Nursing: Those Who Can’t or Don’t Want the Flu Shot

Nursing: Those Who Can't or Don't Want the Flu Shot

Nursing: Those Who Can’t or Don’t Want the Flu Shot

You may be thinking why would intelligent, well-informed health care providers not receive a flu shot? Why would they opt out of a health benefit that we are all being told to get for our well being?

There are multiple reasons why health care providers may be choosing to opt-out of the seasonal flu shot.

Safe’N’Clear has spoken with numerous RN’s, who are breast cancer survivors, who have been advised by their medical providers not to get the flu shot. In “Forcing Shots on Health Care workers, Who is Next?” the National Vaccine Information Center notes

Changing the Face of the Flu Season

  • that the flu vaccine has been linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
  • 80% of all flu-like illness reported during the flu season are NOT caused by influenza but instead by other viruses and bacteria
  • Influenza can be prevented or reduced in home and health care settings with proper and consistent hand washing, wearing a mask, and separating sick and healthy persons.  

Specifically, Fluvax may cause two-three times as many hospitalizations for seizures as Fluvax presents the flu. The side effects of the flu vaccine need to be evaluated in conjunction with the benefits. In Nurse Journal on an article about whether nurses should be forced to get flu shots, the argument is made those healthy people who contract the flu are left with immunity to the virus. Some providers with autoimmune conditions actually get quite sick from receiving the flu immunization. More research is needed to better understand the relationships between autoimmune conditions and flu vaccines. 

Do you really want to wear a scratchy, paper mask for a 12 hour shift in order to protect yourself and others?

If you opt not to get the flu vaccination, do you really want to wear a scratchy, paper mask for a 12-hour shift in order to protect yourself and others? Traditional paper masks, to be effective need to be changed every 2-3 hours, per the Center for Disease and Control. Noel Kelsch in her article, Changing Masks, in Registered Dental Hygiene recommends that masks should be changed every 20 minutes in wet environment, every 60 minutes in a nonaerosol environment, and between patients so providers do not pass bio-burdens from one patient to another. 

Traditional masks can make the care provider feel separate and cut off from co-workers and patients/clients. Traditional face masks can also stifle the providers’ speech, which hampers patient comprehension of what is being said.

Fortunately, there is a solution that allows you to still have comfortable mask protection that fosters connection and clear communication.

The solution?

The Communicator mask with a clear window is designed to provide inclusion and accessibility while maintaining the ASTM Level 1 standard care. We encourage all readers to discuss your medical history with your medical provider to determine whether a flu vaccination is right for you. Whatever your reason to consider forgoing the influenza vaccination, you can still protect yourself by wearing mask protection!

Get The Communicator mask to protect yourself, protect others, and keep the lines of communication open!

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