The Influence of the Influenza Vaccine:

I don't feel like they're making a medical decision for me 1) because I appreciate the reduced risk of exposure to influenza, 2) I'd get it regardless (getting influenza twice--both years when I happened not to get the vaccine--are all the convincing I need for the decision TO get it. So much pain and fatigue I wished I could sleep those 3 weeks until I was better...second time I was very close to going to the hospital when my SOB subsided. If there is ANYTHING I can do to avoid getting the flu again, bring it on!!), and 3) it's no different than any other policy. I mean we're required to get the Hep B series too...at least wherever I've worked or gone to school, and odds of exposure to influenza are WAY higher than exposure to Hep B. I'm not sure why the unique opposition to flu vaccines but not other EOHW policies.Hospitals where I've worked haven't mandated the vaccine, but they've mandated wearing a mask 100% of the time on the floor from October through April if we don't get it. We have the choice to get vaccinated, wear a mask, or look for a different job. They have the choice to enforce their policies.As for education, our EOHW nurse gives us the CDC handout on the flu vaccine, same as what the private clinics do when we ask for information. So no I don't feel like I've made the decision w/ no information. If they took the attitude of "Just roll up your sleeve like a good employee," if I had a question, of course I'd oppose that.

Quote from Here.I.StandAs for education, our EOHW nurse gives us the CDC handout on the flu vaccine, same as what the private clinics do when we ask for information. So no I don't feel like I've made the decision w/ no information. If they took the attitude of "Just roll up your sleeve like a good employee," if I had a question, of course I'd oppose that.

Very helpful info but I hate the fact that the flu vaccine contains mercury

Quote from kokuVery helpful info but I hate the fact that the flu vaccine contains mercury

Quote from kokuVery helpful info but I hate the fact that the flu vaccine contains mercury

About 10 years ago, I had 3 flu shots in 3 years and every time I had very bad reactions, last one requiring hospitalization. I am glad that my hospitals do not require shots for those who cannot have them. I think it is unfair to those who have medical issues and work in hospitals that have actually said no flu shot - no job. I have never had the flu, however, so I am very grateful.

And around 2/3 do not contain Thermisol, which is a good trend!

Quote from msn10About 10 years ago, I had 3 flu shots in 3 years and every time I had very bad reactions, last one requiring hospitalization. I am glad that my hospitals do not require shots for those who cannot have them. I think it is unfair to those who have medical issues and work in hospitals that have actually said no flu shot - no job. I have never had the flu, however, so I am very grateful.

Quote from msn10About 10 years ago, I had 3 flu shots in 3 years and every time I had very bad reactions, last one requiring hospitalization. I am glad that my hospitals do not require shots for those who cannot have them. I think it is unfair to those who have medical issues and work in hospitals that have actually said no flu shot - no job. I have never had the flu, however, so I am very grateful.

This is an excellent article. Kudos to Bridget Joseph! There are also many other deeper issues here as well. Here are some questions to ponder:--If they do not tell you all the side effects and all the options, is it truly informed consent?--Does the person administering the shot not have the same duty of care to you (as a patient and not just as an employee) as any provider in your facility has to the patients brought in?--Is there a conflict of interest with the person administering the shot or the company that you work for providing the shot (similar to the conflict of interest in treating family members)? --Do you have to sign the standard "consent to treat" form?--If you have an adverse reaction, are you covered by workers' comp, the facility's/person administering the shot's malpractice, or both?I think that this problem is indicative of a much larger problem that exists in healthcare with informed consent and patient autonomy. By having the kiosks, not providing you with all the facts, options, etc., is this not just convenience and efficiency being put ahead of patient rights? I don't even know why the issue of mercury is even brought up.... After all parents who are worried about the effects of mercury on their children whose bodies are still developing are told that there is nothing to worry about, so why should adults whose bodies (for the most part) are fully developed worry about it? After all, the multi-billion dollar lobby for the manufacturers say it is safe. Aren't people who refuse to immunize their children considered "kooks?"After all, isn't this just about patient safety and what is best for the patient? It has absolutely nothing to do with Medicare not covering hospital acquired infections or insurance companies reimbursing facilities on "population health." It is not like the healthcare system is putting money first. It is not like some actuary at an insurance company came up with this idea....I think that there needs to be an re-examination of "best practices" and "standards of care." What about the interests of the patient? Here is an extreme example:A "radical double mastectomy" has a 100% prevention of the reoccurrence of breast cancer, yet it is not imposed upon women who have indications for it. The reason is that it does not align with the patient's own interests, definition of self, or autonomous choices of direction of life. There is definitely a push towards this procedure as a best practice, even as a preventative measure (source: American Cancer Society). Some surgeons do push this very hard. This has been highlighted in the media (Angelina Jolie).There is also the fundamental question of what right an employer has over your own body?If you think that these issues of "one's own self" are going to end with the Influenza vaccine, you are sadly mistaken. With healthcare today being transformed to the corporate "Healthcare Industrial Complex (HIC)" driven by profit (National Institutes of Health citation:).This article advocates one's own genetic information contributes to health. Currently, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) will provide federal protection from genetic discrimination in health insurance and employment. I do not see any protection in there for healthcare. So how long before the HIC will circumvent GINA because they find that they can save $0.0005 per employee by determining a genetic predisposition to developing a disease in the future?Don't believe me, look at healthcare workers' views on career satisfaction. How do you rate your employer/facility, not your actual job (duties)?The solution: I am not going to point out the problems as well as the future problems without giving a solution. This is not a question of employee rights, this is not even a question of patient rights, it is a question of human Rights. The right we have over our own bodies. Even the standards of care have to adhere to higher standards, like the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, English Common Law, and the UN's The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to name a few. For example: it is English Common Law's Castle Doctrine that gives us the idea that we have the right to determine what happens to our own bodies.

You've forgotten something that may help you with informed opinion: There are TWO parts to the immune system and they are never talked about regarding vaccination. A healthy person has the ability to isolate and kill any pathogen that enters them. To bypass this mechanism for the second result (long-term immunity) is not how our bodies are intended to work. Immune cells encounter live pathogen, kill it, then others relay for the long-term. Should we discuss probiotics here? All of those gut bacteria are part of our immune system. We are more than WBCs. We so often hear that when a person is exposed to something like the flu, they are infectious during an incubation period (before symptoms are felt), but what we forget to mention is that a virus needs to replicate faster than our immune system can kill it in order for us to ever become sick, infectious (shedding) and symptomatic. Naturopathy relies on the body's own defenses to stave off illness. This is real preventive care. Flu vaccine is MEDICINE. And it should hardly be recommended for everyone. There are very many things an individual can do to stay well. My god, a pharmacist can prescribe and give you vaccines. Your employer can prescribe and give you vaccines. Unbelievable. Do what I do- get a note from your provider that says it is not recommended that you receive any vaccines at this time (I see an ND). Or sign a declination form, if able. You have the right to make your own (informed) health care decisions. The aluminum or mercury preservative alone (in larger vial sizes) should be deterrent enough (often the REAL reason people say they got "the flu" directly after vaccination).Another thing that is never discussed, each blood group has natural immunity to particular flu virus. So to receive vaccination for something that if contracted, would result in a very mild case of flu, is not necessary. Again, the adjuvants in vaccine alone may possibly put some at risk for autoimmune or neurological disorders later in life. Too often nurses and other providers are guilt-tripped into sacrificing their own health for the sake of their "patients." BS. Take your health into your own hands. Gov't agencies don't care about individuals. Who are we kidding??I think the real reason nurses sign up to take the needle is that 1) they don't understand how the immune system works, making them easy targets with guilt and faulty facts/logic, 2) they have been taught to believe that vaccines work. That's another thread entirely. I urge all nurses to go pick up an old textbook and really dive into this immune system thing that is glossed over in nursing school. And please don't pick a nursing textbook. If you see anything in it that recommends vaccination, find another one. And for all of those nurses that my words won't convince (since I'd have to actually explain it all to you here and I can't do that in a post), stop your self-righteous health propagandizing; every time I hear you going on about "protecting patients" I recognize that you don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. And I'm not logging back in to read any f/u posts so you can lambast me all you want. I do this because there are fundamental health divides in this country and I am clearly on the side of opposition, advocating for REAL health care. I truly hope that this was the intention of the OP.

holisticallyminded, GREAT POST!!!You are so correct in your assertion that our bodies are designed to defend themselves. I remember a simple idea that was thought groundbreaking:Keep your nose moist. As uncomfortable as it may be, a runny nose is actually a good defense against colds and the flu. Sounds gross, but mucus traps viruses and clears them from the body.Another issue that was reported in BJM (I believe) is that we as a society are too clean. This attributed to higher rates of asthma in western countries. I point out the river me and my brother played in growing up, and tell people that is why I don't get sick.Finally is the plastic food industry. Between the artificial food and all the antibiotics and hormones pumped in to the food that we eat, it is no wonder that our immune systems are screwed up. Remember the debate over "Cereal boxes more nNutritious than cereal?"