I'm a med student and although we are not officially required to get flu vaccines and the swine flu vaccine, it is strongly suggested we do it, so we don't infect immunocompromised patients that we're seeing (great guilt-tripping strategy, I tell you) - This basically means we all get them - Believe it or not, we don't want to accidentally kill our patients. I had a 'worse' reaction from the regular flu (I felt off for a day or two) than from the swine flu vaccine (nothing happened). I got the nasal attenuated form, because there is a shortage in my state and the injectable ones are reserved for older people or people with asthma, etc. My take on this is very simple - if swine flu is a hype and nothing happens, well, i wasted $25, but I have wasted more on more useless things. I'd even say $25 to not get flu and feel like crap for a week is a good invesment. And if it turns out swine flu is a serious killer, it was a damn good investment. If I had kids/was pregnant, I'd be first in line beating on the door. And the chance of side effects? 1 in a million? Most things I do daily are more dangerous. But whatever floats your boats guys, maybe it's good most of you don't want to get vaccinated, so the high risk people can get it first.
OK so I'm a RN...I don't know if that counts as e-credentials. Here's what I know.... One of the physicians I work with was one of the first people I know personally to get the H1N1 vaccine. She said after the shot that every muscle in her body was sore for a week. She wasn't able to work the first 2 days.....as in she's a surgeon and was in such pain that she couldn't operate. Now, I work with pregnant women so I have been informed that I am required to get the H1N1 vaccine. To quote a recent email I received...."failure to receive the flu vaccine with be accepted as your resignation." Are you fucking kidding me....unless I allow my employer to inject me with BIOLOGICAL INDEX chicken embryos (eggs) influenza virus, H5N1 virus culture CHEMICAL INDEX alpha-tocopherol aluminum adjuvant AS03 adjuvant Daronrix disodium phosphate formaldehyde magnesium chloride octoxynol 10 polysorbate 80 (Tween 80 potassium chloride potassium dihydrogen phosphate sodium chloride sodium deoxycholate squalene thiomersal (thimerosol) (MERCURY) vitamin E I will be fired! Don't believe me: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03854.html And here I thought being able to refuse to allow the government to inject me with chemicals would classify as an inelliable right! Now, I don't object to vaccines in general.....I just don't like being told I don't have a choice.
ZOMG SALT!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously? Just because the name sounds scary doesn't mean it's going to hurt you (see Dihydrogen Monoxide link I posted before). Scary "body doesn't clear it well so leads to neurological damage easily mercury" is methyl mercury. Thimerosol breaks down into ethyl mercury with is cleared much easier from the body so doesn't lead to damages in low, infrequent doses. The difference between Methyl and Ethyl doesn't sound like much, but to anyone that is convinced that they sound close enough to be the same I invite you to replace your cold beer (ethanol) with a tall glass of windshield wiper fluid (methanol) and see how that works out. http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/topics/thiomersal/statement_jul2006/en/index.html E-cred= Journalism Major with my expertise in natural sciences, Ideally so they'll be good enough science reporting in the future that this kind of BS doesn't get passed along by people who don't know any better.
Look...I'm not opposed to vaccines, or even the H1N1 vaccine. That wasn't really the point. My point is that I am REQUIRED to get this vaccine or get fired. That....I think is bullshit!
You are a nurse. Don't like it? Get a different job. Crazy idea, but maybe they're actually concerned with the health of their patients, and with successful pre-natal care. You voluntarily chose to work both in the healthcare profession, and with pregnant women in particular. And you're SURPRISED that you are required to be vaccinated? Christ. You signed up for this. Quit bitching.
If you say I am scare mongering, have you seen what the media is doing? Get a grip. What is with the random insults, just because someone has a differing view? You have done your own research and come to your own conclusions. I have done my own research, trust me, and come to my own conclusions. And I have NO CLUE who Jenny is. I can't do your research for you. The burden is on you to come to your own conclusions, and look at both sides of the argument. It is not odd at all. There are plenty of stories about the cons of vaccines. Hint: vaccines and autism. That is the tip of the iceberg. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... erica.html http://tvnz.co.nz/health-news/greece-va ... u-2881876# (400 cases and not a single death, so scary!) http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/28/milita ... index.html http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31971355/ns ... swine_flu/
There's a bunch of other vaccines that are absolutely required of health professionals, but not of the general population. Hell, majority of the population walks around with positive PPDs, will never know it, and doesn't need to take 9 months of antibiotics that might kill their liver (good bye alcohol for 9 months). It just comes with the profession, whether we like it or not. I do not want to make my patients sicker than they are - I went into this field trying to help them. Whether that means 9 months of Isoniazid or a flu vaccine every year, or doing the 'regular' stuff that doctors, nurses or EMTs do.
Some opinions deserve nothing but derision, and have been so thoroughly taken apart over the years that they do not even deserve to be taken seriously. Examples of this include the idea that 9/11 was an inside job, Holocaust denial, and anti-vaccine babble.
Carl24, How about instead of making some vague anti-vax statements then whining when people say you're full of shit, you lay out some actual claims and evidence of what your opposition to vaccination is based on. Then we'll get to see whether it stands up to reality.
I havent had a flu vaccine in over 10 years, but I'll be getting the H1N1 shot when it becomes available for people in my bracket. Like some others had said before me, it seems to be that the young and healthy people are dying out of proportion compared to other seasonal flus, and a recent death of a local 26 year old women who was healthy, and had no underlying medical problem really scared me. And my classmates and coworkers comes to work even if they are sick as dog. Wish they'd just stay home, but apparently they really need the teacher to hold their hand through the text's chapter or they need that 2 days of pay.
There are a bunch of vaccines that are RECOMENDED of health care professionals....and I have had every single one!!! I COULD have claimed a religious exemption if I wanted to be an asshole about it. This is the only one that is REQUIRED! The last time I checked I was still declaired mentally competent to decide what I will and will not allow to be injected into my body. Excuse me if I get a little pissed when some corporation decides they're going to inject me with something.
I won't be getting the vaccine, but on a very alternate focus once a winter I will get a horrible sinus infection that lasts for almost a month I rather have a cold or even a stomach virus for a week over those blasted sinus infections.
I didn't get into this field to help people. I got into health care so when retarded self entitled bitches like you come in I can stick you multiple times "claiming" that you have bad veins when I start your IV. So I can go on a smoke break while your begging for your pain medicine....then, when I get around to it I'm only going to give you one quarter the dose ordered, because what are you gonna do about it? Then, I can whisper quietly to the doc on call that I think your high so he will order a cath urine specimen for a drug screen, and I will chuckle to myself while causing you the most immense amount of pain you have ever experienced in your life. Get a different job? Fuck you....just because I'm a nurse doesn't mean "the man" can inject me with what ever he wants at will. BTW prenatal doesn't have a hyphen in it you dumb-fuck!
I'll ignore most of that because it's irrelevant to the topic at hand (and because I'm not that concerned with hyphens). I'm not sure why you're so convinced I'm 'entitled.' You seem angry and bitter; might want to look into that. I don't care why you got into it. And I'm guessing your employers don't really care either. What they do care about, and what I care about when I am at a health facility, is that the health care professionals do the best job they can. In other words, results. Getting the best results possible. One way this is facilitated is with vaccines. Your job is to help people be in better health. Vaccines are conducive to performing this job. Thus, you get the damn vaccines. Yeah, but it does mean he can tell you to get them or quit. The vaccine is PART OF YOUR JOB. If you object to the things that are required of you as a result of your profession, get a different profession. As a student, I am required to have certain vaccines to attend school. I can do one of two things: a) get them and deal with it, or b) leave. You don't have to get the vaccines. Really. It's up to you. Sometimes, you have to do shit that you don't like, often because someone else told you to. Welcome to life.
That's not a very smart thing to go around saying about your job, and shows a huge lack of professionalism, not to mention removing a lot of faith in the health care system. It's understandable that you don't want to get the H1N1 shot, but unfortunately your employer has given you an ultimatum because, apparently unlike you, they care about the well being of their patient. Focus: I live in Canada, and so the vaccine is fully available. Although I hate getting needles, and have never bothered to get the regular flu shot, I think this is one I don't want to miss.
I received 14 out of a serious of 6 Anthrax shots while I was in the military. Expiration dates being way past, full series not being completed on time, missing records. Small Pox was fucking horrible. A flu shot every year. Penicillin once or twice, through a needle the size of a #2 pencil, jabbed straight into you ass cheek. I didn't mind these things, they kept me pretty healthy, and I didn't have a choice. Now I do have a choice. To be honest, I'm not going to get the vaccine. Not because of any nut job "It givz kidz teh AUTISTIC" philosophy, not because of the mercury, not because I haven't checked on how it was tested. It just seems like a hassle, and it would be out of my way.
As a student, I am required to have certain vaccines to attend school. I can do one of two things: a) get them and deal with it, or b) leave. That is not true....you have no idea what your are talking about. You can claim religious exemption to any vaccine under any circumstances. See there's this little thing called separation of church and state. This is how all the little hippie moms get their kids into school without having to have the vaccines. You too....if you wanted to, could claim this exemption if you wanted to. So you are wrong about your choice to get the shots or leave school. In the past flu shots are offered free of charge to every employee. They were encouraged, not required. The hospital would have these little daily drawings...get your flu shot, get your name in the hat for some Chilli's gift certificate of some shit. Hell, one year they gave out a flat screen TV. See it was all nice and positive. But instead of "encouraging" or "recommending" this H1N1 vaccine. All the sudden it's "get one, or get the fuck out." Here's a little bit of my perspective. The Gardisil vaccine came out a few years ago. Again, I am all about vaccines. I don't have some big fucking moral objection to getting it for my child. But I want this shit to be out on the market a few years before I get it for my daughter. NO med or vaccine is considered across the board safe by any medical professionals opinion until it has been studied massively for 10 years. I give you vioxx, mibefradil, and redux to name a few. The FDA is run by the pharmaceutical companies. Drugs and vaccines get past through the FDA every fucking day that may or may not be safe for the masses. And I am not saying this is a big conspiracy theory or some shit like that. However, if you think about it...there is a shit load of money to be made with all the swine flu propaganda. All I am saying is that I think it should be my CHOICE whether I get the vaccine or not. My ability to maintain an income for my family should not be contingent on getting a vaccine that hasn't met the scientific standard (10 year study) of being safe. lolmonster That's not a very smart thing to go around saying about your job, and shows a huge lack of professionalism, not to mention removing a lot of faith in the health care system. It's understandable that you don't want to get the H1N1 shot, but unfortunately your employer has given you an ultimatum because, apparently unlike you, they care about the well being of their patient. You live in Canada-you have faith in the health care system. I live in Texas where we let people who don't have insurance die in the street. I can ASSURE YOU with great confidence that this corperate decision has NOTHING to do with the well being of patients. It has to do with work productivity and liability.