New Flu Shot Rules For Health Care Workers
Prince George, B.C. – The Provincial Health Officer for B.C., Dr. Perry Kendall, says the rules are being changed for health care workers when it comes to flu shots. Starting this year health-care workers who come into contact with patients at publicly funded health-care facilities or in the community, including at long-term-care facilities, will need to get the influenza vaccine, or wear a mask during the flu season.
"Influenza causes more deaths annually than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined, and hospitalized patients are more vulnerable to complications from influenza than the general population," said Dr. Kendall. "This policy will protect patients. Putting in place consistent policies to prevent influenza from spreading is the right thing to do from a patient safety perspective."
Dr. Perry Kendall says, on average, about one in 2 health care workers in acute care facilities receive a flu shot and the average rate for immunization in long term care facilities is about 63%.
Dr. Kendall says some health care facilities in the U.S. have achieved 98-99% immunization among their health care employees.
Dr. Kendall says the program is designed to protect those who are most vulnerable, namely the elderly and those with chronic underlying health issues.
The new rules will apply to health-authority staff, physicians and residents, volunteers, students, contractors and vendors who come into contact with patients. These people can receive their flu shots at no charge.
Comments
Ahh self sacifice for the greater good. I would wear the damn mask.
“Influenza causes more deaths annually than all other vaccine-preventable diseases combined, and hospitalized patients are more vulnerable to complications from influenza than the general population,”
All they need is a vaccine that works.
I am sure that if there was a vaccine that works they will have it out there. Unfortunately our world is not the same as it was 50 years ago. A virus can travel around the world in weeks, instead of months fifty years ago. Thus the vaccine is made three months earlier than when it is used
Funny, even the big health centres like the WHO state that more people get the flu who have taken the flu shot than those who haven’t. So is this a vaccine or is it an administered infection?
I will be wearing the damn mask. Never had the flu. Never had the shot, don”t plan on getting it this year.
“Funny, even the big health centres like the WHO state that more people get the flu who have taken the flu shot than those who haven’t”
Source please.
Just put fluoride in their water – that stuff will kill anything! :D
Notice the option to wear a mask instead. I know a number of health care professionals that are not pressuring their family to get these shots. Do your homework and make your own decisions. How many people have got sick or died from the shots?
Dr. Kendall quotes immunization percentages for some healthcare workers in the U.S., but doesn’t say what that has done for their overall infection rates? This is a nation that allows creationism to be taught in science classes in some areas in this day an age, so I’m not sure that following the U.S. right down the line on policy without doing some fact checking first is wise.
The flu shot is a crap shoot and in some cases harms otherwise healthy people. You’re better off masking up and protecting your health and the health of the patients on a constant basis. This flu shot push is more about pharmaceutical company profits than it is about science. Potentially harming the healthy to protect the frail is unethical as far as I’m concerned. Not to mention stupid. We all need to start letting go of the mindset that we can all live to 98.
Well said Karjai. They play a lot of intellectual slight of hand with flu shot numbers. They quote the number of people who die from the flu but don’t tell you that they add those that die from pneumonia in with those that die from the actual flu.
Study done at the U of A in 2009 found that flu shots did not prevent death.
http://www.naturalnews.com/025432_flu_death_shot.html
Is this another thing we’re supposed to be scared of? Could someone make a list? I’ve lost track.
Thanks to the flu shot, my wife now has a permanent neurological disorder. And yes, the doctors agree that that was the cause. Read the fineprint when you get the shot. There are many possible side effects.
May I ask what kind of neurological disorder, 3Cents?
My 3cents, same here, our daughter got Guilmet-barree sindrome, not sure if spelled right, right after she got the flu shot, because she worked with the elderly, she had to take it. she got over it now but was in a wheel chair. we happen to meet more people that had the same thing happening,some not so lucky to get over it
I’d be interested too 3Cents
CIDP; Chronic Inflamatory Demylinating Polyneuropathy. My spelling may be off a bit this morning. Very similar to GBS, but the permanent version.
GBS; Guillain-Barre syndrome
http://www.gbs-cidp.org/
I have never had the flu in my entire life…touch wood! I would have a huge issue with my employer telling me I had to get a flu shot. And introduce that crap into my body only to run the risk of getting sick anyway? This sounds more like covering government butt than protecting patients.
Thank-you for the information 3Cents.
dnakamura,
Unfortunately, spending time around people who do get vaccinated necessarily means you get infected with it too, you just don’t realize it. We get bombarded with viruses and bacteria on a daily basis and our bodies take care of most of it. Which is why I think the flu should be allowed to run its course.
People who’re too weak to fight it off are going to succumb to something. May sound callous, but somethings shouldn’t be messed with. We often make our own beds unnecessarily. Medical science has done many great things for humanity, it’s also done a lot of harm, we need to learn from our mistakes and focus efforts in the proper areas.
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