If I refuse the Flu Vaccine my medical practice will be terminated.

[mamboni]

Good evening all. I posted the following comment to an article on mandatory flu vaccination for hospital workers here: http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/10/0...-shot/#respond

As explained in my comment (vide infra), I have been placed in the dilemma of deciding to accept the flu vaccine or lose my medical practice. I have not slept in over a week and frankly, I cannot decide what I should do. Any constructive opinions or advice are welcome.


I am a physician service chief. I have earned MD and PhD and have research background in molecular biology and pharmacology and 20 years clinical practice experience. This year, my hospital medical board voted to make the flu vaccine mandatory for all staff physicians under pain of suspension of clinical privileges (i.e.getting fired). I am opposed to the vaccine for ethical, contractual and basic medical scientific reasons. I wanted to speak to the latter by pointing out the following facts and observations about the specific injectable killed vaccine being mandated by my hospital, all taken from the manufacturer's white sheet insert:

1. the manufacturer admits that it does not know the incidence or risk of developing serious and life-threatening side effects of the vaccine, specifically Guillain-Barre Syndrome, encephalomyelitis, transverse myelitis (neurologic total body paralysis), siezures, febrile siezures and Bell's Palsy. It says this right in the white sheet.

2. In healthy adults (age 18-64) the seroconversion rate after vaccination averages ~50%. Based on published literature, the efficacy (real world protection from influenza) is approx. half to two thirds of this, or approx. 25-35%. Only one third of vaccine recipients will gain true protection from influenza; and that is a best case estimate which is only true if the vaccine is a perfect match to the seasonal flu viruses that form the epidemic. This is right in the manufacturer's white sheet insert. In short, the very justification for mandating the vaccine in health care workers (i.e. to protect patients) is based on a false premise (i.e. the assumption that the vaccine is highly effective in preventing influenza infection, which according to the manufacturer it is not).

Any epidemiologist worth his salt will tell you that 35% efficacy for a vaccine is virtually worthless for preventing spread of influenza virus. I am astounded that doctors and hospitals are mandating what is effectively a placebo – it will have no significant impact on influenza infections in the hospital staff.

I am very torn as to what to do. I do not want to lose my medical practice and my livelihood. I have a wife and two children to support and I am furious at the hospital and medical leadership for putting them in such jeopardy, all for a vaccine of dubious utility. I may compromise and take the shot, not to be unemployed and have to uproot my family to start a new practice elsewhere. But if I accept this vaccine I know I will hate myself for it and wind up ultimately resigning from medicine. Financially, I could retire in 5 years. Now, it would be very difficult.

Let me close with some observations gleaned from hours of researching the influenza vaccine in my search for a way out of my dilemma, one which many of you no doubt share:

Influenza-related deaths have been greatly exaggerated. The risk of being hospitalized or dying from the flu is vanishingly small in a healthy adult, less than 1 in 100,000.

The incidence of influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths have remained virtually unchanged in the US during the last 30 years since the introduction of influenza vaccination. The flu vaccine has had virtually no impact whatsoever – it does not work.

I have discussed this dilemma with two colleagues. One, a retired GP, told me he gave flu vaccines to hundreds of patients and never had one report serious side effects. He thinks I should take the shot. Another colleague, a hematologist-oncologist, told me that he developed Bell’s Palsy soon after receiving a flu shot and required several years to fully recover. He also told me of a colleague who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome after a flu shot and was disabled for 9 months. These are anecdotes to be sure. But when the manufacturer admits that it does not know the risk of these complications, it is safe to say that the risk is at minimum not insignificant and certainly higher than the oft parroted guestimate of one in a million.

[Cebu_4_2]

Surely you have a connection that will give you one in the privacy of an office. Perhaps the syringe will make it into the bio-hazard box without being used.

[mamboni]

Surely you have a connection that will give you one in the privacy of an office. Perhaps the syringe will make it into the bio-hazard box without being used.

I was offered this option by a colleague. But I do not want to lie or commit fraud to avoid the shot.

[ImaCannin]

If you get all the others who dont want to take it to all stand up and walk out...... Go on strike, file a law suit, make them prove that the vaccine actually works. Change the vaccine bottle to saline.... Tell the persons who voted for the mandatory vaccine that they are first and you want to wait a few weeks to see if they kill over before you take it.

Sorry that this is happening to you. If something does happen, you can always study natural healing and become a better man!

[zap]

Mamboni, You know the answer to this dilemma I 'm sure you know some good folks, some folk that filled the needle with saline, you can work around it, Just be smart and savy...... Play the part , you are not stupid..... you will be ok you are a DR. figure it out! Its all perception.

[EE_]

I vote find a way to fake it by any means...bribery or by threat.

[Osiris]

Wow! That's a tough one. Well I guess that depends on the person. My first thought is "fuck them!", I won't put poison in my body because they demand it! However, I drink a lot of beer and I don't eat perfectly so I'm technically already putting poison in my body, so why not do it to save my job? / income,etc... I guess it depends on how important the subject is to you... Are you willing to look someone in the eye and tell them that it is perfectly safe? If not, then why take it yourself? Also, have to live with yourself if someone you give it to or your "practice" gives it and they get sick.

[ImaCannin]

[Uncle Salty]

Take the vaccine. Put it in the garbage. Semantics man.

[mamboni]

Take the vaccine. Put it in the garbage. Semantics man.

What?