Nannies and flu shots?

[Anonymous]

Is it normal to require a nanny to get flu shots? We have had a nanny since June, and she is great. But when we asked her last week when she was planning to get her flu shot (we offered to pay), she said that she hates shots and just dismissed the idea altogether. We are very concerned about exposing our daughter to someone who is at a higher risk of flu. Are we making too much of this?

[Anonymous]

Your nanny is not at a "higher risk of flu" because she has not gotten the shot, nor is your daughter at a higher risk if she has had the shot herself. Yes, many nannies (and other professionals who work with children and the immuno-compromised) get the flu vaccine every year as standard practice. It is unlikely to affect your daughter, however, if your nanny does not.

Anecdotally, I have been a nanny and health care professional for 10 years. Some years I get the vaccine, some years I don't. There has never been a correlation between a decreased incidence of flu and the vaccine, in my experience. There are too many strains out there to protect against everything.

[Anonymous]

Not this argument again....

[Anonymous]

We made it a condition of hiring because I am pregnant and we will have a newborn in Feb. In the future, I will encourage her to get it, but not require it. She knows how many sick days she has, and if she would rather opt out of the shot (and yes, I know she could get a different strain and it wouldn't matter), then that's her choice.

We all get it: me, DH (required for his work), and all kiddos.

[Anonymous]

Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

I have been nannying for twenty years. i always get the flu shot. Not because my employers require it, but I just don't want to get the flu. The flu sucks. But I also realize that if I've chosen a career in childcare, the flu shot is a requirement. If I don't like it, I can get another job.

[Anonymous]

The AAP recommends that anyone in contact with children under five get a flu shot and that every individual over six months get a trivalent flu vaccine.

It is absolute requirement of our job that the nanny get a yearly flu shot and it's in our contract.

Our nanny has never had an issue with it. Of course she is not one of the crazy antivax types or anyone ignorant enough to believe they get the flu every year they get the flu shot. I'd be willing to bet some of them don't even know the differences between the flu, a cold, a sinus infection, or food poisoning. Not to mention another non flu virus.

The nannies here can be remarkably ignorant, OP. require the shot.

http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-for-Flu-Vaccine.aspx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The AAP recommends that anyone in contact with children under five get a flu shot and that every individual over six months get a trivalent flu vaccine.

It is absolute requirement of our job that the nanny get a yearly flu shot and it's in our contract.

Our nanny has never had an issue with it. Of course she is not one of the crazy antivax types or anyone ignorant enough to believe they get the flu every year they get the flu shot. I'd be willing to bet some of them don't even know the differences between the flu, a cold, a sinus infection, or food poisoning. Not to mention another non flu virus.

The nannies here can be remarkably ignorant, OP. require the shot.

http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-for-Flu-Vaccine.aspx

Kind of a b***h move to call me ignorant. Every year I've recieved a flu shot, I got the flu. I do know the difference between the flu, a cold and food poisoning. You don't forget the flu once you've had it. There was really no need to be so damn nasty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The AAP recommends that anyone in contact with children under five get a flu shot and that every individual over six months get a trivalent flu vaccine.

It is absolute requirement of our job that the nanny get a yearly flu shot and it's in our contract.

Our nanny has never had an issue with it. Of course she is not one of the crazy antivax types or anyone ignorant enough to believe they get the flu every year they get the flu shot. I'd be willing to bet some of them don't even know the differences between the flu, a cold, a sinus infection, or food poisoning. Not to mention another non flu virus.

The nannies here can be remarkably ignorant, OP. require the shot.

http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-for-Flu-Vaccine.aspx

Aside from the snide tone I agree. I am a nanny and I get the flu shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

No you don't. You might get sick, it might even be a terrible cold, but it isn't the flu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

No you don't. You might get sick, it might even be a terrible cold, but it isn't the flu.

Yes. I. Do.
It's quite odd that you keep telling me what has and has not happened to me. I have been a nanny for 15 years. In those 15 years, I've had the flu shot 3 times. During those 3 flu seasons, I caught the flu. The other 7 years, I skipped the flu shot and did not get the flu.
I am in no way claiming that the shot caused my illness. I am definitely pro-vaccination. In my experience, getting the flu shot does not 100% prevent flu. It was absolutely Influenza. I've had a cold and food poisoning before...the flu feels ENTIRELY different.

[Anonymous]

http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/boston-nurses-speak-out-against-mandatory-flu-shots/

Plenty of pro-vaccine nurses and doctors are opposed to flu shots for very legitimate reasons. This should be a conversation between all parties based on specific circumstances and not an assumption or mandate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

No you don't. You might get sick, it might even be a terrible cold, but it isn't the flu.

Yes. I. Do.
It's quite odd that you keep telling me what has and has not happened to me. I have been a nanny for 15 years. In those 15 years, I've had the flu shot 3 times. During those 3 flu seasons, I caught the flu. The other 7 years, I skipped the flu shot and did not get the flu.
I am in no way claiming that the shot caused my illness. I am definitely pro-vaccination. In my experience, getting the flu shot does not 100% prevent flu. It was absolutely Influenza. I've had a cold and food poisoning before...the flu feels ENTIRELY different.

7 + 3 = 10 sweetie, not 15.
The way you worded your initial post, it sounded like you blamed the shot for your flu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

No you don't. You might get sick, it might even be a terrible cold, but it isn't the flu.

Yes. I. Do.
It's quite odd that you keep telling me what has and has not happened to me. I have been a nanny for 15 years. In those 15 years, I've had the flu shot 3 times. During those 3 flu seasons, I caught the flu. The other 7 years, I skipped the flu shot and did not get the flu.
I am in no way claiming that the shot caused my illness. I am definitely pro-vaccination. In my experience, getting the flu shot does not 100% prevent flu. It was absolutely Influenza. I've had a cold and food poisoning before...the flu feels ENTIRELY different.

7 + 3 = 10 sweetie, not 15.
The way you worded your initial post, it sounded like you blamed the shot for your flu.

Pardon my math. You read my initial post the way you wanted to.
Do you enjoy being an assh*** to complete strangers? Good luck to your family. I hope they survive you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every single time I have gotten a flu shot, I get the flu. Every year that I skip the shot, I don't get the flu.
Unless your child has a compromised immune system, it's not a big deal.

No you don't. You might get sick, it might even be a terrible cold, but it isn't the flu.

Yes. I. Do.
It's quite odd that you keep telling me what has and has not happened to me. I have been a nanny for 15 years. In those 15 years, I've had the flu shot 3 times. During those 3 flu seasons, I caught the flu. The other 7 years, I skipped the flu shot and did not get the flu.
I am in no way claiming that the shot caused my illness. I am definitely pro-vaccination. In my experience, getting the flu shot does not 100% prevent flu. It was absolutely Influenza. I've had a cold and food poisoning before...the flu feels ENTIRELY different.

7 + 3 = 10 sweetie, not 15.
The way you worded your initial post, it sounded like you blamed the shot for your flu.

Pardon my math. You read my initial post the way you wanted to.
Do you enjoy being an assh*** to complete strangers? Good luck to your family. I hope they survive you.

I'm sorry, but 7 plus 3 is not complicated math. Was your "flu" confirmed with a lab test? A lot of times people think they have the flu when they don't. Honestly it sounds like it's in your head that if you get the flu shot you are going to get the flu.