ATTN all Healthcare workers, law enforcement ect

[Ms.Doula]

Someone PLEASE help me decide if I should get all these friggin vaxes they want me to get in nursing school! Its rediculus!

I dont vax my children. (Havent since my oldest was 9 mos -she reacted)
SO Im being told since inm at SUCH a high risk, that I should AT LEAST get the Hepatitis vax.

ANY Info would help me to decide what to do in this situation.
THANKS!

[applejuice]

I am not a law enforcement officer or HCP, but I do know that you have legal rights and are entitled to the integrity of your own body and whatever you decide to have injected into that body will have consequences and side-effects that you will live with.

I have a younger sib who is a HCP professional who submitted to the Hepatitis B vax even after a discussion with a famous anti-vax doctor and she is fine, AFAIK, so the decision is yours.

FTR, I have done daycare fro babies and adults and I have never been vaxed. Various vaxes are recommended but not required. Other than that, the jobs I have had have not been in contact with human body fluids.

[Gitti]

There is NO WAY, NO WAY that I would ever inject those things into my body. No matter what the situation.

jm 2c worth.

[Momma Aimee]

all i can give you is my personal expereince

I worked in a forst / group home and an emergency shelter and a woman's shelter. DH is FLEO ...

we both have Hep B.

We both got it because

in his job, in the ones i held -- we were in contact with blood, and we were bitten and scratched. not jsut a potentioal, we both knew it would and did happne faily normally. Less so for DH due to his fireld.

and also for me a lot of contact with body fliuds (gloves or no) and my own personaly hapbit of biting my naisl and constantly having open hang nails and the like.

My mom is a RN and she felt strongly we should ge the Hep B -- due to blood contact, or even needle sticks (be it intentally for DH, or accidental for me).

I knwo there are others -- some that mom has, some she does not -- that that point you have to assess actual risk......

DH aslo keeps his tentus current -- as i did when working -- do to potinal injuries (attacks or otherwise).

So of your presonal risk assessment has to consider where you will work, even as a student on rotation.....and what population you will have contact with.

I would howver, and i know some don't, support the Hep B. :

but most of it has to be determined based on where you will work and with who and what you actually will do....or what you might be called upon to due even if it is not routine for you

AImee

[Crisstiana]

If there is a chance you are going to be exposed to others' blood, I'd get the Hep vax. Things squirt and splash, gloves tear, etc.

In med school, I had gloves tear, even with double-gloving. I was splashed in the face with blood (none got in my eyes because I was wearing glasses) and had someone vomit up blood down my shirt. I also was in a trauma situation in which blood somehow got past the protective gown I was wearing and soaked into my pants.

I'm sure it's the same for nursing students, but studies have shown that med students are at a very high risk for needle sticks, mostly due to their inexperience but also because of the low-level jobs they are forced to do.

Even if you are very careful (and I think I am and was as a student), things can happen.

[mamakay]

I'd strongly consider HepB if I worked in healthcare.

[arlecchina]

Originally Posted by mamakay

I'd strongly consider HepB if I worked in healthcare.

I did work in healthcare and I did get the hep B vax.

[Ceinwen]

We're delayed/selective vaxers over here... considering no vaxes for this new babe coming...

Having said that, I'm a nursing student (soooo ready to graduate!) and I took the HepB too.

I've been splashed in the face with: vomit, urine, blood, faeces... yes, you're supposed to wear goggles or a shield for certain procedures, but when something suddenly happens, you don't always have time to prep in an emergency.

I've also been stuck with a needle (accidentally) by a co-worker... wow, not fun.

It's a very personal choice, and risks in both vaxing/non-vaxing. For me, the differnce in vaccinating myself was that *I* was consenting to it, I did the research, and I decided what I could live with.

I wasn't doing it to someone who had no say or way to be informed (ie. my child).

PS - Have fun with school Nursing is a real roller-coaster! : :

[mamakay]

Here's what I'm thinking:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...&dopt=Abstract

To estimate the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among hospital workers, we measured the prevalence of HBV infection in employees in five hospitals in different parts of the country and examined the effect of occupational and non-occupational factors on HBV prevalence. Among 5,697 persons studied, serologic markers of HBV infection were found in 807 (14%).

That's one out of 7 folks who work in hospitals who end up exposed, and if 10% of them will go on to become chronic carriers (and have a high risk of liver failure, liver cancer, etc.) that's a LOT. Those are not great odds.
Vaxing a baby or a little kid is totally different, though.

[naturegirl7]

I had everything as a kid, but refused all as an adult - including while in nursing school anf while working. Some people got freaked at the idea of not having the Hep B vax - but as long as you always use universal precautions your risk isn't as high as they make it seem. the risk comes from not wearing gloves, not washng hands, or from needle sticks -the majority of which are easily preventable!

maybe if you planned to work in a trauma center or the OR or something where you are constantly being exposed to blood....

but precaution and prevention go further IMO cuz there is plenty of othe nasty stuff besides HepB like HepC or HIV......

[grisandole]

I worked in healthcare and declined the hep. b and would do so again.

[alegna]

I would not get it.

-Angela

[momto l&a]

Dh is a :cop: and has never gotten any vaccines for his job nor has he been offered any.

He did get the DTaP due to running into a clothes line and getting a scrape above his eye. Unfortunately he didn't talk to me first

[Momma Aimee]

dh started the hep b serise at FLETC -- fed law enforcemtn training center -- while posted there for traning... he finished it here.

Hep B, and a current Tetnus is all he got.... and a TB test.

[Peony]

I was an RN and received Hep B, course I didn't other anything other then getting it back then. If if had to do it today, I'm not sure, it would be a difficult decision but I have had needle sticks, etc... it happens even to the best nurses.

[Ms.Doula]

Thank you all. This is so helpfull & I apreciate your sharing your personal thoughts & experiences with me!



......However I am still soooo unsure of getting this! I need to see facts I guess....
Im so torn, I mean I am against routine vax's in general. And I have been denying vaxs for so long for my children ages 6.5, 4.5 & 2 (& my dd that is 6, we believe to be vax-injured as an infanct from DTaP and/or HIB -thats why we stopped vaxing & started researching)
So I just dont know what to do!

And for what its worth, I am going into Obstetrics & Midwifery afer I complete my Nursing degree. Untill then, I am working in Long Term care facillities & Acute care.

[Ms.Doula]

anyone? :

[amnesiac]

Other than the hep B series (which I have had BTW), what other vaxes are on the list? And what type of facts are you wanting to see?

[CaraNicole]

i would get hep b...if i was in trauma/ER if i was just making the rounds in the hospital or Dr. office i would decline....

[Ms.Doula]

Originally Posted by amnesiac

Other than the hep B series (which I have had BTW), what other vaxes are on the list? And what type of facts are you wanting to see?

I believe they are sugguesting a DTaP booster, HIB and that damn brand new HPV vax as well as the Hep B & Hep A & is there a Hep C??? ugh.

I guess I need facts as to how many cases maybe... among non-vaxed & vaxed healthcare workers. As well as instances of any of these Vaxs that have caused more harm than good in an Adult.

THANKS!!