Flu Jabs For Frontline Nhs Staff

[jake-the-peg]

Turns out last year less than half front line NHS staff had the flu jab

These are people dealing on a daily basis with very vulnerable people sometimes with suppressed immune systems

the Government want to link a figure of 75% to access their funding

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nhs-make-sure-75-staff-2263045

Frankly I think it should be a condition of employment


Am I oversimplifying?

Do you work in the NHS? Do you have the flu jab?

If you don't would you object to it being a condition of employment if you did?

[AB Editor]

"Frankly I think it should be a condition of employment"

Me too. Surely it should be 100% of clinical staff?

Or it's entirely possible that I don't fully understand the dangers or the limits of them.

[youngmafbog]

I agree. My wife works for nhs she has it.

[ChillDoubt]

To answer your questions:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No

When the scaremongering over the swine flu pandemic first began some 3 years ago, my colleagues and I were sceptical over the speed that the vaccine was rushed out, hence many didn't bother.
Matters are now resolved in that respect, but having seen a young man of 42 die from it 2 years ago I am now a regular attendee when the Occ Health Dept do the rounds with the jabs.

[wolf63]

Whilst I think that the staff should be encouraged to get the flu jag I feel uncomfortable with the idea of forcing them to accept it.

[Sqad]

\\\Last year, fewer than half of frontline NHS staff had the jab and the figure was less than than one in five in some hospitals.\\

Why is this? Do they know something that we don't?

I think that all NHS staff should be given the facts about Winter Flu infection and cross infection,but like wolf, I am unhappy with compulsory vaccination.

I do not work in the NHS and i haven't had the Flu vaccine.

[ToraToraTora]

I agree they should have it but I'm not comfortable with forced injections. Education and persuasion.

[jno]

I don't suppose there's any evidence of how many people do catch flu from NHS workers? (Not counting family.) If not it's hard to quantify the effect this does or might have.

[pixie373]

With student nursing, the only vaccination that was compulsory was hepatitis (can't remember which one). And proof needed of BCG. The flu jab wasn't mentioned, but then anyone in an at-risk group would be offered it themselves.

[New Judge]

I don't blame the 25%.

I had the 'flu jab many years ago. It was provided by my employer in an effort to avoid too much sickness in the winter. WIthin twelve hours of receiving the jab I was laid up, every joint in my body aching, , diarrohea, fever, vomiting, the lot. It lasted about ten days and I Was off work for the thick end of two weeks.

I've had proper 'flu (not "man 'flu") twice since then. Infinitely preferable, on the mend after a couple of large brandies and 48 hours in bed.

[New Judge]

Sorry, jake, forgot to answer your questions:

Yes, No, No, Yes

[jake-the-peg]

Not found specific figures for deaths but outbreaks happen in hospitals and when it does it's an issue

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-shropshire-21916966

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-20861966


It's not just an issue of fatalities - this causes operations to be cancelled and can even close hospitals

I can see where people feel uneasy with compulsion but from where I stand it's not that far different from compelling people to wear hard hats on a building site
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/health/scottish-hospitals-forced-to-cancel-operations-1528857

[New Judge]

I think it is a little diferent to the wearing of hard hats, Jake. Wearing a hard hat is hardly likely to cause the wearer any harm, whereas having a virus introduced into my body most certainly did me some. If there are risks associated with wearing hard hats I’d gladly take them to offset the risk of having my skull caved in by a falling brick. But I would never have the ’flu jab again preferring instead to take my chances with the real thing.

[boxtops]

Yes
Yes
Yes
No

I've never had any reaction from my annual flu jab, and I'e had one at work for the last 13 years.

what is more concerning to me is that it's front-line staff, who deal with patients, who aren't taking it up - it would be interesting to know why they are not doing so. I'm not front-line but if I (or my staff) get flu, the local NHS suffers in terms of manpower because we are off work for a couple of weeks, and there's nobody to cover for us - so the justification for our having it is preventive and cost-efficiency, not directly protecting the patients and vice versa.