Do flu shots work?

prism

aNiMaL wrote:

Right, which is why it's very important for them to not get the flu - hence, why they should get the vaccine. I never said they were the only ones to get it.


I have only ever felt that bad for a few days - every few years. I have never felt like that for 10 days to 2 weeks. Which is why there is no reason for me, or anyone else as healthy as me to get the flu vaccine.

because you live in a plastic bubble, right? I mean who cares if you spread a highly contagious illness to others? it'll only make them feel like death warmed over for 10 days to 2 weeks despite how healthy they may (or may not) be. but that's alright because it only makes you feel kinda bad for a few days...

aNiMaL

prism wrote:

because you live in a plastic bubble, right? I mean who cares if you spread a highly contagious illness to others? it'll only make them feel like death warmed over for 10 days to 2 weeks despite how healthy they may (or may not) be. but that's alright because it only makes you feel kinda bad for a few days...

Why are you attacking me because I have never had, nor needed a flu shot?

aNiMaL

cutback wrote:

same here......my health is strong enough to withstand the flu if i get it...getting a shot that actually gives me the flu seems crazy...at least for me.....:)

You and I both, cutback. You and I both.

prism

aNiMaL wrote:

Why are you attacking me because I have never had, nor needed a flu shot?

I don't care if you ever had or will have a flu shot. just as long as the next time you do get the flu you live and work inside a plastic bubble so you don't infect other people

prism

cutback wrote:

same here......my health is strong enough to withstand the flu if i get it...getting a shot that actually gives me the flu seems crazy...at least for me.....:)

you CANNOT get the flu from a flu shot. that is an urban myth.


flu shot's haven't been made from active 'live' virus for over 15 years. however there's a tiny chance of getting it from "flumist" the flu nasal spray because it does contain 'live' virus


from the CDC:

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are

Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
Fever (low grade)
Aches

aNiMaL

prism wrote:

I don't care if you ever had or will have a flu shot. just as long as the next time you do get the flu you live and work inside a plastic bubble so you don't infect other people

Fair enough. I'll take that as we just have two different points of view on this subject.

I probably won't take your advise and invest in a bubble to encapsulate myself for the next time I happen to get the flu. I'll probably just take a few days off of work, drink lots of liquids and stay in bed, and let my body fight it off with it's natural defense system.

I will sleep better knowing I didn't take a flu shot away from someone who really needs it.

brain of c

prism wrote:

hi c

does that make you an artificial fruit drink?

yes.

jeffbr

I didn't get a flu shot for years (and also didn't get the flu during those same years). Then a few years ago I finally got talked into. That year I had the worst flu I ever had. Never again. I haven't done it for a couple of years now, and have also been flu free.

jeffbr

prism wrote:

you CANNOT get the flu from a flu shot. that is an urban myth.

I have no idea whether I got my worst flu because of or in spite of the flu shot I had. I just know that the only year I had a flu shot was one of the only years I've ever had the flu, and it was the worst bout I had.

So even if the shot wasn't causal, it certainly wasn't preventative.

norm

prism wrote:

you CANNOT get the flu from a flu shot. that is an urban myth.


flu shot's haven't been made from active 'live' virus for over 15 years. however there's a tiny chance of getting it from "flumist" the flu nasal spray because it does contain 'live' virus


from the CDC:

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are

Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
Fever (low grade)
Aches

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....:)

prism

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

justjoshingu

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.

LikeAnOcean

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..

wolfbear

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.

RolandTD20Kdrummer

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.

LikeAnOcean

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

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.

prism

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

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

Riot_Rain

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 ;-)

RolandTD20Kdrummer

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.

prism

RolandTD20Kdrummer wrote:

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