New York and the H1N1 - poll

[Anna]

New York is imposing a mandatory H1N1 for all health care workers. This includes people who work in a kitchen (for instance) also. HC workers have until the 30th of November to take the H1N1, or be fired. WWYD?

Y'all know me, I would be out the door. This troubles me on so many levels, but most of all a personal one. When talking with my sister about it yesterday, she said she would have to take it if it were her. My BIL works for Saturn, and as we all know Saturn is done. It may be as soon as the end of the year. She feels she would have no choice with her DH being out of work. She works for the government.

So I'm wondering, what would you do if faced with this?

[mobetsy]

In the real world? Take it. I get the regular flu shot every year--my choice, not imposed--because I work with hundreds of kids, and I am not so sure this one is all that different. And since my dh has been out of work for nearly 11 mos., I have a pretty realistic view right now of life with not enough income and high unemployment rates. I personally would not put my family through this over the flu shot, although I think it is unfortunate it is being mandated.

[Cheryl]

I too would line up to get the shot. After all I have been through to get this job,no way would I willingly 'walk out the door'. I get mostly annual flu shots for me and get them for my kids as well. The formulation isn't all that different than the regular flu shot. Would not be my first choice to get it the first year out, but not something I am willing to stake my career on. If I "walk out now" I know I will not be able to 'walk back into nursing'. I truly believe it would be career ending not just job ending.

[Tina]

I would have to take it. I got the swine flu vaccine back in '76 and lived to tell about it. Funny thing is my SIL is a nurse at a nursing home and is NOT mandated to take ANY flu shots. She's never gotten one. Would she if mandated? She'd have no choice. She is a single mom and her DD's father is deceased.

[Heba]

I'd probably take it.
With my kids, though, if they impose it on schoolchidren I guess we may be homeschooling. Seriously. Although let's hope it doesn't come to that, because I have NO idea how we'd juggle two working parents and homeschooling.

[SherrieM.]

As one who has had swine flu (and had two kids who had it), trust me, you want the shot.

We had mild cases, and we were still out for five days each. We all slept for 18 hours a day, and still felt wiped out. I've had stomach bugs that made me fell worse, physically, but H1N1 totally wiped me out and made me as weak as a baby.

[Nancy]

on principal - I would walk. Or wish I could walk. Would not want my employer dictating a personal decision.

in reality - I'd take the shot. Paycheck is king these days.....

[Lesley]

What Nancy said.

[RhondaS]

Same as Nancy and Les. Not a good option, no matter what.

[Linda]

I would like to be able to say no but I can think of many circumstances under which I would be forced to comply.

[erin]

I would walk, mostly on principal. I am not as fearful for myself with vaccines, but I would not want someone telling me what I have to do.

[Sue]

You're unlikely to meet anyone less likely to be for more government involvement in my life ... however this is an instance where I believe that public health care workers fall in to a different category. Frankly, I don't care to go in to a hospital for an emergency (say a broken leg) or to give birth and be at risk from contracting a virus from someone whose job it is to take care of me because they refused this vaccine.

There is also the issue of preparedness ... if groups of health care workers contract the virus will there be a shortage of professionals to take care of those who are sick?

At this point H1N1 seems to most of us to be not that big of a deal. But people a whole lot smarter than me seem to believe it is a big deal. What did health care workers do doing the polio outbreak in the 1950's? Does this compare to that? I don't know. But I have to rely on the best information available, which at this point seems to be get vaccinated if at all possible and avoid this virus if at all possible.

All that aside - what Nancy said - I can't afford to be without a paycheck right now either. Who can?

[erin]

You're unlikely to meet anyone less likely to be for more government involvement in my life ... however this is an instance where I believe that public health care workers fall in to a different category. Frankly, I don't care to go in to a hospital for an emergency (say a broken leg) or to give birth and be at risk from contracting a virus from someone whose job it is to take care of me because they refused this vaccine.

There is also the issue of preparedness ... if groups of health care workers contract the virus will there be a shortage of professionals to take care of those who are sick?

At this point H1N1 seems to most of us to be not that big of a deal. But people a whole lot smarter than me seem to believe it is a big deal. What did health care workers do doing the polio outbreak in the 1950's? Does this compare to that? I don't know. But I have to rely on the best information available, which at this point seems to be get vaccinated if at all possible and avoid this virus if at all possible.

All that aside - what Nancy said - I can't afford to be without a paycheck right now either. Who can?

I could see where you are coming from, and could almost agree if it weren't for the fact that the vaccine has its own risks itself. If someone is mandated to take a vaccine and is injuried from it, what recourse do they have? In the case of the H1N1, there is none. Because of the pandemic status, manufacturers are not held liable. So basically, the government is using scare tactics to force people to take an unproven and untested (long term) vaccine in order to appease the masses. However, there is no gaurentee that the HC workers still can't be a carrier, therefore infecting multiple patients anyway. I don't know that I truly believe that it will be as bad as they want us to believe it is. Again, my kids had a really mild illness, and I would still take the flu over some of the complications that can occur. I do like walking.

[Lesley]

Being unemployed has its own risks too.

[Ashley Anne]

I guess part of it depends on whether I would be getting the vaccine anyway. I'm confused about your question: are you asking if people would leave a job because something is mandated (on principle, regardless of whether they would take the vaccination anyway) or if people would leave a job which requires them to have the H1N1 vaccine specifically (in which case your question assumes anyone answering wouldn't do it voluntarily)?

If your question is the first: This alone would not make me leave a job. In this case, it wouldn't be my employer doing the mandating, so I'd only be hurting myself and my patients, not the entity doing the mandating. Also, I would want to see how my specific employer responded. There are valid public health reasons for this request, and I honestly haven't done enough research, personally, to decide if they rise to the level of mandating the vaccination. If it were part of a pattern, sure, I would leave.

I have, in the past, been asked to do things at a job which go against my personal values. In no case did I quit on the spot. In a few cases it spurred me to find another job, though. It depended on many factors.

If your question is the second: I'd have to do more research on this specific vaccine. So far I've read wildly conflicting reports, and honestly NONE of them have had hard facts in them. At this point I don't see getting this vaccine or giving it to any of my kids, but that is mostly because I've never believed that flu shots were a good idea for us either and I don't yet see a compelling reason for this to be any different (and trigger my having to do specific research).

[funnygirl]

[quote="Ashley Anne"]
I have, in the past, been asked to do things at a job which go against my personal values. In no case did I quit on the spot. In a few cases it spurred me to find another job, though. It depended on many factors.
[quote]

Ditto to this comment.

As to mandating the vaccine for health care workers, I agree with SueK.

I am still deciding, and also asking my sister, who is an RN in an ER, what she is doing. After this last week's bout with bronchitus, I am very tempted to get the shot, if I can.

[mobetsy]

The point Sue raises is a really pertinent one; even as a regular visitor to hospitals and nursing facilities, I want to know that I am not at risk of getting sick from the healthcare workers! And honestly, if I had a child in childcare right now, I probably would want my provider(s) to have the vaccine as well.

[carseatmom]

We are being mandated to get it, especially since we work with pregnant moms and they are at very high risk. I'm getting it. I'm like Sue I think that health care workers are exposed to many more things then the average Joe, and in turn can expose others to the same thing. I'd hate to have a new baby and my nurse came in and gave my new baby H1N1! My mom's hospital is also mandating they get it or they must wear a mask at all times in the hospital.

I'm still in debate about whether I will get the kids done or not, and at the moment I'm leaning towards getting it.

[Lora]

Lots of good thoughts have been shared so I can't add much. I really think the point of needing to have health care workers who are not home ill themselves and ready and able to care for the public is a huge concern for me. If you need care or your child needs really serious care, would there be enough doctors, nurses, and specialists to get her the care she needs in a timely manner?

I'm not decided on the shot but more and more leaning toward getting it for me and the kids. I asked my ped about it when we were in last and he said he hadn't decided about his kids yet (was hoping they'd get the H1N1 on their own before it gets worse) but said he's getting it because he's exposed to it frequently as a doctor of kids.

I think one thing that has really made me strongly consider the shot for us is that we just recently had a healthy first grade boy near the Twin Cities die from H1N1. He was taken to the ER but they said he was dehydrated. He died within hours. The virus attacked his heart.

Here I had Brittany with bacterial walking pneumonia in a compromised condition who would be much more likely to have trouble battling any flu virus than a healthy kid and they were reporting this child died who contracted it in a state of health much more prepared to battle a bug than my own dear girl.

I think the other thing that scares me about H1N1 compared to the regular flu strains is that it seems to be more dangerous to the younger people than the elderly.

[Sandy]

I would leave my job, but my personal experience doesn't include working in health care. Plus I've never had trouble finding a new job.

To mandate it implies that health care employee aren't smart enough to make what the govt sees as the "right" choice. I think the govt on a slippery slope with this. Health care workers are educated in this area and are going to do what's best for them. If the flu shot works for them every year then their going to get if it doesn't make a difference then they won't. They know the risks and how their bodies handle it.

Recently I read a local news article about how the ERs are over run with people coming in with flu like symptoms. Since the government is promoting this flu so hard like the sky is falling. The result is people who would have normally stayed home and nursed themselves through the flu are panicking and running to the ERs everytime they feel sick. Hence exposing themselves and other to everything in that ER at the time. Health care professionals are bearing the brunt of it because they are being exposed to even more crude than they would have in a normal year.

As always just my opinion.