Do you get a flu shot?

[minnie mum]

Automated doombots without half a brain working for peanuts because of socialized medicine and then wondering why health care system gets set back 50+ years virtually over night.

Enjoy.

As another PP stated earlier, it really sounds like you need to look for another profession- far, far away from the health sciences. Far, far away from anyone who is ill, vulnerable, or frail. I truly doubt that the health care system and medical science will retreat into the dark ages if you are not there.

Fortunately for the rest of the world, people like you are few and far between in the health professions. At least from what I have experienced in the 40+ years since I began nursing.

 

[pls5286]

We all do here. I have lots of medical problems including asthma and my DD10 also has asthma. The schools are going to give it to my kids free of charge. DH and I will get it from the health dept. The one year I did not get a flu shot, I ended up in the hospital for almost a week with the flu and secondary pneumonia.

 

[cari12]

No, it isn't. They do require their employees to wash their hands. It's much more common to get sick from not washing hands that might have fecal matter on them than it is to catch measles, mupms, chickenpox,etc.

This is because most of the population is vaccinated against measles, mumps, chicken pix etc.

 

[crz4mm2]

Haven't yet.

 

[Robbi]

This is because most of the population is vaccinated against measles, mumps, chicken pix etc.

The poster compared not washing hands to being exposed to those illnesses. That's what I was repsonding to.

 

[MolonLabe]

I am not implying you should get the shot. That is a personal choice, unless you work in healthcare.

That's ridiculous.

You could apply the same backwards logic to people who work in any aspect of the food industry or grocery stores. After all, people need food more than they need medical care. Without food you WILL die.

Your personal choice is taken away from you because it is a mandatory condition of employment

So... what? People who have invested years or decades of their life in medicine are now supposed to walk away from it because a handful of idiots at the CDC who have their pockets lined by pharmaceutical companies pushed for a very recent agenda of forced vaccinations for influenza?

The sky wasn't falling in 2010 (three short years ago BTW) when maybe 5% of facilities 'required' influenza vaccinations as a condition of employment.

Today we are supposed to believe it's going to make a significant difference, let alone a slight one? Seriously? The data in no way supports it.

 

[SLP958]

That's ridiculous.

You could apply the same backwards logic to people who work in any aspect of the food industry or grocery stores. After all, people need food more than they need medical care. Without food you WILL die.



So... what? People who have invested years or decades of their life in medicine are now supposed to walk away from it because a handful of idiots at the CDC who have their pockets lined by pharmaceutical companies pushed for a very recent agenda of forced vaccinations for influenza?

The sky wasn't falling in 2010 (three short years ago BTW) when maybe 5% of facilities 'required' influenza vaccinations as a condition of employment.

Today we are supposed to believe it's going to make a significant difference, let alone a slight one? Seriously? The data in no way supports it.

I also work in healthcare and commented that we are strongly pushed to get vaccinated yearly. I see it as they are paying me, giving me the shot for free and think it helps with patient health, why would I refuse.

Are you working for free? Why do you keep mentioning slavery? That is a strong word to throw around over an employer's requirement for working.

I will also agree that maybe healthcare is not your cup of tea.

 

[cobright]

No, it isn't. They do require their employees to wash their hands. It's much more common to get sick from not washing hands that might have fecal matter on them than it is to catch measles, mupms, chickenpox,etc.

The chances that you will get sick as a result of eating food prepared by someone who is not required to wash his hands after using the bathroom are absurdly low. But all else being equal it is higher than if your meal were prepared by someone who was required to wash their hands after using the toilet. That's the comparison. And it's a fair one, you probably won't get sick even if the guy putting your food on a plate didn't wash his hands.

And your baby probably won't get sick if the nurse taking care of her refuses the flu shot. But her odds of catching the flu do go up if she's handled by doctors and nurses who are unprotected.

 

[CPT Tripss]

I have now read this whole thread and I have to say something. If you have not been bloodied by whipping, had your family sold off never to be seen again, and are paid NOTHING for years of hard labor in fields in the hot summer sun, DO NOT metaphorically compare yourself needing a flu shot to slavery.

We will be getting our flu shots. I understand that some believe that we are poisoning ourselves but, I would be remiss if I didn't do all that I personally felt was in my children's best interest.

 

[eacosper]

Well, this escalated quickly.

 

[BeerMe]

Well, this escalated quickly.

I love the way that always happens!

 

[U2_rocks!]

No we don't. But I don't think our flu risk is as great in the Caribbean as it is in North America, for example. We don't have winter. We don't live in closed up houses and schools - in fact, in the "winter" months people are more likely to not have the a/c on and just let the fresh air blow through. Also, because we are a small island, it takes time for the tourists to bring the germs to us, so our flu season, such as it is, starts later.

I have never had influenza, or if I have it was a very mild case mistaken for a cold. I think I may have had fever twice in 25 years - both times were bacterial infections that were not caused by complications from a virus. I just don't get bad viruses, ever.

I remember DH had an illness once that could have been flu (his temp was 105 but he was still walking around, bringing in groceries etc.) - he recovered in a few days, all was well. He has also had dengue fever twice - that was bad, but there's no vaccine to protect from it. DH doesn't get a lot of viruses, but he does get a bad one occasionally. He has never had the flu shot before, but maybe as he gets older he'll change his mind.

My DDs have never had anything like the flu - they are like me in that they don't really get viruses much, and when they do they are very mild colds that don't last long. DS is the most susceptible to viruses in our family, and I am considering giving him a flu shot. He misses school at times because of migraines, and he doesn't need to miss any more. It was very tough when he was out of school for 2 weeks in June with dengue fever - he missed all of his exams. He is one who could benefit the most from lessening his odds. He also doesn't deal with high fevers very well, and the flu would make him so miserable.

My parents get the shot because they are over 70 and the flu would hit them much, much harder than any of us. Mum suffers for a few days as a result of the shot, but she'd rather that than get full blown flu.

 

[DVC-Don]

Yes. I got the flu back in 1988 and I never want to get it again. I was down for about 10 days and at one point thought I'd rather die. My wife got the flu in 1995 and wound up in the hospital.

 

[Mokat76]

Every year since I can remember. I'm a believer in the flu shot! I've worked in places where non-immunized co-workers were dropping like flies when the flu swept through and I was fine.

 

[Chelley00]

I have an egg allergy so I don't ever get it. Apparently they have come out with a safe one, but I'm going to hold off to see how other people do with it before I try it.

 

[bdcp]

Always! After having the flu twice when my boys were in elementary school (all 4 of us caught it), I said, NEVER again. It's the most miserable illness. Then, a lot of people get a secondary infection-sinus, ear, pneumonia, pink eye. DH and I are both getting ours in the next 3 weeks at work for free. Oldest DS gets his free at work too. Youngest DS gets it some years, but not every. It's just one more way to protect from getting an illness that keeps you down for a week or more.

I've talked to people who say "I've had the flu. I threw up or I had a runny nose or whatever". Really? That is not the flu. The flu is coughing, achy, fever, exhaustion to the point of just wanting to sleep and having no energy. Why would anyone want to play russian roulette with that? And, yes, the flu vaccine isn't 100% but it's better than doing nothing.

 

[Kitty 34]

I'm so getting a flu shot this year after having the flu turn into a horrendous case of pneumonia last February!! I was sick for weeks on end!

 

[DeniseinNS]

No, it isn't. They do require their employees to wash their hands. It's much more common to get sick from not washing hands that might have fecal matter on them than it is to catch measles, mupms, chickenpox,etc.

Just because they are required to wash their hands doesn't mean that they are actually doing it

 

[DeniseinNS]

i used to get the flu multiple times per year. I got my first flu shot in 2001 when I was pregnant and have had one every year since and rarely get sick now. My husband and 3 kid also get it every year, my little guy has asthma so another big reason to get it.

 

[bookgirl]

Get one every year.

My company not only pays for it in full but on our staff development day they have have a service on site to do it so that we don't have to go to Dr's or pharmacy to get it done.

I am pro-vacinations. I always figure that any chance of helping is worth the effort of doing. I have had the flu in the past and because of the nature of my sinus/lungs/ears colds/flu hits me hard. Since I started getting regular flu shots I have not had the flu, a few bad colds or virus' but no flu. Knock on wood.