'll step up." But there's surveys and studies that say these are the people least likely to get these shots voluntarily. Sorry, they've proven they won't do it on their own, think of the people they might end up KILLING if they don't get the shot.

[Amina516]

I'd like to hear more, please, on the basis for claiming doctors generally don't practice good hygiene.

That would be me. My source being my eyeballs. And i didnt say all. Ive seen some horrendous practices (or non practice) of hygiene on the part of doctrs.....so much so that I dont feel comfortable posting what they were. That being said, docs arent the only ones, of course, that could be reminded of the importance of something simeple like handwashing. I didnt mean to generalize. I was upset though that this bad didnt extend to the docs.

[Boozy]

right here in the op

Thanks. I'm blind.

[Amina516]

Something to take into account
here


Apparently, a few people end up paralyzed after getting a flu shot. Not extremely likely, but interesting nonetheless, and maybe something to take into account when deciding. I think. like many, that people should make their own choice based on research and what is best for themselves.

Another valid reaason. Some people wind up with some form of Guillian Bare' syndrome. A disease that basically paralysizes you from the toes and works its way up, eventually reaching your diaphragm and making it impossible for you breathe without being on a ventilator.

It has a tendency to be genetic as to whether or not youre "allergic" to the vaccine, but everyone who gets it has a chance to react, like with most medications.

---------------------------------

But ultimately, guess what? MY BODY! That's what it boils down too, IMO. I agree with whoever it was that said about the government interfering..I feel the same.

I dont want the damn shot, I'm not getting the damn shot. I WILL be careful at work. I WILL wash my hands and keep things clean. I WILL be mindful of myself if i have a cold of illness and wear a mask into a patients room. But ill be damned if theyre telling me to take a vaccine that I feel is NOT safe. I feel its been fasttracked. It hasnt been sufficiently tested, in MY opinion. The general public feels that we should be role models? How about them? Why dont THEY go get the shot, then Ill have even less a chance of getting it after they pick it up @ a grocery store or a department store.

But think about it. People arent coming INTO the hospital and getting H1N1, theyre coming into the hospital WITH H1N1. Theyre picking it up OUTSIDE.

And you know what the hospital does for you when you come in with H1N1? NOTHING...Theyre not even giving Tamiflu anymore.

They tell you to go home, drink lots of fluids and REST. How many people wanna bet these people ALL dont stay home and quarantine themselves?

In the hosp i work for ER on Friday alone, there were 12 people with h1n1...guess what? They were sitting in the WAITING ROOM WITH EVERYONE else before they were brought back and they figured out what was wrong.

Id now say its the other way around. I think I need to be protected FROM the general public. General public....you should be forced to get your swine flu shots. ( no offense...im ranty today)

[Boozy]

But ultimately, guess what? MY BODY! That's what it boils down too, IMO. I agree with whoever it was that said about the government interfering..I feel the same.

The government isn't forcing you to get a vaccine. They are not threatening you with imprisonment, nor are they holding you down and forcibly stabbing you with a needle.

Getting vaccinated is a reasonable requirement to hold a position of employment in a hospital. Just as a "No visible tattoos" rule is a reasonable requirement of some jobs in customer service. I can't get a facial tat reading "Fuck The Man" and keep my job based on the premise that "It's MY body".

[Amina516]

.

Getting vaccinated is a reasonable requirement to hold a position of employment in a hospital. .

Thats just it. I disagree. I think its mass panic fueling this vaccine. They cant force me to do anything. I CAN get a tattoo saying "fuck the man" but they wouldnt like it.

Luckily i dont live in New York state, so im not losing my job over this. I feel bad for those that are. Theyre strong enough (or stupid enough as it may be) to not want to be forced.

IDK. This is just a sore spot with me.

[linguist]

I think. like many, that people should make their own choice based on research and what is best for themselves.

to some extent i agree, but the problem is that most people's idea of research is picking out a few sensationalized pieces they find on the internet, often written by those pushing their own agendas who have little or no medical training and most likely don't know what it is they're talking about.

. The general public feels that we should be role models? How about them? Why dont THEY go get the shot, then Ill have even less a chance of getting it after they pick it up @ a grocery store or a department store.

i have gotten it, and i feel that any hc worker who cares at all about the safety of their patients should as well. my opinion.

But think about it. People arent coming INTO the hospital and getting H1N1, theyre coming into the hospital WITH H1N1. Theyre picking it up OUTSIDE.

seems that should be even more reason to get it, as you're just as likely to pick it up outside the hospital then bring it in with you as the patients coming in.

(sorry for double post; meant to go back to multiquote & submittted instead. mods please merge?)

[Amina516]

seems that should be even more reason to get it, as you're just as likely to pick it up outside the hospital then bring it in with you as the patients coming in.)

This goes to my reasoning that EVERYONE should be made to get it then and not just those in healthcare.

My feeling is you can get the internet to say whatever you want it to say. Many sites with be for or againt the vacc for different reasons. Some written by those with no knowledge of it, yes ill agree with you there.

Im a reasonable person (mostly) but I feel this crosses the line to mandate people or put their jobs in danger b/c they dont agree with something thats subjective.

Why arent they shoving Zycam up my nose everytime I get the sniffles then? Or forcing me to chug OJ when I sneeze?

Not trying to be argumentative. Like i said, its a sore spot.


But honestly, Ive truly appreciated everyones outlooks here. Its interesting to see how diverse the responses have been.

[BroomJockey]

This goes to my reasoning that EVERYONE should be made to get it then and not just those in healthcare.

If there was enough available, they might. I've heard there's not nearly enough for that by a huge margin. Thus, they're targeting the important spots. But by what you seem to be saying, since there's not enough for everyone to get some, no one should have to?

[gremcint]

They make everyone get hepatitis, measles, tetanus and more, eventually they probably will have these be common but right now they have to do this thing called prioritizing.

[blas87]

I'm one of those nuts who believes that the flu shot doesn't guarantee that you won't get the flu.

[BroomJockey]

I'm one of those nuts who believes that the flu shot doesn't guarantee that you won't get the flu.

That's because it doesn't. Ever hear the saying "There's no such thing as a sure thing?" What it does is increase your immune response to a particular virus. That means you're less likely to become "sick" for lack of a better term, though I suppose symptomatic would be more accurate.

You need to think of your immune system as an oven, and the time to get healthy as the food. You have two choices.

1. You stick the food in there, then turn the oven on. It's easier for you, because there's no forethought required. But in trade-off, you're looking at your food taking longer to cook, because the oven needs to warm up.

2. You pre-heat the oven, then stick the food in. It actually requires you thinking, but your food is cooked more quickly.

The issues come in the different types of viruses (food, keeping with the analogy). You prime your immune system with one vaccine (pre-heat the oven to one temperature), but then you get a slightly different one (food requiring a different temperature). It takes less time to get to the proper temperature (get your immune system going) than it would from nothing, but it's a bit longer than it would be if you had the exact right vaccine.

[Amina516]

If there was enough available, they might. I've heard there's not nearly enough for that by a huge margin. Thus, they're targeting the important spots. But by what you seem to be saying, since there's not enough for everyone to get some, no one should have to?

Im not saying that at all. Im just saying those that want it, get it. If you dont, leave 'em alone.

Ill wash my hands and everything else like a good girl and take my chances.