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Should healthcare workers be required to be vaccinated for the flu?
- Posted to The Immunization Initiative
5,715 people voted
The most vulnerable people in our society need health workers.
People with chronic diseases, elderly people and infants all come into contact with healthcare workers constantly. These are the same people who are at the greatest risk of death or serious consequences from the flu.
Whether or not to get a flu shot is either an individual choice or it is a community requirement. It a choice between professional and community standards or individual workers rights.
This poll has been generated by The Immunisation Initiative. We are committed to encouraging everyone who can to get their flu shot this year and every year. By doing so we can all participate in protecting the vulnerable in our families and in our communities. Vaccination works for everyone.
Please pledge to get your flu shot this year. You can find the pledge at http://www.causes.com/causes/787378-the-immunization-initiative/actions/1664769.
Thank you for your participation.
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Update #4
Posted on Sep 7, 2012Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This poll has reached its goal of 2000 votes. Actually the original goal was 100, then 500, then 1000, then 1500 and finally 2000. This is the first time I've waited until the goal was reached before raising the goal again because… well, why not?
Whatever your position on mandatory vaccination I appreciate your interest in participating. The voting very quickly settled itself into the the 71% in favour, 25% opposed and 4% not sure. The results have been...
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Update #3
Posted on Aug 30, 2012For those who suggests that healthcare workers who don't want to be vaccinated could just wear a face mask or simply stay at home, there's a new study that suggests that neither solution will work. The study shows that the flu can be transmitted before the appearance of symptoms... in ferrets. Because the study took place using animals we can't be certain that it will apply to humans. But as the article states:
It "means that doctors and nurses who don't get the flu jab are putting their...
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Update #2
Posted on Aug 27, 2012From Canada.
Nurses in British Columbia are preparing to fight the government over a mandate to force vaccinations during flu season.
This is in the face of the fact that only about half of health-care workers in B.C., including those employed in long-term care homes, receive vaccinations.
Does this make sense? Please read the article and submit a comment if you feel strongly about the subject.
http://www2.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/news/story.html?id=dc6743d2-aa5f-4300-b91e-cea4825c2cad
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Update #1
Posted on Aug 22, 2012Are Health Care Workers Who Decline Flu Shots Irresponsible?
More than a third of U.S. health care employees were not vaccinated last flu season. Research shows that the unvaccinated staff have a decent chance of getting sick--and passing that infection on to at-risk patients.
The linked story from Scientific American discusses the issues around mandatory flu shots for healthcare workers.
Please have a read and encourage your friends to take the poll and join the Immunization Initiative.
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Discuss the poll
If you are a healthcare worker you should be vaccinated, period. Not just the flu but all vaccine preventable, communicable diseases. The only exemption should be for a valid medical reason. You are taking care of the most vulnerable people in society. If you cannot give them that kind of commitment, than you should find another job.
Nancy Barrett, I respect what you are saying and I am not against ALL vaccinations. I refuse to take the Flu vaccine in particular. It is simply an educated guess as to what strains are circulating that particular year, as evidenced by the need to have a separate shot for H1N1 a few years ago. However, vaccines are NOT prevention or cures for anything! C-Dif. MRSA, VRE etc. can't be vaccinated against. But most importantly, you can't vaccinate against bad/irresponsible practices and decisions which is what it sounds like you encountered. Vaccinations are an exposure to a low or inactive form of a "germ" in an attempt to cause the immune system to create a "memory" to fight the "germ" when encountered again in a high dose. Health care professionals, that are practicing good care, are exposed to things in much the same way without injecting substances into their bodies. My immune system has a "memory" to many things that the average person does not. I also wash my hands, use sanitizers, wear maskes where appropriate and do not work when I am ill. But I WILL not expose myself to the risks associated with the Flu shot when it is nothing more than a guess preserved in mercury!
BTW....anyone with asthma should be cautious of mercury!
Haven't you read about all the possible risks with vaccinations. You really need to do some research. I'd rather take my chances with Chicken Pox and even Polio than risk brain damage and even Death for my child!
Children start to show overt signs of autism at around age 2-3. It doesn't matter if they have been vaccinated or not; this is when autism becomes obvious.
Because there are millions of children, and millions of doses of vaccine given, it is absolutely *inevitable* that some of the children who are autistic start showing the obvious signs of it not long after a vaccine dose. The vital test is whether any more children start showing signs of autism after a vaccine dose than start showing signs of autism in no proximity to any vaccine dose at all -- and there, the science is pretty conclusive. There is no correlation between vaccination and autism except pure happenstance. Kids who are autistic are now being spotted earlier and earlier -- as early as six months, now -- and the best evidence is that the majority are autistic from birth, but it just isn't obvious until brain development hits certain milestones.
On the other hand, there is a non-trivial correlation between one form of autism and the type of encephalitis that children can get as a complication of measles. The diseases being vaccinated against have their own full set of serious sequelae and long-term impairments that they cause, which you will never hear about from the anti-vaccine websites, even though those complications are very well chronicled indeed.
Also, I don't think you understand that polio and even chicken pox pose a risk of death; you are "protecting" your children from a "risk of death" from vaccines that is less than 1 in 2 million, and exposing them to a risk of death that is roughly 1 in 4,000. Your (in)ability to understand relative risk is the biggest danger to your kids.
I've had one flu injection in my life and was more sick that year than ever before - I will NEVER have it again. I would refuse to have it if it was a requirement for my job as I have rights too. More germs are passed through bad hygiene and correct hand washing or using a gel to clean your hands is far more effective at preventing germs being transmitted.
I had my one and only flu injection years ago when I still worked at Shell - was sick on and off for nearly a year - whereas generally I rarely get flu and if I do, it's over in a day or two anyway. Hand washing has been proven to prevent the spread of germs - yet it amazes me how few people ever wash their hands during the course of the day!! Quite gross! I believe I am so healthy because I refuse to take medication or antibiotics, have very little faith in the medical profession. Why with all the drugs they're constantly manufacturing and selling and inflicting on the fearful public are people even more sick and dying than ever before - because sickness and disease pays.
The flu injection is essential for anyone over 60 with health problems.
My immunity is extremely high, I don't think it is right for someone to tell us that we have to have a flu shot... Yeah, I understand getting the more important vaccinations but a FLU SHOT? Seriously? What are you going to tell me to put in my body next? Maybe a fungal infected serum for pain treatment in my spine that will cause me to get fungal meningitis? The flu shot should NOT be a required immunization.. if it does become that I guarantee there will be a sudden increase in eggs for an allergy..
I have never gotten any vaccinations. ever. but that's just me.
There are research papers saying that flu vaccine is not effective or safe. But so what? Even if the research is from the reliable sources, we will ignore this, and we will see what we want to see.
So let’s talk about some common sense.
The fact is that vaccination does NOT stop you from carrying bacteria or viruses in your nose, in your throat, in your intestines, in your airway, on your skin, or in your body. Especially if you go to the hospital, the chance of getting sick from virus will be increased. You should not touch door knobs, should not go to bathroom, should not sit in the chair, should not touch pencils, etc…. because virus is everywhere especially in hospital.
But many do not understand the significance of this fact, and have been made to believe that if you’re vaccinated, you won’t carry viruses, and therefore, others will be protected because you’re vaccinated. As it turns out, this belief is NOT based on scientific fact.
As a patient what you want to see from the healthcare providers is not the sign says “I am vaccinated.” What you want to see is “I just washed my hands.”.
The comments of some our health care workers below demonstrate why this should be mandatory. Many simply do not understand the science. Worse some spout utter nonsense. Typical anti vax myths that have been debunked a thousand times.
Seriously, if you want to work in a science based medical field you need to understand science and trust the best available evidence.
Unfortunately it seems far to many health care workers believe in the lies and distortions and myths that surround vaccination.
…The comments of some our health care workers below demonstrate why this should be mandatory. Many simply do not understand the science. Worse some spout utter nonsense. Typical anti vax myths that have been debunked a thousand times.
Seriously, if you want to work in a science based medical field you need to understand science and trust the best available evidence.
Unfortunately it seems far to many health care workers believe in the lies and distortions and myths that surround vaccination.
That they call themselves informed is truly a worry.
No one should get vaccinated against any new flues.
The vaccines have microchips and I wouldn't take that even if I was dieing.
What is wrong with you ?? Really ?? Do some research and come back with an educated response
Just another uneducated idiot.
I think that all healthcare professionals should have to be vaccinated against all diseases that is one of the reasons I will never be able to work as a nurse or any other type of healthcare professional because I am unable to be vaccinated against the flu, pneumonia, chicken pox, measles, mumps, or rubella because I am highly allergic to those vaccines.