To not be bullied into having flu jab?

[annabanana84]

work insists we have a flu jab at their expense. So far I've avoided it but this year I feel I'm getting really bullied into getting it done. The reasons I don't want it done is that we live in a totally vegan household, no meat/fish, no wool, leather etc and no cleaning fluids or cosmetics tested on animals. I'm sure the flu jab will have been tested on animals at some point, and it will go against my morals to have it done, but work won't take no for an answer and keep mithering me to get it done. I haven't told them my reasons, but I feel I shouldn't have to justify why I don't want a needle stuck into me anyway!

Do you work with people who could become seriously ill or even die if they get flu?

How does the risk of that weigh up against your feelings about the jab having been possibly tested on animals? do you feel it is a risk worth taking because you feel so strongly about animal testing?

That isn't meant judgmentally. It is a genuine question.

YABVVVVVU. I have flu now and if i could go back and get the flu jab, i would do it. I may lose my job as a result of being off work sick. (Am fed up with said job, so not all bad.) But seriously, flu jabs are medicine and not taking your medicine on the very small offchance it might have come near an animal at some point is just plain stupid.

Well, OP has obviously posted and then run off to work!

YANBU -

I cannot have a flu jab because of allergies to some of the ingredients. They grow it in an egg medium so I guess it's not acceptable to vegans anyway on those grounds, before you consider whether you want a dose of broad spectrum antibiotics, mercury and potassium chloride (among other things). I've had flu twice in my life - it was unpleasant, but not life threatening.

DH is supposedly at risk because he has had a stroke. He has never had a flu jab either - in 60 years on this planet he has never had flu, so he figures he will take his chance.

It's a matter of personal choice. I can't, he won't. If OP prefers not to, then no-one should try to force her.

Most items approved for use on humans have been tested by animals at some point. Cosmetic companies will make the claim that the end product has not been tested on animals, but all of the ingredients will have been. By another company, sure, but they'll have been tested.

I agree with HEC's question. I don't know enough about your work situation to be able to comment further. I assume if you work with vulnerable people, though, that you won't be able to continue in that capacity if you haven't taken precautions.

YANBU. Flu vaccine is an 'educated guess' at what will be the predominant strains for that year anyway so people often still catch flu after having it.

I think this is a really tough one.

On one hand, you have as much, if not more, responsibility towards other humans than you do towards animals that have already died, but on the other, it's your body and no one has the right to force you to have something injected into it against your will. No matter what. If vaccines were compulsory then you may as well make rape legal in my opinion, which would clearly be ludicrous.

I think if your company want you to have it to protect patients and you don't want it, then you are probably in the wrong job. If your company just want you to have it because they don't want people off sick, then stick to your guns.

Thinking a bit more about this, if the company is offering to pay, then it's probably because OPs job isn't one that requires her to come into contact with vulnerable people. I was working (privately) with a child with a very weak immune system last year, and I was given the flu vaccine on the NHS with no questions asked.

Well as you haven't even bothered to do your research before assuming it goes against your morals yabu.

If you work in care yabu anyway and need to think of those you care for.

OP are you going to come back?

If you work say in healthcare then yabu if you're putting people at risk possibly

Hmm, I've never taken it apart from when pregnant, even though work (teaching) encourage it. I get such a reaction to it, days of swollen arms and flu-like symptoms, plus I've never had flu.

I don't buy the argument for herd immunity and flu jabs as they are not given to the vast majority of people so it's still about in the community with many opportunities for contact. I would on the other hand keep my/ my children's jabs such as measles etc and other universally offered jabs up to date for the promotion of herd immunity.

I'd make an exception in a job with regular contact with immune compromised or vulnerable people.

Many jobs are offering it now, not just in careers working with vulnerable people, as they hope to reduce absence and hope paying for jabs will be less than sick pay. My council offers it to all employees regardless of position.

Just tell them you've had it . If they Nag you again, tell them that you had it done at somewhere like tesco where it wouldn't be on your official record so they can't check up on you.

So, where has the OP gone?

'Just tell them you've had it . If they Nag you again, tell them that you had it done at '

Yeah, do that, so you could potentially kill one of the patients in the unit where my daughter was treated if you work with vulnerable or immunocompromised people (and again, some very vulnerable people cannot have the jab. These include people in strict isolation but who are still treated by nurses and other HCPs and can contract disease from them).

Think it depends where you work, really.

Though doesn't the flu jab only protect against one strain of flu, when there are always several around?

'Though doesn't the flu jab only protect against one strain of flu, when there are always several around?'

No, it provides for more than one and limited protection against others.

If you're working with vulnerable people, particularly in a hospital setting or nursing home/assisted care setting, IMO it should be mandatory unless you have a medical reason why you can't have it.

Flu kills the vulnerable usually by pneumonia and it's a myth that all those who are vulnerable can have it.

OP posts and runs without explaining what her job is and why work pay for it. We were offered it in my last company - a film company so not healthcare - but could take it or leave it. I'm guessing that if they insist, there is a reason for it.

Just read in Evening Standard about a healthy 28 year old woman who died of swine flu. YABVU.

in my workplace, a record is kept of people who have the jab, and you must show your ID

not many places you could get away with pretending you had it

where are you OP...don't be a shitleg now, come back and explain yourself

Thanks for that Expat, helpful to know. :)

Sure thing, Sir. Even Spanish Flu killed by pneumonia. It cause rapid-onset pneumonia. My grandmother's husband, age 21, breastfed till age 2, as they all were, mostly vegetarian, a manual worker/brickmaker and layer, died in 8 days after he fell ill of what was very obviously pneumonia. Her firstborn, her daughter, went in 5 days. Again, breastfed till she was 2. That's how they did, they weaned, rather bluntly, at that age, and indeed all my father's siblings were about 2 years and 9-10 months apart bar the one who was born when she was 47.

Flu now kills by pneumonia, mostly, even now.

If you work in healthcare you must be using animal tested products daily, eg, hand gel surely. Must be another industry.

YANBU, your body, your choice.

We have it at work, but the clinics aren't on the days when I work. Sod's law I'll get horrendous flu this year

It's a tenner in Boots and Tescos atm.