Do flu shots work?

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  • prismprism Posts: 2,440
    cutback wrote:
    that's cool...i just remember that when my dad got his one and only flu shot, within days he had the flu....could have been a coincidence.....but i just prefer to let my body do what it is supposed to to do.....if i get the flu, i immediately go to bed and stay there for as long as it takes....it's the people that try to brave it out and go to work with the flu that you have to worry about....:)

    probably because it takes the body two weeks for the vaccince to become fully effective. so chances are the time between him getting the shot and getting exposed wasn't long enough for it to work
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  • there is also the problem when the people giving the shots are idiots and give the shots wrong and your arm hurts for a week. now thats not flu related but i got one from this girl who left the needle in, let it go, and readjusted with both hands. so the shot was moving around in my arm. arm sore for like a week.

    btw, i am immunization certified so if anyone needs one i can give it. but i dont like to. i have no problems with recieving needles, but to give one , you can actually feel it pierce the skin and then its like woop, in it goes.. flu shot giving not so bad. but tb shot giving sucks balls.
    mean people suck!
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  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    aNiMaL wrote:
    For the rest of us - it is not needed at all. A complete waste. I believe it is better to actually let my body get the flu every 3 or 4 years (about as often as I have ever had the flu) and fight it off itself. That builds immunity.
    I agree in a way, BUT, the flu shot is designed to build immunity for three different expected flu strands. They inject you with small portions of the viruses dead, so your body builds immunity to them. For some people the shot actually makes them sick, but for most the dosage is so small and already dead that the body still learns to fight it off without having to go through the hardship. It doesn't always work, but works something like 70 to 80% of the time. My mom who normally gets sick a few times during the winter didn't even have a sniffle last winter.

    I figure it was worth the $20 gamble. I'll let you guys know the results in the spring..
  • wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    aNiMaL wrote:
    I think it's meant for young people, old people, people with weak immune systems, and health care professionals.

    For the rest of us - it is not needed at all. A complete waste. I believe it is better to actually let my body get the flu every 3 or 4 years (about as often as I have ever had the flu) and fight it off itself. That builds immunity.

    Those are my beliefs - I have never had a flu shot and do not plan to start getting one for quite a few more many years.
    I just want to say if you ever get a bad strain of the flu, you may change your story. I truly hope you don't. :)
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  • aNiMaL wrote:
    I think it's meant for young people, old people, people with weak immune systems, and health care professionals.

    For the rest of us - it is not needed at all. A complete waste. I believe it is better to actually let my body get the flu every 3 or 4 years (about as often as I have ever had the flu) and fight it off itself. That builds immunity.

    Those are my beliefs - I have never had a flu shot and do not plan to start getting one for quite a few more many years.

    It's meant for unhealthy people with weak immune systems.

    The only reason you get sick from a cold is because of a weak immune system.

    For colds, I'll opt for the healthy natural route as as indication of my overall health, and not take the toxic crutch injection.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
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  • LikeAnOceanLikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    It's meant for unhealthy people with weak immune systems.

    The only reason you get sick from a cold is because of a weak immune system.

    For colds, I'll opt for the healthy natural route as as indication of my overall health, and not take the toxic crutch injection.
    It was $23.. I get the flu once every maybe 2 or 3 years and the cold maybe 3 times a year because I work with the public and deal with maybe a hundred people a day. I figured $23 was well worth the gamble of being that sick. I'm a healthy person, but when you are exposed to that many people, well, shit happens.
  • prismprism Posts: 2,440
    It's meant for unhealthy people with weak immune systems.

    The only reason you get sick from a cold is because of a weak immune system.

    For colds, I'll opt for the healthy natural route as as indication of my overall health, and not take the toxic crutch injection.

    uh okay...only unhealthy people with weak immune systems get colds :rolleyes:

    a cold and influenza are NOT the same thing. the flu is more severe. though they're both respiratory illnesses they're completely different viruses.

    just because those with weaken immune systems are more likely to get them that doesn't mean that "healthy" people don't often get them too. anyone can get either type of virus being that both are highly contagious, communicable illnesses. the only way your immune system is going to help you is if you've already had that particular cold virus (of which there's hundreds.) that's why people get colds so frequently, it's caused by a different cold virus each time. since there's not nearly as many flu viruses people don't "catch the flu" as often

    btw there is not any injection to prevent any cold virus
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  • My g/f has asthma and has been given free flu shots in the past. If she got a real influenza, she could end up in hospital :-( I mean, even an innocent cold makes her asthma worse, it's pretty scary to see. I have never had a flu shot in my life and only had a real flu once or twice. I think everyone who is not chronically ill or old is okay. Thing is, you may not get the flu and then the shot would've been wasted... But as long as there is plenty to go around people can buy them all they want, I'm not going to worry about it, the stress might negatively effect my immune system ;-)
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  • prism wrote:
    uh okay...only unhealthy people with weak immune systems get colds :rolleyes:

    a cold and influenza are NOT the same thing. the flu is more severe. though they're both respiratory illnesses they're completely different viruses.

    just because those with weaken immune systems are more likely to get them that doesn't mean that "healthy" people don't often get them too. anyone can get either type of virus being that both are highly contagious, communicable illnesses. the only way your immune system is going to help you is if you've already had that particular cold virus (of which there's hundreds.) that's why people get colds so frequently, it's caused by a different cold virus each time. since there's not nearly as many flu viruses people don't "catch the flu" as often

    btw there is not any injection to prevent any cold virus

    It's not the virus so much as how your body reacts to it. That's what the immune system is, and how it works. ;)
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

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  • prismprism Posts: 2,440
    It's not the virus so much as how your body reacts to it. That's what the immune system is, and how it works. ;)

    dude....I can guarantee you I know how the immune system works. and nobodys immune system can fight off every virus. your immune system can only fight off the viruses that you've already had and thus built up the immunity for. you get exposed to someone with a cold or flu (being that they're airborn viruses) chances are you are going to get it, even if you are "healthy." no one has a foolproof immune system.

    though like someone has already said washing your hands well and often will limit your exposure to viruses
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  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Worcester, MA Posts: 2,825
    I'm allergic to some ingredients in the vaccine, so no flu shots for me. However, I am inclined to agree with animal on this one.....I don't really see a point in getting one when I am not prone to the flu that often. I get it once every 3-5 years, and when I do, it's not that long-lasting. I'm 22, relatively healthy, and am not vulnerable like other age groups. No point in getting one when you don't get the flu.
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  • prism wrote:
    dude....I can guarantee you I know how the immune system works. and nobodys immune system can fight off every virus. your immune system can only fight off the viruses that you've already had and thus built up the immunity for. you get exposed to someone with a cold or flu (being that they're airborn viruses) chances are you are going to get it, even if you are "healthy." no one has a foolproof immune system.

    though like someone has already said washing your hands well and often will limit your exposure to viruses

    The cold symptoms (and severity) is how well or poorly your immune system reacts. That's what a cold or the flu is...your body's reaction not the viruis itself. When I get colds they're pretty much done in two days and it flushes out over the remainder of the week quite rapidly.

    I haven't had the flu in over 7 years...haven't had a cold in almost as long.

    I actually shared a spoon with my niece (daycare germs) who ended up giving my brother a week off work...he could barely talk and was bed ridden.

    Another guest at dinner also caught it that night and was leveled. I got nothing, and I played with her for most of the night.

    I say score one for being savage.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • the work if the CDC correctly identifies the strains of flu that will be prominent this particular year.
  • Whoever wants my shots this year are definitely welcome to them, I'm gonna pass again this year.
    Progress is not made by everyone joining some new fad,
    and reveling in it's loyalty. It's made by forming coalitions
    over specific principles, goals, and policies.

    http://i36.tinypic.com/66j31x.jpg

    (\__/)
    ( o.O)
    (")_(")
  • TrixieCatTrixieCat Posts: 5,756
    It's meant for unhealthy people with weak immune systems.

    The only reason you get sick from a cold is because of a weak immune system.

    For colds, I'll opt for the healthy natural route as as indication of my overall health, and not take the toxic crutch injection.
    You are so hardcore...lol

    I have never gotten the shot..not even when i was pregnant. I also don't give it to my child.
    Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
    And I don't feel right when you're gone away
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