Metal Nurse: The Peer Vaccinator

One is filled with science juice.
The other is filled with fiction.

 I have written two blogs about the importance of the flu vaccine, here and here. Especially as someone who works within healthcare. Skeptical Raptor reblogs on a regular basis Mark Crislip's snarky article which riles against dumbasses who refuse the flu vaccine. Tara Haelle took her time to debunk almost all the myths that surround the flu vaccine.

So I've started my second year as a peer vaccinator (or flu-buster, I prefer peer vaccinator because it makes me sound royal).

In this role, I make my damndest sure that my co-workers and everyone who has a role that involves patient care are vaccinated against the flu. Because our job is to help to aid our patients, and that includes protecting ourselves from the flu and this provide herd immunity for our patients who are too ill to receive it themselves. And they cannot afford to contract an illness as serious as influenza. Often healthcare workers will whine about their human rights, the problem there is of course that their human rights end where someone else's begins. Patients deserve the best treatment they can get. The problem also is that often doctors and nurses will and do end up being asymptomatic carriers, and thus can infect patients.

Now. What's the point of the picture? Well, it's to demonstrate something that a lot of anti-vaxxers don't understand. Well, the stuff they don't understand can fill a whole series by George RR Martin. But this is to demonstrate dosage. Often in their lying liars bullshit memes, they will use a mahoosive syringe like the one on the right, with a massive needle, filled with massive amounts of oddly coloured liquid. You know, a total massive amount of massive bollocks. Because their stupidity knows no bounds. On a massive scale.

Then, of course, you have those people who will blame any and/or all other illnesses they get on the flu jab. Sorry, but there are usually thousands of other respiratory illnesses flying around the same time when you get the flu jab. And for the love of gods if you smoke and you blame the jab for contracting something like pneumonia or bronchitis, then there is no helping your gullibility.

The syringe on the left is a pre-filled flu vaccine. It holds a massive 0.5 mls of flu vaccine. Barely a 1/8 of a teaspoon. With a tiny needle.

Protect yourself, care for your patients, love your family.

Do your duty.

Get vaccinated.