Massive flu wave rolling in this winter

[Chino]

I've never gotten a flu shot and I've never had the flu.

[Orbert]

I'm not asking you to do anything.  Just pointing out some facts.

True.  It was just an expression.

[ZirconBlue]

I've never gotten a flu shot and I've never had the flu.

I've never bought car insurance and I've never been in a wreck.

[Big Hath]

just got my shot this morning

[Orbert]

My wife got a flu shot years ago, at her doctor's suggestion, and came down with the flu.  A vaccine is supposed to be a weakened version of the virus itself, so your body can build up antibodies, thus protecting you, but on occassion, people will get taken down by the vaccine itself.  So she swore off getting them, and has never gotten sick since.

My dad gets a flu shot every year, and I have no idea why he does it.  It always makes him sick.  He's sick for a week, every time.  His philosophy is "Yeah, but then it's over with and I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the year."  I skip the shot completely, don't get sick anyway, and never worry about it at all.  And save my money.  That's win-win-win-win in my book.

[ZirconBlue]

My wife got a flu shot years ago, at her doctor's suggestion, and came down with the flu.  A vaccine is supposed to be a weakened version of the virus itself, so your body can build up antibodies, thus protecting you, but on occassion, people will get taken down by the vaccine itself.  So she swore off getting them, and has never gotten sick since.

My dad gets a flu shot every year, and I have no idea why he does it.  It always makes him sick.  He's sick for a week, every time.  His philosophy is "Yeah, but then it's over with and I don't have to worry about it for the rest of the year."  I skip the shot completely, don't get sick anyway, and never worry about it at all.  And save my money.  That's win-win-win-win in my book.

You cannot get the flu from the flu shot. 


From the CDC:

Can the flu shot give me the flu?

No, a flu shot cannot cause flu illness. The viruses contained in flu shots are inactivated (killed), which means they cannot cause infection. Flu vaccine manufacturers kill the viruses used in the flu shot during the process of making vaccine, and batches of flu vaccine are tested to make sure they are safe. In randomized, blinded studies, where some people got flu shots and others got saltwater shots, the only differences in symptoms was increased soreness in the arm and redness at the injection site among people who got the flu shot. There were no differences in terms of body aches, fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat.

<snip>

What about people who get a seasonal flu vaccine and still get sick with flu-like symptoms?

There are several reasons why someone might get flu-like symptoms even after they have been vaccinated against the flu.

1. People may be exposed to an influenza virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the two-week period that it takes the body to gain protection after getting vaccinated. This exposure may result in a person becoming ill with flu before the vaccine begins to protect them.

2. People may become ill from other (non-flu) viruses that circulate during the flu season, which can also cause flu-like symptoms (such as rhinovirus).

3. A person may be exposed to an influenza virus that is not included in the seasonal flu vaccine. There are many different influenza viruses that circulate every year. The flu shot protects against the 3 viruses that research suggests will be most common.

4. Unfortunately, some people can get infected with an influenza vaccine virus despite getting vaccinated. Protection provided by influenza vaccination can vary widely, based in part on health and age factors of the person getting vaccinated. In general, the flu vaccine works best among young healthy adults and older children. Some older people and people with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination. However, even among people who tend to respond less well to vaccination, the flu vaccine can still help prevent influenza. Vaccination is particularly important for people at high risk of serious flu-related complications and for close contacts of high-risk people. For more information about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, see How Well Does the Seasonal Flu Vaccine Work

[Orbert]

Well, if the CDC says so, it must be true.

In general, the flu vaccine works best among young healthy adults and older children.

This more or less proves my point about the vaccine in the first place.  In general, healthy adults and older children don't get the flu anyway.

[rumborak]

I think a lot of people can't tell a cold from a flu, and so they think they got the flu when they got a really bad cold.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

From what I hear, the "24 hour stomach flu" like the one I got is almost always food poisoning. So I guess I've never had the flu either. Heh.

[Orbert]

Body aches, headaches, not just weakness but fatigue, nausea.  Colds don't cause any of that.  If you've got flu symptoms, you've probably got the flu.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

The only thing I really had was horrible nausea and a bit of a cold. It was so bad I couldn't get up sometimes. That's about it.

[Orbert]

It was probably just a mild stomach bug or some food gone bad.  I don't know what technically defines "food poisoning" but that sounds like a pretty extreme way to describe something that's been in the fridge or sitting on the counter too long.  If you're over it in 24 hours, it wasn't real food poisoning.  Food poisoning, like flu, can be pretty damned serious.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Ahh I see. Yeah, I don't really know too much about food poisoning, haha.

[Orbert]

Oh, I don't either, so don't take my word for it.  I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV.  I'm just saying that if you puke for a day, then are pretty much over it, it wasn't really poison, just some food gone bad.  Unless technically that counts as "food poisoning".  Like I said, I don't know either.

[ZirconBlue]

It was probably just a mild stomach bug or some food gone bad.  I don't know what technically defines "food poisoning" but that sounds like a pretty extreme way to describe something that's been in the fridge or sitting on the counter too long.  If you're over it in 24 hours, it wasn't real food poisoning.  Food poisoning, like flu, can be pretty damned serious.

Technically, anything resulting from contaminated food is food poisoning (although I think the actual term is "foodborne illness"); usually these are viruses or bacteria.  How severe it is just depends on which particular nasty is in your food. 


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_poisoning

[KevShmev]

Well, after hearing that my area was getting hit hard by this nasty flu going around, I sucked it up and spent the $30 for the flu shot last night.  I went to sleep expecting to be sick as hell when I woke up (like I was the only other time I got a flu shot), but all is well...so far.

[ZirconBlue]

Well, if the CDC says so, it must be true.

In general, the flu vaccine works best among young healthy adults and older children.

This more or less proves my point about the vaccine in the first place.  In general, healthy adults and older children don't get the flu anyway.

Where do you get that from?  Healthy adults and older children often get the flu, it's just that they're better able to fight it off.  The H1N1 flu that circulated in 2009-2010 was particularly notable for hitting the younger, healthier population. 

[rogerdil]

What happened to the avian flu?

[Orbert]

Healthy adults and older children often get the flu, it's just that they're better able to fight it off.  The H1N1 flu that circulated in 2009-2010 was particularly notable for hitting the younger, healthier population. 

Okay yeah, healthy people can still get sick, but if you're young and healthy, then you can fight it off better.  Saying that the vaccine works best for healthy people, the same ones who would naturally be better at fighting it off in the first place, sounds more like an argument against the vaccination, not for it.

If I'm young and healthy, there's less need for me to get the vaccine because even if I get the flu, I can fight it off.  Saying the vaccine works better for me because I'm young and healthy seems redundant or irrelevant or something.  It gives me even less chance of getting something I was going to be better at fighting off in the first place.

The fringe groups, older folks and young children, the ones with weaker immune systems in general, are also less likely to benefit from the vaccine.

I'm sorry, but it still sounds like you're not getting a lot of benefit from the vaccine.  It's less effective for the very people you want to protect most, and more effective for the ones who can already fight the flu better.

Technically, anything resulting from contaminated food is food poisoning (although I think the actual term is "foodborne illness"); usually these are viruses or bacteria.  How severe it is just depends on which particular nasty is in your food. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_poisoning

That's what I figured, but it just seems to me that the same term shouldn't be used to define both moldy bread and soup laced with arsenic.  "Foodbourne illness" at least has a more general sound to it, though I don't know if that's any better, and "poison" to me conjures up something intentional and usually synthetic.  But maybe that's just me.

[rumborak]

What happened to the avian flu?

It flu away.

[rogerdil]

Doubtless a relief to the two million Murkans that were supposed to die from it.

[Big Hath]

Healthy adults and older children often get the flu, it's just that they're better able to fight it off.  The H1N1 flu that circulated in 2009-2010 was particularly notable for hitting the younger, healthier population. 

Okay yeah, healthy people can still get sick, but if you're young and healthy, then you can fight it off better.  Saying that the vaccine works best for healthy people, the same ones who would naturally be better at fighting it off in the first place, sounds more like an argument against the vaccination, not for it.

If I'm young and healthy, there's less need for me to get the vaccine because even if I get the flu, I can fight it off.  Saying the vaccine works better for me because I'm young and healthy seems redundant or irrelevant or something.  It gives me even less chance of getting something I was going to be better at fighting off in the first place.

I'm sorry, but it still sounds like you're not getting a lot of benefit from the vaccine.  It's less effective for the very people you want to protect most, and more effective for the ones who can already fight the flu better.

as has been stated, the real value of the vaccine is not for you in particular.  It is so you won't have the opportunity to spread it to others if you do get the flu.  The vaccine is meant to help stop the spread rather than save each individual person from getting it (although that is a good side effect).

[Tick]

What happened to the avian flu?

It flu away.

[Orbert]

as has been stated, the real value of the vaccine is not for you in particular.  It is so you won't have the opportunity to spread it to others if you do get the flu.  The vaccine is meant to help stop the spread rather than save each individual person from getting it (although that is a good side effect).

Yeah, I always forget that part.  Seriously.  But if the idea is to benefit society as a whole, then asking private citizens to pay for it is the wrong approach.  Again, I'm looking at paying $40 to $60 for my entire family, subjecting all of us to needles (or mist if they're not out), and we never get sick anyway.  It's all to benefit society.  So again, once the mist is given away free, I'm in.  Otherwise, I'll take my chances.

Companies that pay for it for their employees have the right idea.  I'm sure their main goal is to keep their own employees from getting sick, but the overall effect is that far more people get the vaccine, which can only help.  I'm not against helping society; I just have to look first at the cost/benefit analysis as it pertains to my family.

[rogerdil]

Scaremongering mixed with phony appeals to altruism.  The way to cha-ching!   (Pharma-papa needs a new five-wood.)

[Jaq]

I've never had a flu shot and I've not had the flu since 2003. And I caught that flu from my sister. Methinks the media is guilty of a little overhyping, but then they've not had a world killing disease for years now.

[Ultimetalhead]

Never got a flu vaccine. I think I got the H1N1 virus, but I kicked its ass. I think I had a flu-like thing around Christmas time too, but I smoked that one too. I've got a bit of a sore throat now, but I'm ready for anything. Flu vaccines are bogus. If they were seriously that concerned about it they would be giving them out for free.

[carl320]

I got the flu shot last night after hearing a bunch of coworkers and friends talk about it making the rounds.  Doesn't hurt that I got it for free through my job.

[Phoenix87x]

Got mine for free two days ago at work. I wasn't planning on getting one, but I needed it for a new job I'm applying for and it was free so I figured win-win.

But from an interesting Psychological perspective there was kind of a gooble gobble, "be one of us" herd mentality of peer pressure to get one around my work. There was another employee that didn't really want to get one and I heard my boss say to him "don't you want to be a team player".

[rogerdil]

LOL, team player.   Hope that person held out.

[Chino]

But from an interesting Psychological perspective there was kind of a gooble gobble, "be one of us" herd mentality of peer pressure to get one around my work. There was another employee that didn't really want to get one and I heard my boss say to him "don't you want to be a team player".

This is the only thing that came to mind 

[Phoenix87x]

^^^ Sadly that's not far from the truth. we are like 2 steps away from optional-mandatory flair.

[DebraKadabra]

You wanna see my FLAIR?  HERE'S my fucking FLAIR!!!! *flips bird*