.
What do police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, doctors (and people working in hospitals in general) have in common?
We should have blind trust in them. We should be able to put our lives in their hands without a second thought. Or so I think.
I believe that most of them are worthy of that trust. They are thoroughly trained, and dedicated to their job. And they have all my admiration for that.
But there are always exceptions.
And tonight, I was made aware of a new, shocking (to say the least) trend that just started here in Québec.
A while back, our government made it mandatory for all people working in our health system, to get vaccinated, before the 15th of October. I must say that most of them already had both their doses when the announcement came out. But there was a small percentage that was still hesitating to get their appointments.
The vaccination rate got a little better, but not fast enough to assure that by October 15th, operations would run smoothly in all of our hospitals. Unfortunately (I still think that was a mistake), the governement backed up just before the due date, and postponed it to November 15th.
I have to say that I understand how some people are a little hesistant to get the covid-19 vaccine.
But, as I told many people already, health care workers refusing to get the shots, to me, is a little like if they were a chef in a restaurant, that would gladly feed people, but not accepting to eat the food on their menu. Wouldn’t you be a little insecure eating there yourself?
How can someone who studied medecine, not believe in covid-19, or the vaccines? It is beyond me.
Still, I thought ”Ok, fine… You don’t agree to get your sanitary pass? Fine! Just go back home on November 15th, and we’ll manage without you”.
Sadly, some human beings have that crazy obsession with loopholes.
Back to that trend, I was talking about… It seems like some nurses (and I am guessing other health workers, but the news didn’t mention it), figured that if they catch covid-19, then get a six month long ”naturally immuned” status that would allow them to work after recovering, without getting vaccined.
So, guess what? Posts started popping on Facebook, from nurses, trying to find someone in their community, presently sick with covid-19. They want to get exposed, and to catch the disease.
I only have three letters for you…
W-T-F ???
On the bright side (I ALWAYS try to find the silver lining), it proves that they believe in covid (big relief). But seriously… You’d rather risk spending weeks, if not months in ICU (because let’s face it, if you’re not lucky enough to catch the mild form, being young and healthy can mean a very long stay at the hospital), than the rather rare secondary effects of the vaccine??
And for what? Just to show the government that you’re cleverer than them?
Really?
I mean… Really???
I am not hoping that the men and women who are doing this, get really sick. But if they do… I won’t cry when they are reaching to the medias to tell their story.
And I am sorry to say it, but my trust has been shaken one too many times, now. And that’s something difficult to mend.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
That’s not going to happen.
Cyranny's Cove 
It’s a strange time.
I would have thought that all in the health service are fully aware that covid is very real.
I would have thought that most would be more than happy to have vaccines.
But I can understand some not wanting to have a vaccine, partly because when you work in the health service you do see some patients occasionally have adverse reactions to medicines and injectables. There is some humour in the some parts of the health service about this. I have heard so many times that pharmacists who have to dispense medicines to so many other patients, prefer to avoid taking any prescription medications themselves and use natural health remedies. I have heard that some who work in care homes say they could never let their own parents end up in a care home. So…that sort of tells you that not all in the health service are have full confidence in treatments that they have a daily role in.
But there are other daily aspects of our role that I think most health professionals understand and respect. Fundamentally, the legal right to self-determination. It can come up in countless ways. Almost every medical procedure involves gaining the consent of he patient. There are some very well educated and informed patients who simply do not want a certain treatment and ask for an alternative. That ought to be respected and implemented, especially when it is conscience related. There are also situations that are sometimes more difficult to swallow, and yet they are a very normal part of the health service. For example – we see a significant number of patients who sign DNRs, we see patients making decisions on what will happen to their organs after death. We also see patients who refuse to eat, or refuse to drink, perhaps some refuse personal aid with washing or dressing, or refuse to take any medications at all. Sometimes that is a reflection of how they are feeling, and it can take a lot of patience and love to encourage them to keep going. But someone cannot be forced to eat, drink, swallow tablets by intimidation or physical restraint.
The health service has for so many decades been able to adapt to people from all walks of life who have different feelings and beliefs, and to provide care that takes into account the individual. There have been infectious viruses that have done damage in the past, resulting in high staff absences and sometimes loss of life amongst those who were weakest – norovirus and the seasonal flu virus always impact on staff and patients, even though there is a seasonal flu vaccine available.
I think this time the situation with the covid vaccine is being handled differently because governments are stinging over the losses to the economy during lockdowns, and stay at home mandates. The vaccine has become a way to “get back to normal” and avoid costly lockdowns. I think most people feel the same way and are more than happy to have a vaccine rather than facing more restrictive options. But I can see that some feel very uncomfortable to be told that they have to have a vaccine to keep their jobs. It is difficult especially when health professionals are trained to respect the rights, preferences and feelings of their patients and that medical interventions require consent – it is a sticky issue.
Personally I am happy about the covid vaccine and have now had three of them, but I don’t feel so happy about these situations where people feel threatened or forced to have a treatment they do not want to have. It is a contradiction with respects to so many fundamental aspects of the health service.
It’s all very sticky.
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Sometimes I just don’t understand how some educated people just fall into that rabbit hole and believe such nonsense. There’s far too much misinformation flooding social media — especially Facebook, and it’s an unfortunate reality that so many believe those things. Especially healthcare workers.
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I agree. I think this attitude fuels the reluctance of many to not get the shots. It is an affront to everyone who is trying to be vigilant during the pandemic. Here in Cheyenne the majority refuse to take precautions. It puts vulnerable people like me and others in my family in danger.
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Are you f*ing kidding me? That’s worse than chicken pox parties–people this stupid shouldn’t be allowed to work in healthcare in the first place. I loved your analogy about chefs refusing to eat their own food–so true. And I have no use for anyone who talks about ‘self-determination’ when it comes to getting a vaccine–save the ridiculous rhetoric. If you don’t get one, and you lose your job, it’s called ‘the consequences of your actions’. My daughter had to get a mandatory series of rabies shots to start college in the Veterinary Technician program and didn’t whine about it ‘infringing on her rights’ and other such bullsh*t. The covid vaccine is no different than the NUMEROUS vaccines people already get to prevent serious, potentially fatal illnesses–all things that health care providers already have (unless they’re anti-vaxxers to begin with). So they can save me the essays–you want to work with medically vulnerable people, get the damn shot.
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