Did Anyone Know It Was National Vaccination Week?

Summer Johnson, PhD

January 14, 2010

Thank goodness for good ole local KMBC here in Kansas City (http://www.kmbc.com/health/22229465/detail.html) who reported yesterday that in fact it is the national week of vaccination!

Certainly not me (and I have a PhD in public health). To boot, this news report (http://www.kmbc.com/health/22229465/detail.html) reminded us that influenza (including H1N1) often comes in waves, and this would be the nation's third one, so if you haven't received either the H1N1 or the seasonal flu vaccine yet--get out and get your shots.

Darn right. Because if you get the flu on the third time around and you haven't availed yourself of getting your vaccines, it's your own fault, isn't it, when you get sick? Honestly, how many chances does a person get to escape illness before it's your own responsibility when you get sick?

The third time may be the charm, my dear unvaccinated friends, and the flu bug just may catch you if it hasn't yet. So if you haven't been vaccinated--hop to it. You may not be able to escape the flu bug one last time--and you won't have anyone to blame but yourself.

Mandatory Vaccinations for Healthcare Workers

This study involved the Center for Practical Bioethics in 2009. Lauren Douville and John Lantos, MD conducted the survey at Childrens Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO.

Most Healthcare Workers Support Compulsory Influenza Vaccinations
Nancy Fowler Larson
Medscape Today
January 5, 2010

Authors of a study in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine view immunization as a duty of professionalism and an ethical responsibility, even if it carries a small amount of risk.

Link: Abstract, Health Care Worker Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Regarding Mandatory Influenza Vaccination, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, January 2010