Believe it or not, the flu is a serious disease that can vary in extremity. Depending on the person, they can react to the disease differently. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, between 1976 and 2007 an estimated 3,000 to around 49,000 deaths occur a year because of the flu.
This in mind, it is quite common to get a flu vaccination. The flu vaccination is recommended once a year, however it is optional. Personally I have never gotten the flu vaccination and this is by choice.
The flu vaccine is supposed to be used as a preventative measure, it causes antibodies to form and this helps protect and fight of any infection the viruses in the vaccine can cause.
The CDC particularly recommend that health care workers receive the influenza vaccination. I am sure that the reasoning behind this is clear.
These are the individuals that are treating patients in settings with high risks of exposure. First of all, influenza is very contagious. Exposure to someone that is infected can be enough to spread the virus.
If an infected health care worker goes to work infected, that worker will not only expose other workers but also every patient that walks through their door. Also, the flu does not always show signs immediately after contraction.
They could be spreading the disease without knowing if they have it yet. Secondly, health care workers are providing care to vulnerable groups such as infants or the elderly. The influenza vaccination is a preventative measure of not only contraction of the disease, but also spreading the disease and possibly infecting a high risk patient.
However, the rate of flu vaccinations for health care workers is below the 90% level. With my experience my mother never took us to get the influenza vaccination. I never looked into it enough to decide if that was something I should consider until recently.
I remember many people saying that the influenza vaccination would cause you to get it and that was the only way you could become immune to it. Which is only partially true. Rarely on occasion does it cause influenza in those who were vaccinated. However, even though the vaccination is a preventative measure it is never guaranteed.
Although the vaccination does release antibodies that help you become immune to the viruses within the vaccine. Think about the flu shot like an injectable army in your body. They are there to fight of specific viruses, but are only used if necessary. Sometimes the army is enough, sometimes they are defeated.
Especially when it comes to natural diseases and viruses, nothing is ever guaranteed. This is why I think it is crucial for health care workers to get the vaccination. Although many believe that you should not be forced to take a vaccination because someone said you have to, the issue of force and will comes into play.
Unless of course the reasoning behind opposing the flu shot is religious or medical reasons.As a future health care professional I think I would rather be safe than sorry. I think I would feel like I failed as a health care provider if I did not get the influenza vaccination and a patient that is already high risk gets the virus because I did not take the preventative measures.
The worst case scenario of getting the influenza shot is being one of the rare few that actually contract the flu. Mandatory policies are implemented in the majority of the United States but the severity of the policies and consequences varies. If a health care professional does deny immunization they are required to make adjustments to their practice activities when providing patient care.
Medically speaking, I think the influenza vaccination should be a requirement for health care providers in order to preserve the health and safety of the patients.
Susy Macias
Senior Viewpoints Editor