Getting the flu vaccine guarantees nothing and protects no one. Whether or not the person providing some sort of medical care is sick or not, is purely a matter of luck of the draw.

Homeward- I am a Nurse too, and I am not a lazy one. Scubagirl-uproar may have been a little dramatic, but i made TrulyAmerican and some other person that said she worked at the states busiest ER where 90% of her staff is immunized really mad. the ER lady said "Most Nurses care enough about their patients and themselves enough to get a flu shot." the other guy went on some rant and said that I didnt pay attention in nursing school and that I would kill someone one day because I didnt get it.

It works for some and not for others. Every time I got a flu shot, I ended up getting the flu. Whenever I have not gotten it, I do not get the flu. So in my case, not getting it works better for me. Not sure why it works that way for me, but it does. You just have to figure out if it is rational for you to get it. But as it has been said: wash your hands, use sanitizer and avoid as much as possible others that are sneezing and cough.

as opposed to heelsgirl thinking raleighlynn is spot on, Homeward is the one who is spot on! Lazy is the key word here

The benefits to yourself and others by getting the flu shot far outweigh the extremely infinitesimal risks to anybody FROM the shot. I'm tired of people pretending their opinion is FACT, regardless of where they work, when they simply are too lazy to review the health data themselves. The flu shot is statistically an overwhelming life-saver (vs. not getting it), period!

heelsgirl05 you are being a bit dramatic in your retelling of the responses you got, but that's ok you go ahead. Not ALL registered nurses think alike, not all get the flu shot but working in an ICU it was MY responsibility to make certain I did not make my patients sicker. I did that using good hygiene, good hand washing AND getting various shots (flu, Hepatitis, and several others) to protect both me and them. Never hurts to be protected

Raleighlynn, spot on! people do not necessarily get "the flu" from the shot, but I have heard many who had flu like symptoms after. I was resistant to getting mine as well for the same reasons you stated-not necessarily being covered, and performing hand hygiene helping with the chain of infection (which caused an UPROAR for some people on this site, pretty much said I dont care about my patients and they would DIE because I didnt get it), but I did get one this season just for a little added protection. a day after I got it I felt weak and looked pale as a ghost! WASH WASH WASH, COVER COVER COVER, and if you feel sick, STAY HOME!

Kudos to DUMC for restricting visitation. Doctors, nurses and other patient care folks need to wash hands and use hand sanitizer. As far as flu shots, keep in mind that the powers that be guess which of many flu strains might be prevalent during the coming winter, and flu shots are fashioned in that manner. Not all strains of the flu are covered, not by a long shot. People have been sick and even died as a result of the flu shot itself, so think before you subject yourself to that needle. Wash hands, carry sanitizer wipes for hands and shopping carts, and stay at least six feet away from anyone sneezing and coughing. Eat well, keep your immune system working, and get plenty of rest. This from (me) a registered nurse who doesn't walk in lockstep with the "get a flu shot, you'll be fine" party line.

about time....

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