Friday, 02 October 2009
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The Swine Flu Vaccine Has NY Healthcare Workers Up in Arms
I know that it’s hard to believe now that the situation has calmed down some, but only a few months ago Swine Flu, or the H1N1 virus, was declared an epidemic and was certainly considered a health emergency. People across the world were terrified of contracting the deadly virus, which at the time had no vaccine. Even as recently as September of this year, H1N1 was having a deadly impact: 625 Swine Flu related deaths were reported the week of September 4, 2009. That is more than twenty percent of the known total 2,837 Swine Flu deaths that have occurred since the virus’s inception earlier this year. The H1N1 virus may have faded from the spotlight, but it is still alive and still dangerous. Fortunately for us, scientists have developed a Swine Flu vaccine that was approved by the FDA and will be available starting this week. However, not everyone is so excited about the vaccine.New York State has mandated that all healthcare workers be vaccinated against the Swine Flu. Healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated will risk losing their jobs. They are not happy about this choice. Some healthcare workers, like nutritionists, feel that is it unnecessary for them to receive the shot because they have very little patient interaction. Other are worried about the possible side effects of the new vaccine and still others simply feel that the mandate is a violation of their right to privacy. Protesters are voicing these concerns loudly and clearly to Albany.
Although I understand the protesters’ concerns and am usually an advocate for privacy, I have to say that this time I’m coming down on the side of the State. If you are a healthcare professional, your private decisions have the power to affect the health of many, many people. I believe that it is your responsibility to do everything in your power to maintain your health and avoid infecting the people under your care. If I found out that I had caught H1N1 from my doctor, I would be livid.
In any case, it’s not as though this is a new concept. There are already vaccination requirements in place for many professions and also for children who attend school. As a teacher in New York City, I was required to have several vaccinations, including the MMR vaccine and a vaccine to prevent meningitis. If your career involves being responsible for the health or well-being of other people, it seems irresponsible not to follow these regulations.
What do you think? Is New York State right or is requiring people to be vaccinated going to far?
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About the Author
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- From: lindsaya
- Name: lindsaya
- About Me: I am a teacher/writer who lives in New York city and I am always on the go. In between my various jobs, obligations, and activities, I try to make time to lead a healthy and balanced life. I love to run, swim, do yoga, and try new activities. I am also a long-time vegetarian who is constantly struggling between my desire to eat healthy foods and my love of all things made out of bread or covered in cheese!
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Comments (30)
Can we really say the virus itself is deadly or were those that died, like the first case who was a pregnant mother, were more susceptible to infection and death because of their pre-existing condition? And if you say that 2,837 people in total died, but what's the world population again? Or even the US? Wouldn't you say that 2,000 deaths out of 300,000,000 is a rather low number to be getting all worked up over?
Now, I move to the health care workers. If these people are saying no to the vaccine, and these are people who work directly in the health care sector and who should have a fair bit of knowledge about vaccines and side-effects, should we not, as citizens, follow their lead and question the validity of the necessity to vaccine quickly? And what of the chemicals used in the vaccine? Isn't one being studied now as a possible cause to autism? Why then would we force our kids to take it? Are people getting worked up, not because of a real fear of the flu virus, but because the media, government, CDC, and FDA are telling them they should worry? Giving them false numbers so as to force them to go out and get this vaccine?
For a flu that is more mild than the seasonal flu and has less yearly deaths than the seasonal flu, do we really need to be cautious or should we allow our bodies to do what it naturally does and just take a week vacation when we get sick?
Definitely wrong. This vaccine was JUST developed and it has not had time to be effectively tested for side effects and the like. This poses a more real danger to the workers potentially than swine flu ever did. I completely agree with them being up in arms.
I'm torn.
I am all for safety and health, but I don't eat pig because of all the diseases that can be contracted just from being around them. I don't allow pig in the house [because I grew up kosher]. Why on earth would I be vaccinated with and for something "unclean" that could kill me anyway?
I know I'm not magically protected by the kosher living and even being a vegetarian isn't enough, but cringe at the thought of being injected with "dead" swine flu.
I'm thinking that they have every right to be up in arms. I mean, a blanket requirement for them to get the vaccine seems a little absurd for those who don't have much patient contact.
I can understand how it's a risk nonetheless, though. If they were to get swine flu elsewhere and they were to drop like flies, the depletion in our medical services could be devastating.
My dad got a similar vaccine in the 70s. He wasn't sick before, but the day after and for the next two weeks, he had never been more sick in his entire life. :/
I'm with the health care workers on this one. The vaccine hasn't been proven, we don't know the side effects and it's unnecessary. Hospitals work hard to control outbreaks and all infected individuals are sent home with paid leave. Swine flu is not like Hepatitis B, another vaccine required by health care professionals. Hep B has been proven to be a safe vaccine and it is also deadly if contracted. Swine flu is not safe, yet, and yes, while there are deaths associated, it is manageable to control outbreaks and if you take care of your self right is not deadly. It is simply just one more flu strain. The media has hyped this up to be a lot more than it is, and as a health care worker and future physician, people really need to calm down.
@xplodinglastbullet@xanga - All your questions...yes. The swine flu is simply more contagious than the seasonal flu. So you probably WILL get it if you come in contact with a person that has it. Otherwise, it is simply another strain that causes the same symptoms and same issues as the seasonal flu. The flu virus is really a myth. There are hundreds, if not thousands of flu viruses that are going around right now. The flu vaccine is simply the top 3 or 4 that researchers predict will be the biggest threat in the coming season. This new strain, a mutation from originally a pig strain, is simply one more flu virus.
In regards to death rate, it's rather low, and the only reason people are up in arms is because the media and government can mess with people due to their lack of knowledge about viruses and how they "shift" infectious particles every year. The flu virus does the same thing...it mutates, on it's own, every year....it's a coping and survival mechanism. Swine flu is no worse than what we've been dealing with for ages.
@enterthelabyrinth@xanga - Haha..I know. I posed these questions merely to point out the fallacy of the argument and of the officials who are trying to force vaccines through fear. I have not had the flu since I was 10 and I've never had the vaccine. I'm not really worried about catching it, and if I do, I'm not going to panic and go running to the nearest hospital looking to get doped up. But thanks for backing me up. :)
@xplodinglastbullet@xanga - I've had the flu at least once every year...and I'm still alive!
Do I get a cookie from the government now? :)
@enterthelabyrinth@xanga - haha...no. You get a nice comfy bed in an interment camp. XD
@mr_faust@xanga - No, i will NOT click on that out of curiosity. Nice try though.
Is the swine flu vaccine safe? http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/13161#more-13161
@xplodinglastbullet@xanga -
But, but!
@enterthelabyrinth@xanga - you know logic does not work against the government. Look at all of the special state legislation being passed that forces quarantine, vaccine, and treatment for swine flu. :P
@pamuckraker - chances are, the swine flu vaccine isn't safe and the FDA and CDC are pushing it through anyway. The more important question is, is it truly necessary? We know the flu, in most cases is mild and that the number of deaths from it each year are relatively low when compared to the total number of people on the earth. We also know that those who do die, most anyway, had an underlying medical condition that would have made them more susceptible to infection and even death from things like the cold and flu. Asthma patients, pregnant mothers, those with breathing problems, those with auto-immune diseases...the list goes on. Is it necessary then, to have a vaccine? No. Not at all, unless you are one of the unfortunate who have an underlying medical condition.
They should have an option like they do for college students. If you don't want to take one of the requried vaccines you have to sign a form stating that you understand the risks of not taking it. Forcing someone to take a vaccine that hasn't been tested that long doesn't sound right to me. They say its safe now but what about in 5 or 10 years. There are always commericals on TV from lawyers looking for people who had negatively been effecrted by a drug that had been taken off the market after years of people using it.
The vaccine is more dangerous than the actual virus itself. You should do some more research and find out the REAL truth about the Swine Flu. It's not nearly as dangerous and the media is making it out to be. The vast majority of the swine flu deaths have been people with other pertaining health problems, immunodeficiency diseases, etc...
I tell everyone I know not to get the vaccine!
@xplodinglastbullet@xanga - Pardon my French (or is it Freedom?)...but yeah, no shit.
@enterthelabyrinth@xanga - Haha...either way...keep your head down. the shit's going to hit the fan soon.
I work with HIV/Aids patients and it would be totally irresponsible of me to not get both the reg. flu and H1n1 vaccines. I could literally kill someone (more likely mulltiple patients) if I brought the virus to work, even if my immune system is healthy enough to fend off the virus without intervention.
I think it's kinda ridiculous that this swine flu is being treated like it's cancer or some deadly disease. My uncle had it (and I think I did too, I just didn't go to the doctor to confirm 'cause I couldn't afford the copayment. I just stayed home and away from people, got better, then went back to classes. no big deal.), and guess what? It is just like the regular flu. You are sick for a few days, then you get better. The only difference is that you can't kill it with antibacterial stuff, so it is extremely contagious and spreadable. I'm really sick of hearing about all this. And I think it is a huge invasion of privacy and violation of our rights to be forced to take some medication by the state. My state did the same thing with Guardasil (or whatever it's called - that hpv vaccine). Big government sucks.
@beautyinbeautyout@xanga - but you know and understand your special circumstances, and would choose to get it (I'm guessing by your comment). The state does not need to get involved.
I completely agree with you on this. I really don't think there is much I could say that would expand upon what you said. :)
This is a group of trained medical professionals against getting the flu shot themselves... wonder what they know and we don't.
Yes, there IS a reason why health professionals are backing away from taking the vaccine and it's happening in other countries as well as ours.
When the supply is short of the numbers needed, an adjuvant is added to the vaccine to stretch the supply. Each patient might only get ¼ of a dose along with an adjuvant that supercharges the vaccine.
For example, with the anthrax vaccine given to Gulf War soldiers, an adjuvant called squalene was added to that vaccine to make it stretch further.Many blame squalene for causing the so-called Gulf War Syndrome (GWS).
Squaline is a natural substance found in most plants and animals but when commercial squalene is injected into the bloodstream (as with a vaccine), it appears to disrupt the body‘s immune system. The body identifies it as a threat and creates antibodies to attack it.
Scientists from Tulane University tested blood samples from vets suffering from GWS and found that 100% of them contained abnormal antibodies to squalene. This backs up the theory held by many in the medical community that squalene triggered GWS in these vets.
What if the same thing happens with the H1N1 vaccine? What kind of thinking is it that targets those with already compromised immune systems, to supposedly "protect" them? We're playing Russian Roulette here. Big Brother, Big Pharma, FDA and CDC aren't doing us any favors. Include me out!!