Thursday, October 1, 2009

I Got Mine. Did You Get Yours?

"You give good needle," says one of my hospital's top Oncologists to me yesterday, after I administered his flu shot. And the flu shots of approximately 70 other Penn staff.

This year, the hospital where I work (one of the Top 10 in the nation, mind you) has mandated that all staff within close patient contact receive both the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine (which should be available later this month). Or else, "staff will be subject to termination."

Welp. I got my flu shot. I have the dead arm and body aches to prove it. Did you get yours?

What are your thoughts on mandating vaccines? Especially the brandy-new H1N1?

22 comments :

  1. I got my flu shot as well, but not the H1N1 vaccine. I think that it should be mandated that all people with close patient contact receive it, but that's just my opinion. Where I work, if you don't get it, you have to sign a form, so they make sure that everyone was offered it. However, I was told that next year, they are planning to make it mandatory.

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  2. I could see why the seasonal flu shot would be mandated, but I don't think they should be able to force you to get the H1N1 vaccine. I always get a flu shot and had Meredith get hers the other day at the doctor, but we are all refusing the H1N1 one. It is a shot they only invented this summer...there has been no real testing on it. They shouldn't be able to force you to get that one.

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  3. I ALWAYS get the flu shot and I will be getting one this year too since I am pregnant! It is so scary to think many pregnant women do not get their flu shots... *sigh*

    Thank you for being a great nurse and providing excellent care to us all! I work for a hospital too(in the development office) and our hospital is one of the Top 20, while our nursing is in the Top 10! :) SO EXCITING! and SO GREAT! I feel honored...

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  4. I have not gotten one yet. I can get one next week and am leaning strongly towards it. I work for a dermatologist and the patients always come in with something. Hope your body aches go away soon.

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  5. I will not get either, even while pregnant. I teach junior high and I have never received the flu shot nor have I had to flu since college. I feel that my immune system is great and will protect me, not some vaccine.

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  6. I have never gotten a flu shot. Shocking, I know! My husband (the med student) really wants me to get one this year. I am a little afraid of needles and shots. And by little I mean hugely afraid!
    I know I should get over it to protect myself, but I really don't wanna!

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  7. I'm so glad to hear that everyone is getting them. I'll be honest with you - they scare me! But I marched in my Dr. Office yesterday to be exact :) and paid my co-pay and got one!! I then treated myself to a trip to Michaels and Starbucks!! And yea my arm hurts today.

    The hubby and I are starting to talk about babies and my ob highly suggested that we both get them - he will get his (free :) at work next week.

    I'm scared of the H1N1 vaccine bc it's so new but I trust my dr and if she advises it, I'm going to listen. Clearly she's more educated on the subject than I am.

    Hope your arm's feeling better today!!! Xoxo

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  8. I am perfectly fine without the flu shot. I mean I dont know why people have to get these things unless its a worldwide epidemic.... hmmmm xxxoo

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  9. I don't normally worry too much about it myself, I work at an ad agency with 25 other people, it's not a big deal. If I worked at a hospital though and frequently came in contact with people who were susceptible to illness, I probably would.

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  10. i think in cases like yours it should be mandated, especially with so many getting sick this year.

    I on the other hand do not get flu shots ever. It's very strange, but I kind of feel like I want my body to know how to fight it off if I do catch it. I eat well, lots and lots of vegetables and don't really put crap in my body so I hope that at a young age my body can fight off any virus that comes along. We'll talk when I'm like sixty though.

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  11. I got mine yesterday! My arm hurts, but I know it is worth it. Especially when they were doing them for free in our office lobby. They even stayed after hours to allow spouses to get theirs done too. Lucky Hubs!

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  12. I have never had a flu shot and I have never had the flu! I think that my immune system is solid so I am not too nervous about the flu. I don't think they should mandate that new of a vaccine. I mean how could they possibly know what it can do to your body this new out of the gate? Kinda scary!!

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  13. Although I understand why people in the medical field get flu shots, I have never gotten one and don't plan to this year either. I have a really good immune system and haven't had the flu in I don't know how many years and my husband got a flu shot last week and then felt like he had the flu for the rest of the day. I said no thanks!! (and now of course I'll get the flu LOL)

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  14. I had to get one too! Got it yesterday.... I'm a nursing student and one of the facilities where we do clinicals is mandating it as well. You can opt out, but then you have to wear a mask all day. Yuck. I don't understand the rationale behind it though, maybe you can give me some insight. How can you mandate a FLU shot? What's the purpose? And it's just the regular flu shot, not the H1N1.... On the plus side, my arm doesn't hurt. I did feel like crap last night though. My heart rate was elevated, I had a minor fever, and just overall felt like poo. Thankfully I feel better today.

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  15. I left you something on my blog!! :)

    & nooo I have not gotten this shot because everytime I get the flu shot I get the flu. & I'd rather not go through that right now! :(

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  16. definitely don't think it should be mandatory...

    thats great that you "give good needle" hehe...

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  17. I have never gotten a flu shot, but I will be getting it this year. However, I think I'm staying away from the H1N1 vaccine.. Too new for me.

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  18. I'm an RN too, and I don't get the flu shot. Don't ask me why, I just don't. I do think I give a "good needle" though! Ha! I work in surgery, so I am an IV starting fool.

    I don't think they should be allowed to "mandate" you get these vaccines. Is that even legal?

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  19. the i.d. nurse has been walking around my hospital pushing her cart-o'-flu-shots but i haven't ran into her yet to get mine. but def i will be getting my flu shot this year even though it's not mandatatory at my hospital. however, my hub, a physician mind you, refuses to get flu or h1n1. men, so stubborn. i think it's because he doesn't like being on the receiving end of needles.

    congrats on being a good stick! my favorite kind of nurse when i have to get poked - nothing like being sore for days on end after an injection

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  20. I've never had a flu shot...

    I don't really like anything that is mandatory personally b/c I think adults can make their own decisions...I understand why someone working in a certain environment is more likely to get the flu, but I don't like any policies that take away my own decision-making authority...

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  21. It's kinda scary that they're mandating the H1N1, considering they are still finding out what the complications of it are!

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  22. I got my flu shot this year and even so ended up with some viral infection and spent a day in the hospital rehydrating. Not that it's completely related, but I always get side effects from the flu shot, which scares me even more to see what would happen if I didn't.

    I'm ok with hospital mandates for the flu shot since you'd be in such close proximity to sick patients. My MIL works in a hospital and has seen quite a few H1N1 deaths. The dead arm and fever after the flu shot has me wondering if I'll end up getting it.

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