Quick question for the folks here. I'm leaving for OCS on 25-Oct. I have the option to get the flu shot as well as the H1N1 vaccination. Is there any problems doing this prior to going to OCS? Don't want to mess up my medical clearance. Thanks
Save your time and money. Uncle Sam will see to it that you get all the shots you could hope for (and plenty that you never dreamed of) when you get to OCS. I'd be willing to bet that even if you got the vaccinations before OCS, you'll get one/both again when you're herded through the receiving line. But hey, if it makes you feel better, get your flu shots. (Get mine while you're at it, too.)
As long as its a flu shot and not the flu nasal spray... Who ever thought up that one needs to be shot. You have the taste of flu in your mouth for the next day...
The nasal spray is the bomb-diggidy. I'd rather sniff than get jabbed by an E-1 giving his first shot. Then again, i'm a big pu$$y when it comes to needles.
Unless things have changed since last year, the nasal spray can not be taken by those in a flight status. Brett
Last year we were all given the spray in the VTs. It is downing for 72 hours, so they gave them to us before we punched out for the Labor Day 72.
I'll be willing to bet that the 'downing' criteria for immunizations is dependent on what is convenient at the time, and what is needed to ensure 'readiness' doesn't fall below the threshold that requires extra paperwork. (I'm still going to believe this even when feddoc proves me wrong.) "Long weekend? Good, because the flu shot downs you for 72 hours." "Flying tomorrow? Good, because the flu shot only downs you for 24 hours." "Flying tonight? Good, because the flu shot only downs you for 12 hours." "Walking to the bird? Good, because the flu shot isn't a downer."
There was a multi page thread on this topic a few months ago. The shot is not mandatory, and it does not do much for you. Of the thousands of strain of flu on our planet, the CDC picks 2-3 per year that they think might be big, and put that in the shot. Every year, thousands of people get the flu shot only to get sick with a different variety of flu. If you want to get it, good for you. If you don't want to get it, explain why to your doc.
I was honestly hoping to stave off the flu at OCS with the shots. Sure it's a crap shoot anyway by why hurt my chances? I'm not a wuss with needles and the flu shot has never caused me any problems.
So get two flu shots...I'm sure it'll stave off the streptococcus in your respiratory tract, and the staphylococcus in your feet. Flu is a nonissue with those two gnarlies running around rampant year round.
Anyone have a copy of the instruction? I'm not allergic to the damn thing in the life threatening sense, but every time in the past few years when I've gotten the vaccine, I've ended up with the flu (and med down for at least 4 days both times the past two years) because I bought HM3 schmucks word that the shot was mandatory. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me...fool me three times and I dunno what i'll do, but it'll probably be retarded!
Tell them that you are opting out. If they cry about it, have them produce the instruction. There is no language in there that says that "every aviator/officer/sailor SHALL get a flu shot". I don't remember the exact language, but it is something along the lines of "medical facilities will insure that the flu vaccine is given to the largest extent possible". It tells them to not fuck around and try hard to convince people to get it. The language falls well short of saying that it is mandatory.
i would just wait. i got it done twice last year. Once it was mandatory for me to get done before checking out of usna, then in pensacola because usna corpsman never logged that I had gotten it done in annapolis. my fault for not making sure my records were marked correctly, but remember everyone in your class will get the shot at the same time anyways.
If I was President Obama, I would definitely appoint you the Admin Czar of the Navy. You are a fountain of useful knowledges.
Unfortunately, the actual BUMED instruction says it's required: and again Allowances are made for exemptions, both medical and administrative. One of the choices is "Medical, Declined," but it's for the declination of optional vaccines, which influenza is not. In the administrative section there is a choice for "Administrative, refusal," but it's for people who are refusing and involved in actions under UCMJ or applying for a religious waiver.
BUMED Inst. 6230.15A 4-8 talks about influenza A and B. Apparently, there is 25,000 times the amount of mercury in the vaccine (this is according to Dr. Kent Holtorf on Studio B w/ Shep Smith yesterday) than would make food or water poisonous to humans. I'm no doctor, but I have a lot of reserves about getting stuck with a "rush ordered" vaccine.
