Flu shots: Worthwhile or a waste of time?

[Peterkro]

They're free aren't they? (In Australia, not sure about the States) but I still wouldn't get it.. It's not worth it, my immune system works fine.

The symtoms of the flu virus are not caused by the virus but by your immune system which is fighting the virus.As others have pointed out h-
1n1 and the 1918 strain are different in that fatalities are most common in those with the strongest immune systems.

 

[snberk103]

They're free aren't they? (In Australia, not sure about the States) but I still wouldn't get it.. It's not worth it, my immune system works fine.

They're free in Canada too. Vaccinations start in earnest starting Monday, though some health units have just started to vaccinate their staff. Canada has enough doses for the entire population, plus a little extra. Unfortunately the extra doses aren't enough to help out our American cousins who got caught with a shortage of vaccine.

The shots aren't necessarily free in the US. It depends on what your health insurance provider allows, and whether you have health insurance at all.

 

[Cave Man]

The symtoms of the flu virus are not caused by the virus but by your immune system which is fighting the virus.

With seasonal influenza, some of the symptoms are caused by the virus (e.g., cpe in pulmonary epithelium), but most of the serious symptoms are caused by the secondary bacterial infections that arise because of the build-up of pulmonary effusions (which impair innate antibacterial resistance).

As others have pointed out h1n1 and the 1918 strain are different in that fatalities are most common in those with the strongest immune systems.

Or those with impaired immune responses (e.g., pregnant women, very young children).

 

[rfrankl]

I think everybody reacts differently to the flu shot. Some people swear they work, some swear they don't do anything, and some even have gotten the flu from the shot.

 

[Cave Man]

I think everybody reacts differently to the flu shot. Some people swear they work, some swear they don't do anything, and some even have gotten the flu from the shot.

This is not true. Injectable influenza vaccines are inactivated with formalin.

 

[snberk103]

... and some even have gotten the flu from the shot.

Since the flu season has generally started by the time the flu vaccine is being given to the population, it is inevitable that some people will already by infected by the virus when receiving their vaccination. At that point the flu shot is too late to help them. Its just bad luck.

It is also inevitable that some people will win a lottery in the first 3 days of getting a flu shot... but most people don't use that a reason to get the flu shot (getting a flu shot means you may win the lottery). They recognize that this is just good luck and coincidence.

 

[leekohler]

As long as you've thought about the fact that you're endangering yourself and everyone around you, you're free to refuse the vaccine.
Noone will force you, but we will educate you!

Oh, OK. Thanks.

 

[snberk103]

The H1N1 flu shot clinics open today in BC. This week is for those most at risk. From the ImmunizeBC.ca website...

-individuals under 65 years of age with chronic disease
-pregnant women
-individuals - including First Nations people - living in remote or isolated communities.

 

[BornAgainMac]

The pharmaceutical companies has billions of dollars to spend fooling the public. The U.S. has the most expensive medical system in the world and has resulted in the sickest people since vaccinations have been put into effect. Their goal to make money. If their flu shot gives you a serious side effect, the have medicine for that too. It is so ingrained in the U.S. that it will take years before this changes.

If you believe me or not, the truth will eventually come out in the next 30 years.

 

[eawmp1]

The pharmaceutical companies has billions of dollars to spend fooling the public. The U.S. has the most expensive medical system in the world and has resulted in the sickest people since vaccinations have been put into effect. Their goal to make money. If their flu shot gives you a serious side effect, the have medicine for that too. It is so ingrained in the U.S. that it will take years before this changes.

If you believe me or not, the truth will eventually come out in the next 30 years.

You have your beliefs; I have my science.

Feel free not to vaccinate yourself and your children. Please, however, sequester youself with like minded individuals far away from the rest of us so that when polio, measles, rubella, pertussus, tetanus, and other vaccine-preventable illness again take hold in your community and kill/cripple your young and vunerable, yu will not serve as a reservior of cntagion that can spread to those who wish to vaccinate, but are not yet old enough/or fully vaccinated to offer full protection, will not be victimized by your stupidity.

 

[.Andy]

The pharmaceutical companies has billions of dollars to spend fooling the public. The U.S. has the most expensive medical system in the world and has resulted in the sickest people since vaccinations have been put into effect. Their goal to make money. If their flu shot gives you a serious side effect, the have medicine for that too. It is so ingrained in the U.S. that it will take years before this changes.

Arguably the three greatest medical advances have been sanitation, antibiotics, and vaccination. Although conspiracy theories are exciting and fun, there just isn't any evidence to back up your claim. Which makes your ignorant claims patently dangerous to people's lives.

If you believe me or not, the truth will eventually come out in the next 30 years.

Vaccinations have already been around for 30 years. The truth is that it is one of the most fantastic interventions to decrease morbidity and mortality.

 

[snberk103]

The pharmaceutical companies has billions of dollars to spend fooling the public. The U.S. has the most expensive medical system in the world and has resulted in the sickest people since vaccinations have been put into effect. Their goal to make money. If their flu shot gives you a serious side effect, the have medicine for that too. It is so ingrained in the U.S. that it will take years before this changes.

If you believe me or not, the truth will eventually come out in the next 30 years.

You are mistaken, IMO, on two points.

1) I'm no friend of big pharma, but in this case it isn't the pharmaceutical companies pushing the vaccinations, its the public health doctors and nurses. These medical practitioners work with people everyday, they read the studies, see the results - both good and bad - in their offices. The governments of the world may be the ones who are leading the efforts to vaccinate, but they are doing so based on the advice of the public health units, and the government could not push this program without their support. By "public health units" I'm talking about the family GPs (who see the public), the national, state, provincial public health units of various countries, right down to the street clinics that serve the disadvantaged.

2) Its not the country with the most money to made by big pharma (the US) with the biggest vaccination campaign - its the countries with a socialized medical system (ie most insulated from the influence of big pharma) who have the most widespread vaccination campaigns.

Interestingly, I think the country with the most money to made off of reporting the news is the one with the most scare-mongering in the news.... but that is just an impression.

As someone else has said, you are free not get the shot. But please try to not infect other people until they've had a chance to vaccinate themselves.

 

[Cave Man]

If it were up to the pharmaceutical industry, they wouldn't make the influenza vaccine because it's not economically viable. The US government subsidizes flu (and other) vaccines every year, guaranteeing to buy a specified number of doses. On top of this, there is legislation that protects vaccine companies from liability associated with adverse events, so long as they follow their FDA-approved manufacturing process.

Otherwise, the industry would be at a financial disadvantage in predicting the market each year. Fortunately, public health officials recognize that without such a prevention tool, 10 to 10,000 times more people would die each year than do now. You're fooling yourself if you believe otherwise.

The pharmaceutical companies has billions of dollars to spend fooling the public. The U.S. has the most expensive medical system in the world and has resulted in the sickest people since vaccinations have been put into effect. Their goal to make money. If their flu shot gives you a serious side effect, the have medicine for that too. It is so ingrained in the U.S. that it will take years before this changes.

If you believe me or not, the truth will eventually come out in the next 30 years.

 

[kwk1]

No shot for me, even though it's free.
I might consider if I was "at risk" or had a compromised immune system though.

 

[instaxgirl]

I'm in Austria right now but if I can get the vaccine when I go home to the UK at Christmas I'll go get one. I've taken every vaccine they've ever offered me.

Thinking about it my ex will probably be getting his soon, health problems mean he's at risk.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I had my regular flu shot earlier, it turns out that my Doctor's won't be getting the swine flu shots in for another couple of weeks – at which point I'll have to go back in.

So far there have been no ill effects – as per usual – but I promise that if it turns me into a backwards walking buffoon I'll post evidence up on youtube as a cautionary tale.