mandatory vaccination Archives

How Bad Is the Flu Right Now, and Should Nurses Get Vaccinated?

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, AJN editor-in-chief

The news has been full of reports about the influenza outbreak, deaths from complications, and shortages of vaccine and antivirals. Is the flu season as bad as purported, or are we experiencing media hype? Nurses are frequently asked for information by family, friends, and neighbors (and strangers—I was in a restaurant once and a diner at a nearby table, having overheard my conversation with a colleague, leaned over and asked if he could ask me a health question!), so here’s the latest information.

Week ending 1/5/2013; brown indicates states w/ widespread flu activity. CDC

According to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report for the week ending January 5, epidemiologists from all states except three reported (see map) widespread “influenza-like illness” (ILI, meaning fever and cough or sore throat). California and Mississippi reported regional activity and Hawaii reported sporadic activity. The District of Columbia reported local spread. And while officials in some cities and states declared public health emergencies, the CDC notes that “influenza activity remained elevated in the U.S., but may be decreasing in some areas.”

One of the indicators is the proportion of people seeking treatment for ILI. Thus far, that number has risen as high as 6.0%, but has since fallen to 4.3%, as of January 5. In prior years deemed as moderately severe flu seasons, that indicator rose as high as 7.6%.

So in terms of history, we’re […]

Jacob Molyneux, senior editor/blog editor2016-11-21T13:08:33-05:00January 14th, 2013|nursing perspective|6 Comments

Behind Our Ambivalence About Flu Vaccines

By Amy M. Collins, editor

Influenza virus particle/CDC

Tis the season to start thinking about getting the flu vaccination. Every year I consider doing so, but due to my own personal vaccine angst I usually decide to just take my chances (while simultaneously lecturing elderly family members to make sure they get theirs, of course). Working in Manhattan, with the vaccine available at most pharmacies and even vaccine access through work, gives me very little reason to forgo vaccination. And my theory that I am young and strong and can brave illness gets weaker as I pass the point of being able to comfortably claim youth. Riding the subway every day amid a festival of germs reminds me that I should know better.

The vaccine has caused a stir over the past few years: during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, people worried about whether or not to get the new combined vaccine, and the question of mandatory vaccination for health care workers remains a hot topic even now.

But a new report, The Compelling Need For Game-Changing Influenza Vaccines, released by scientists at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, suggests that the flu vaccine may not be as effective as it is touted to be. According to the report, influenza vaccinations provide only modest protection for healthy young and middle-aged adults, and little if any protection for those 65 and older—those who are […]

Amy M. Collins, managing editor2016-11-21T13:08:55-05:00November 9th, 2012|Nursing|3 Comments

From Flu Vaccine to Abortion Rights: The Same Argument?

By Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, AJN interim editor-in-chief

There’ve been articles, blog posts, a court ruling in New York State halting mandatory H1N1 vaccinations for health care workers, and last week a suspension of the mandatory vaccinations by Governor Paterson (who explained the decision in terms of the vaccine shortage). Earlier this month, we ran a poll on this site related to whether or not nurses and other health care workers who work as direct caregivers should be mandated to receive the flu vaccine. In reading the poll results, I notice that many of the arguments against mandatory vaccination focus on the right to decide about one’s own body—a powerful argument, indeed.

It did make me wonder: do those who stand by this reason for not getting an H1N1 vaccination shot (or nasal mist) recognize that this argument—that one has a right to determine what happens to one’s body—is the same argument used by women who want to choose whether to have a baby or not? At the very least there’s an interesting parallel, even if some people I’ve pointed this out to don’t seem to agree. I’d like to know if others feel there is a difference—and if so, what?