[jenniepepsi]

I am going to ask my enrollment counselor Thursday at my orentation. But I was DYING of curiosity and couldn't find anything about it on Google or anywhere else. So I was wondering,
I start school on Tuesday, for Phlebotomy tech. they train us fully from what I understand. Called 'level 3' and I guess we don't just draw the blood, we are also trained to run the tests and analysis as well.

What I'm curious about is once I complete the course, and have my diploma certificate, to be hired as a phlebotomist do I need the N1H1 Vaccine or even the Swine Flu Vaccine?
I ask because I'm allergic to them both (hives and shortness of breath) and if they are required, are there ways around that?

My aunt is a cardiac ICU Nurse, and she MUST have both flu vaccines. Which I understand working with ICU patients and all.

Thanks for your time.
Its OK if I can't get an answer before I get back to the school to ask the enrollment counselor. :)

[nicckidoodle]

Nope you don't need either, I'm a phlebotomist and have worked in a hosptal for over a year before leaving to raise my child, and the answer is no, they can and will advise you to have them but it is not a requriment, if you are allergic then that is just how it is and they cannot force you to get in, I was pregnant and they were pressuring everyone to get both shots ( we were going to get the first released rounds of h1n1,) but I politelly refused and that was that!

[J_9]

do i need the N1H1 Vaccine or even the Swine Flu Vaccine?

Jenny hun, H1N1 and Swine Flu are the same thing. There is only one vaccine. No one is REQUIRED to have the vaccine, but it is strongly urged that we have it.

I am curious how you know you are allergic to it as this is the first year it has been available. Have you already had the vaccine this year and that's how you found your allergy? Your aunt was not REQUIRED to have the vaccine either, it was just strongly urged.

In the end, no you do not have to have the vaccine, and remember, they are the same virus. The reason for the different names is that people were beginning to think that they could get sick from eating pork, so the WHO decided to stop calling it the Swine Flu and call it by it's scientific name... H1N1.

[Fr_Chuck]

Yes, I would say even your Aunt had a choice if she wanted to push it, You will or could be drawing blood from dozens and dozens of people a day The one in the place I worked was fussing about how many they did one day. ( They travel from hosptial room to room, drawing the blood to cart it to the lab.)

Others do nothing but one client after another in testing labs.

The people you see will have all sorts of diseases, some very contagious, and others not so much, So in the level of worry, the swine flu will be the least of your worries of things to catch.

[jenniepepsi]

Sorry j_9, type. I meant just 'flu' and added 'swine' in there on accedent lol.

I've never had the swine flu vaccine, but my doc told me that if I'm allergic to the regular flu shot (which I got and found out maybe... a year ago? A year and a half? I think) then its better not to chance it with the other one too and just not get either.

Thanks everyone

[J_9]

sorry j_9, type. i meant just 'flu' and added 'swine' in there on accedent lol.

ive never had the swine flu vaccine, but my doc told me that if im allergic to the regular flu shot (which i got and found out maybe...a year ago? a year and a half? i think) then its better not to chance it with the other one too and just not get either.

thanks everyone

Ah, these mistakes happen, lol.

If you are allergic it is best to stay away. Remember that H1N1 is only a flu. If you work in a hospital drawing blood you will be exposed too much worse.

[jenniepepsi]

Yeah I'm not concerned about the swineflu hype anyway. Its always sad when someone has complications from an illness but its not THAT bad, my 6 year old got it, and my grandmother. It was really just the flu that lasted a really long time lol

[J_9]

Yeah, I have a ton of friends who have had it. I've known a couple of people who have died from it. But again, we can all die just getting into the car and going to WalMart.