The previous inane comments with a hint of sarcasm are using the wrong analogy.
Construction workers WEARING hardhats and Astronauts WEARING spacesuits is akin to a nurse or doctor using UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS, which includes proper hand washing, WEARING gloves, masks, gown, and limiting the most infectious persons to a confined negative pressure space.
As a health care professional many of us are appalled that we are being forced into becoming guinea pigs for the drug companies.
In reality those most at risk are school children and anyone who takes public transportation or is in a confined space with others for an extended period of time. Cubical workers untrained in proper infection avoidance are more at risk than any hospital worker.
While you see a greater percentage of sick persons within the confines of a hospital, hospital staff are actually trained on how to limit transmission of disease whereas out in public, and especially in schools or universities there is no such training.
The biggest stories in the media are the number of CHILDREN who have succumb to the virus. So in reality all school aged children all the way up through graduate school should be the population receiving mandatory vaccinations.
Previous rate of hospital acquired flu infection are so low that they often fly under the radar, whereas SCHOOL acquired flu transmission is extremely high. The most common hospital acquired infection is a skin staph infection.
Most Health care professionals do not get the annual flu shot and even with this statistic there has not been any previous recent hospital acquired flu pandemic to warrant this mandatory vaccination program.
When you become the guinea pig for all of the wrong reasons, then you will understand our frustration.