I watched a piece on the news a few days ago that focused on college clinics dispensing flu shots to returning students who realize that going back to school, and moving into the dorm, increases their odds of getting the flu.
Smart choice for those college kids.
Yet, most of us adults aren't so smart. We'd rather risk getting sick, missing work, infecting others, spending weeks with that lingering cough and weakness. Sorry, that just makes no sense to me.
Recently, a conversation took place in an online forum about whether it should be mandatory for hospital nurses to get a flu shot, with the goal of protecting their patients. Hospitals across the country have stuck that stake in the ground, and a few nurses have lost their jobs because they refused.
My two cents in the forum was this:
What we know is that most years, the flu shot does a pretty good job of preventing the flu in most patients. This year it seems the odds are about 62% that with a flu shot, I won't get the flu.
Since I have no allergies that I know of (well, OK, except perhaps to my ex-husband) - and have successfully had the flu shot many times before, I like those odds. There is about twice as much chance I won't get the flu than I will get the flu. And if I do get the flu, then I won't be as sick.
Think of those same odds in other aspects of life. If the lottery had those odds, we'd all be buying tickets.
Then I saw this great editorial in the New Yorker called "For God's Sake, Go Get a Flu Shot." For some of you "denialists" - it might change your mind. The entire editorial is worth a read. The author, Michael Specter, gives us a couple of great metaphors:
On Friday, a highly educated, very smart colleague at The New Yorker explained her decision to remain unvaccinated with these words: "I never get a flu shot, and I never get the flu."
O.K. Let's play her game. Turn to whomever you are with and say these sentences out loud: "I never wear seat belts, and I never get killed in car crashes"; "I never use condoms, and I never become infected with sexually transmitted diseases"; "I eat red meat seven times a week, only exercise once a year, and I've never had a heart attack or a stroke."
Officials tell us it's not too late to get the flu shot. Just do it.
If you are still teetering on the edge of "should I? or shouldn't I?" Let's see if these articles help you:
· How to Decide Whether to Get a Flu Shot
· Why Young and Healthy People Need Flu Shots
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Agree? Disagree?
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Hi Trish,
In general, I do agree with your theory. The problem I have is that there are some people that really have a “good” reason for CHOOSING NOT to take a flu vaccine. What bothers me, is that hospitals are allowed to terminate employees, for this . You do not have to share all your medical history with your employer, and you should be able to sign a wavier, if that is your choice,after making an informed decision.
At one point my Dr. offered me a medication for a chronic condition that I have, and one of the side effects was increased chance of infection. REALLY, I worked in the hospital at that time, and did not want to take that risk!!!! I choose not to take the medication and researched other alternatives!
So while we need to be concerned with the “greater good”, we also need to remember that we live in a country where we are supposed to have the liberty to make CHOICES!
What a great point you make about the odds, Trisha.
Healthcare employees – and nursing home employees, too – are different from other employees by the very nature of their work – it is a given that they are working with a vulnerable population, and therefore should be expected to take every possible precaution not to bring harm to their patients.
It is lovely to talk about individual choice, but what choice does the hospitalized person have when their caregivers end up exposing them to the flu because they refused the flu shot?
And Jo…. that makes me think of another way of looking at this:
I have to wonder if those same hospital employees who invoke the “it’s my body” argument would think it was OK for their patients to smoke in the hospital? That of course, would even put the hospital employee at risk from second-hand smoke.
But – then the patient could argue that it’s his/her body, and they should be able to determine what goes into it (without regard for the people around them.)
Thanks for posting.