How to get around mandatory flu shot?

[Sieren]

I was wondering if anyone knows how to get out of getting a mandatory flu shot?  

I am trying to think of a way to forge something saying that I got one...

does anyone know what somewhere like Walgreens or any drugstore gives you after you get one?  Like as for paperwork?

Thanks!

[Marnica]

What do you need to get it for? Is it work? School? Depending on what it's for there may be ways to avoid it without resorting to forging things!

[Sieren]

Its for work--and unfortunetly I don't think there is any way of getting around it...I work in healthcare.  Right now they let us use religious reasons to not get it, but not next year.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by Sieren 

I was wondering if anyone knows how to get out of getting a mandatory flu shot?  

I am trying to think of a way to forge something saying that I got one...

does anyone know what somewhere like Walgreens or any drugstore gives you after you get one?  Like as for paperwork?

Thanks!

That would get you fired if you were found out. Really fast. I find it abhorent that you would actually consider forgery to get out of something mandatory in your line of work.

[purslaine]

I would not forge things.

I would challenge them on it if you think it is unfair for one reason or another.

Sorry you are in this position!

[Marnica]

I don't disagree that forgery is not the way to go and if discovered would most likely lead to termination, but (leaving the scathing judgement aside ) I totally understand the desire to go this route. If someone believes that strongly that doing something would be harmful to their health and they are given no options, no choice and no recourse should anything bad come of it - than I get it. I find it abhorent that institutions put people in this kind of position in the first place. Just because someone works in healthcare does mean that they should not have the same rights in terms of informed consent and objections on religious grounds than those who do not. Some places give their workers a choice to either get the vaccine or wear a mask around patients. This (while not ideal) at least gives them a choice. So to OP - I would also fight it to the bitter end. Good luck :)

 

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

That would get you fired if you were found out. Really fast. I find it abhorent that you would actually consider forgery to get out of something mandatory in your line of work.

[Taximom5]

I would never never NEVER recommend forging anything.

I would suggest that you find a new doctor, one who is supportive of your position.  If you have ANY history or family history at all of autoimmune disorders (and just about everyone these days has such a history--rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, etc. are all autoimmune disorders), he can write a medical exemption for you.

Google "complementary medicine," in your city.  These would be MDs who also practice a bit of naturopathic or holistic medicine.  You can also contact a naturopath or holistic doctor, explain your predicament, and ask if they know of any MDs who might be sympathetic to your plight, to whom you can go for help.

Best of luck to you...

[Sieren]

I actually do have a diagnosis of MS, which is an autoimmune disease.  I'll start looking for a naturopathic doctor that could maybe write me an exemption.  Thank you for the ideas everyone!

[Alenushka]

You can decline for medical reason....but that the manager has a right to assign you to work where you do not have contact with patients. Rightfully so.

[Marnica]

You must find an MD to write the exemption. As far as I know  (although this applies to school - perhaps a private institution would be different, but I doubt it) they won't accept one from an ND.

 

Originally Posted by Sieren 

I actually do have a diagnosis of MS, which is an autoimmune disease.  I'll start looking for a naturopathic doctor that could maybe write me an exemption.  Thank you for the ideas everyone!

[rnra]

Check with your employer to find out what the consequences are if you do get an exemption.  At my workplace, current employees are allowed well-documented medical or religious exemptions from vaccinations.  We have to be current on ALL vaccines--including yearly flu vaccines.  New hires sign a paper stating that they are not allowed any exemptions--if they choose to have a religious exemption in the future or develop a medical complication that would lead to exemption, they will loose their job.  For the current people who get flu shot exemptions, you can not work in direct contact with any patients at any time during flu season and will get re-assigned to do laundry or office work.  Even then, when you are doing that work you must wear a mask 100% of the time you are inside any of the buildings.

[WonkyMama]

How about this: If you're in a line of work (especially if working with vulnerable populations), and don't want to comply with the flu shot requirement, find anither line of work.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by WonkyMama 

How about this: If you're in a line of work (especially if working with vulnerable populations), and don't want to comply with the flu shot requirement, find anither line of work.

Yes, nevermind that research has shown the flu shot to be notoriously ineffective. I wish I could see the world in such black and white terms - maybe Id have less stress!
 

[emmy526]

Originally Posted by WonkyMama 

How about this: If you're in a line of work (especially if working with vulnerable populations), and don't want to comply with the flu shot requirement, find anither line of work.

How about this?  If you are in a line of work you love to do and are aware of some workplace health hazards,  who is to say what is to be injected into your body without sufficient proof(if there is such a thing, which i doubt) of effectiveness said vaccine works, not to mention the ingredients may be offensive in a religious way to some people.   Should i find another line of work simply because my beliefs do not permit me to inject those toxins?   

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by emmy526 

How about this?  If you are in a line of work you love to do and are aware of some workplace health hazards,  who is to say what is to be injected into your body without sufficient proof of effectiveness said vaccine works, not to mention the ingredients may be offensive in a religious way to some people.   Should i find another line of work simply because my beliefs do not permit me to inject those toxins?   

Not to mention that it's not exactly easy to just up and change one's line of work and maintain the same level of income, especially in this economy, and just because someone opposes getting the flu shot for the above mentioned reasons doesn't mean that working in healthcare isn't their talent and passion.

Marnica's right.  Must be nice to live in such a black and white world.

[Alenushka]

60% of people who get flu shot do not get flu. Another large % get it in much lesser form.

Healthcare regulations are there for a reason. If you do not want a flue vaccine, do not work with patients during flu season. There is plenty of paper work .

It is not about you, it is about your patients. Hospital are full of immunosupressed people who can be killed by flu. So, anything that can reduce flu among staff is done for the very reason of protecting the patients.

[slmommy]

I find it funny that following the standard logic, nurses and doctors have a better capacity than the rest of us to understand vaccines and communicable diseases, the risks/consequences, etc. And still some have objections and are being forced. I'm not sure, but willing to bet, quite a few nurses entered the profession when flu vax was recommended and not vax or unemployment situation.

I don't think too many nurses go to work with fevers, coughing and sneezing everywhere, with the intention to spread illness to their patients, I think most are probably better handwashers/risk reducers than the rest of us. Maybe the solution here is robot nurses  as flu isn't the only thing spreading around hospitals. 

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by Alenushka 

60% of people who get flu shot do not get flu. Another large % get it in much lesser form.

Healthcare regulations are there for a reason. If you do not want a flue vaccine, do not work with patients during flu season. There is plenty of paper work .

It is not about you, it is about your patients. Hospital are full of immunosupressed people who can be killed by flu. So, anything that can reduce flu among staff is done for the very reason of protecting the patients.

Would you mind sharing your source of information? I do not believe any of the bolded and there is plenty of science to suggest that the flu vaccine is not as effective as we are led to believe AND that the studies that claim it is very effective are flawed. If I were to wager a guess it would be that you have spent very little time (if any) exploring these facts. Here is some reading you may find interesting

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/11/does-the-vaccine-matter/7723/2/

http://www.nvic.org/Downloads/Jeffersonetal-BMJ2009.aspx

http://informedmoms.com/vaccFLUart_CalculatingInfluenzaDeaths.html

http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7574/912.full

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001269.pub4/abstract;jsessionid=87F9B5AB71AB2C651B7C905756874B6F.d02t04

Authors of this review assessed all trials that compared vaccinated people with unvaccinated people. The combined results of these trials showed that under ideal conditions (vaccine completely matching circulating viral configuration) 33 healthy adults need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms. In average conditions (partially matching vaccine) 100 people need to be vaccinated to avoid one set of influenza symptoms. Vaccine use did not affect the number of people hospitalised or working days lost but caused one case of Guillian-Barré syndrome (a major neurological condition leading to paralysis) for every one million vaccinations. Fifteen of the 36 trials were funded by vaccine companies and four had no funding declaration. Our results may be an optimistic estimate because company-sponsored influenza vaccines trials tend to produce results favorable to their products and some of the evidence comes from trials carried out in ideal viral circulation and matching conditions and because the harms evidence base is limited..

http://www.jpands.org/vol11no3/geier.pdf

[Alenushka]

No one says it is 100% effective.   But any reduction is better than none. It is more effective in young people than in elderly. 

However, most of of healthcare workers are on the younger side. So, it makes sense to reduce rates of flu in healthcare workers who work with velnerable  populations such as cancer patients, infants, chemo patients and elderly.

Regardless, if you work in healthcare you have to follow regulations.   

"Adults 65 years or older in long-term care facilities

All residents of long-term care facilities s (e.g., nursing homes) should receive annual influenza vaccination, as outbreaks of influenza can be explosive and result in substantial morbidity and mortality among residents of such facilities. There is evidence that vaccination prevents respiratory illnesses during periods of influenza circulation for elderly nursing home residents. For example, one study conducted during the 1991-1992 influenza season found that vaccination was associated with a 34% reduction in total respiratory illnesses and a 55% reduction in pneumonia during the two-week peak of influenza activity (Monto, 2001). In addition, one study conducted in UK nursing homes found that vaccinating health care workers decreased deaths during periods of influenza activity during one season with substantial influenza circulation, but not during the next year, when influenza activity was low throughout the winter (Hayward, 2006).

Children

In a four-year randomized, placebo-controlled study of inactivated and live influenza vaccines among children aged 1–15 years, vaccine efficacy was estimated at 77% against influenza A (H3N2) and 91% against influenza A (H1N1) virus infection (Neuzil et al., 2001). A two-year study of children aged 6–24 months found that the vaccine was 66% effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed influenza in one year of the study (Hoberman et al., 2003). Only children who were fully vaccinated (i.e., had either two doses if not previously vaccinated, or one dose if previously vaccinated) versus unvaccinated children were included in the analysis. In the other year of this study, few cases of influenza occurred, making it difficult to assess the vaccine's efficacy (Hoberman et al., 2003). Children younger than 9 years of age who have not been vaccinated previously are recommended to receive two doses of vaccine the first year they get vaccinated. In subsequent years, they need only one dose. This recommendation was made because many children younger than 9 years of age have not been infected with influenza viruses previously, and a booster dose is needed for them to produce a protective immune response."

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/effectivenessqa.htm#studies-differ

[emmy526]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22111471