Is It Irresponsible?

[youngmafbog]

or is it a matter of choice?

http://news.sky.com/story/1230710/nhs-staff-who-refuse-flu-jab-irresponsible

I am in two minds here. Perhaps if are are in an intensive care situation every little can help. But lets face it the flu jab just takes a punt at what they thing will be the strains for the year, it by no means guarantees to cure all.

[Zeuhl]

Indeed

It's not like the jab provides any guarantee of avoiding illness

and some of us are choosy about which sh1* is pumped into our system

[naomi24]

How odd! I wonder why they're refusing it?

[Prudie]

Is it not disconcerting to the rest of us why so many NHS staff are refusing. Do they know something we don't? To answer your question it's a matter of choice.

[Old_Geezer]

No it'll be a choice issue. I can see one might think those tending the sick should take extra precautions but I don't see it as being irresponsible. That's over the top. Probably just name calling in an effort to coerce.

[New Judge]

It is not irresponsible it is simply a matter of personal choice over a matter of one’s health. When I was 19 I worked for an employer who decided it would be in his interest to have all his staff given the ‘flu jab to cut down on sick absence during the winter. I rolled my sleeve up. I felt dreadful by the time I got home that evening and was off work for the best part of a week. The following year I was foolishly persuaded to roll up my sleeve again, having been told that last year’s unfortunate episode was a “one off allergic reaction -very unlikely to occur again - one in ten million chance etc.etc.” This time I was off work for ten days.

The Sky article is a bit overly-generous with the facts. It suggests that people who might carry the ‘flu virus but be unaffected themselves will have the virus killed off by being vaccinated. It would probably not. It mentions six cases of swine ‘flu among children. This would not have been prevented by staff vaccinations even if it had been introduced by a staff member. Pig ‘flu requires a specific vaccine and is not combated by the normal ‘flu vaccine. (You may remember when, according to experts, 90% of the population was going to contract swine ’flu that the government spent enormous sums securing the special vaccine only to see the stuff poured down the drain as the “epidemic” fizzled out).

Influenza is not all that prevalent among young, fit people (which most NHS patient facing staff are) and if they want the jab, fine, but they should not be pressured into it by emotional bullying like this.

[Baldric]

No more irresponsible than employees in any other profession refusing to have it.

[RATTER15]

I had my flu jab, I didnt get any choice.

I was waiting for Carakeel in the GP's waiting room when the practice Nurse came out and frog marched me into her office rolled up my sleeve and whack it was done before I knew what hit me. I get the feeling there was a little bit of collaboration with my good lady as she sat there grinning like a Cheshire cat!

[woofgang]

What nonsense. While the flu vac may stop individuals catching flu and therefore reduce sickness absence, there is no evidence at all that it stops people picking it up, carrying it and passing it around. Good hygiene is a better defence than vaccination.

I too have had a bad reaction to a flu vac, many years ago and haven't had another till recently. I worked within the NHS on and off for around 28 years only had the flu vac on that one year and in all that time, I caught real flu ONCE.

I now get the vac because I live alone with two dogs and getting flu would be pretty difficult to cope with. I still get a reaction, but a very mild one and consider that its the better choice for me in my circumstances.

[Gromit]

Your employer should not be able to dictate whether you take medicines or not. It is your body. It is up to you what goes in. Obviously, if you get flu, like any employee in any company you should stay off so you get better quicker, and not pass it to anyone.

[pixie373]

It's up to the staff- just as it's up to the patients. Vulnerable people are offered the vaccination anyway.

[LazyGun]

I think it is irresponsible. Front line staff- Doctors and Nurses, caring for the sick and vulnerable should take every opportunity to reduce the chance that they themselves could be carriers and spread something like flu.

And whilst it cannot guarantee protection, even in the worst years it offers some protection, which is better than nothing at all.

[mikey4444]

It would be interesting to find out of any of the people refusing the 'flu jab were also the same people that refused to allow their kids to have the MMR jab ?

[ChillDoubt]

I agree with LG and I have it every year.
NHS staff as a rule can be very fickle about this sort of thing.
They're the same when the Vampires(Blood Donor Service) are in the vicinity. Over 100 personnel work in my department, one of the largest users of donated blood yet only 3 of us donate regularly and none of them are doctors!

[pixie373]

No Mikey, i didn't have the flu jab as a Nursing student (did have a Hepatitis one). My kids had MMR, as that protects them. A flu jab would only really benefit myself- bearing in mind the majority of patients have the flu jab themselves, if necessary.

[emmie]

i am more concerned with the lack of hygiene in hospitals, doctors take note, they are often remiss in washing hands, as to the cleaners, my old ma could do a better job and she is well past it

[mikey4444]

Forgive me if I have got this wrong but I thought the principle reason that nursing staff are encouraged to have the 'flu jab is so they are less likely to become ill, and cause staff shortages when the need is greatest in the NHS ?

[emmie]

i thought it was to stop them from catching a strain and giving it to the patients.

[pixie373]

Well, as woofgang says, that wouldn't be very accurate. Touch wood, i haven't had flu. I wasn't aware it was rampaging around hospital staff, either.

[LazyGun]

@ Mikey it is a combination of reasons why the flu vaccination is recommended for front line clinical staff, Mikey. In part for the reason you describe; An effort to ensure less people come down with flu during an outbreak, but also and arguably more importantly to reduce the risk of transmission of flu from staff to the patients they are caring for.

There probably will be some overlap between those people who are against vaccines in principle - mostly through the MMR scare - and those who refuse it. I have seen nursing and mifwifery staff make that kind of argument; but i suspect for the most part it is simply because people do not really think about it. The advertising for the flu vaccine in the media tends to be focused on the elderly, and it simply might not occur to the majority of NHS front line staff who are of working age.

[Peter Pedant]

.

as usual the administrators who give themselves huge wages and big bonuses are saying the workers on the coal-face are crap again
and then wonder why productivity remains low

At my facility a few years ago - there were the usual obstacles put up to vaccination - ridiculously short times - 12 - 1 during the lunch break at a Nissen hut down the road - running out of vaccine and, doing it off site when the outpatients were heaving.

but I agree 40% is low.

DOI - worked at Porton Down on vaccines in the sixties so usually have whatever is on offer... plague tularaemia, yellow fever ....