The Flu. Did you get a shot?

Starless · 03-29-2018, 05:32 AM

Sunday the week before last had a slight cough, raspy chest. We have oaks and pines all around our house so I thought it was pollen. Woke up Monday feeling like somebody had been beating me with a baseball bat all night, every bone and muscle in my body ached. 101 fever. Dr said flu, did you get a shot? Nope. Wife came down with it two days later. Anyway, it's been 10 days and I'm feeling better, still have headache.
So, do any of you get vaccinated yearly? I'm thinking of getting one next year for the first time. This week-plus of feeling like crap is steering me towards a shot.

stomachmonkey · 03-29-2018, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starless

Sunday the week before last had a slight cough, raspy chest. We have oaks and pines all around our house so I thought it was pollen. Woke up Monday feeling like somebody had been beating me with a baseball bat all night, every bone and muscle in my body ached. 101 fever. Dr said flu, did you get a shot? Nope. Wife came down with it two days later. Anyway, it's been 10 days and I'm feeling better, still have headache.
So, do any of you get vaccinated yearly? I'm thinking of getting one next year for the first time. This week-plus of feeling like crap is steering me towards a shot.

I never get the flu shot.

Not so much an anti vaccer, just see too many people every year get the shot and still get sick.

Case in point, my daughter got the shot, still got the flu this year.

I believe this years was only 20% effective.

plexiform · plexiform's Garage

This year was particularly bad for the flu. One of the worst in a decade. Flu vaccine did not provide adequate coverage and as a result every hospital in the country has been getting slammed with flu cases since November. Its always better to get the shot than to not. There will always be those folks that say they get sick right after getting the vaccination and thats certainly possible. But that does not mean they got the flu from the shot. Ask how many of those people who 'get sick after getting the flu shot' actually went to their doctor and were tested for the flu to see if that illness had anything to do with the vaccination they received. The answer will be close to 0%, but why should we bother ourselves with facts. Facts just mess up a perfectly good rumor.

74-911 · 03-29-2018, 05:47 AM

Been getting the flu shot every year since turned 65. But haven't had the flu in probably 20 years, really can't recall the last time I had the flu. Not sure if there is any correlation per the above between getting the flu shot or not?

Doesn't hurt to get it and may help.
Also got the pneumonia shot when turned 65.
Will probably get the new shingles shot now. Shingles sucks big time, Been there and done that.

YMMV as usual.

LWJ · 03-29-2018, 05:48 AM

I used to be a non-believer. Always healthy. I have gotten it the last few years. Still healthy.

Bottom line for me? Flu is supposed to be really horrible. I don't want it.

It seems is a simple thing that could have large benefits.

Porchdog · 03-29-2018, 05:56 AM

I've never had the shot. I haven't had the flu in decades. I'm not generally anti-vaccine.

My Son is Marine Reserves. He gets the shot every year and hates it - symptoms for a week or two every time.

Given the way they choose strains and the way the strains mutate during the production process the vaccines just don't seem like a great choice to me.

My understanding is that Tamiflu is highly effective and that you can't get it if you have had the vaccine.

drkshdw · 03-29-2018, 06:05 AM

Never gotten the shot, haven't even had the flu or even a cold in over a decade.

My family all get shots every year, without fail. Every year, without fail they get sick. With the flu and multiple colds.

Coincidentally they all use antibacterial soap on everything and I use regular soap (septic system). They all stay inside and are neat freaks and I'm messy and playing in dirt everyday. There's something to be said about building up an immune system.

Starless · 03-29-2018, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porchdog

I've never had the shot. I haven't had the flu in decades. I'm not generally anti-vaccine.

My Son is Marine Reserves. He gets the shot every year and hates it - symptoms for a week or two every time.

Given the way they choose strains and the way the strains mutate during the production process the vaccines just don't seem like a great choice to me.

My understanding is that Tamiflu is highly effective and that you can't get it if you have had the vaccine.

Tamiflu is what the Dr gave us. 2 pills daily for 5 days. It's been 11 days and although I feel much better, there is still some lingering aches and headaches. My mother gets one every year and at 96 has no side effects. My wife got the flu shot a few years ago and also felt like she had some flu like symptoms for a few days afterwords, but as plexiform stated above, are we sure it was caused by the vaccine? It's just that after over a week of feeling like crap, I think it may be worth the risk next year.

plexiform · plexiform's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porchdog

I've never had the shot. I haven't had the flu in decades. I'm not generally anti-vaccine.

My Son is Marine Reserves. He gets the shot every year and hates it - symptoms for a week or two every time.

Given the way they choose strains and the way the strains mutate during the production process the vaccines just don't seem like a great choice to me.

My understanding is that Tamiflu is highly effective and that you can't get it if you have had the vaccine.

Tamiflu interferes with the way the virus spreads in the body. It is only effective if it is started within 48hrs of being infected by the influenza A or B viruses. If you have had the nasal spray influenza vaccine in the prior two weeks, Tamiflu can interfere with the effectiveness of that particular vaccine. Does not apply to the injection type influenza vaccine. And does not mean you can't use Tamiflu, just means the nasal spray vaccine you just received within the prior two week period will not be as effective.

flatbutt · 03-29-2018, 06:21 AM

Never had the shot or the flu. I'm not against vaccines, in fact I had gotten the shingles shot when I turned 60. I just have a bad feeling about the flu shot.

wswartzwel · 03-29-2018, 06:21 AM

My wife got the shot.. I didn't, since I seldom get sick.. Even when I do it only lasts a day... Not this year.. I was in bed for over a week and felt like crap for 3 weeks with the first strain.. then caught strain B but went to doctor and got some meds to help shorten its effect.. Then it turned to pneumonia.... Wife took care of me, was intimate with me, and drank from some of the same water glasses as me, and never got the flu. I will be getting the shot next year!

GH85Carrera · GH85Carrera's Garage

Yes I get the flue vaccination as does my wife. I also get the pneumonia shot and the shingles vaccination. I am old enough to have had small pox vaccinations twice. The last time was in 1970 when we lived in Hawaii and to come back to the mainland we had to get smallpox vaccinations. That was stupid my it was the military rules.

Vaccinations work. Proof is how many people do you know with polio or small pox. My dad talked about being stuck at home for a year when Polio was rampant.

The flu shot was and is no big deal. With flu deaths at 4,000 per week I am amazed the media does not have it as headlines.

flatbutt · 03-29-2018, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wswartzwel

My wife got the shot.. I didn't, since I seldom get sick.. Even when I do it only lasts a day... Not this year.. I was in bed for over a week and felt like crap for 3 weeks with the first strain.. then caught strain B but went to doctor and got some meds to help shorten its effect.. Then it turned to pneumonia.... Wife took care of me, was intimate with me, and drank from some of the same water glasses as me, and never got the flu. I will be getting the shot next year!

You just seem to make the people around you stronger Bill!

wswartzwel · 03-29-2018, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flatbutt

You just seem to make the people around you stronger Bill!

You have the same effect on me Tom...Plus being around you makes people in a better mood!

crb07 · crb07's Garage

In my early 50's, last time I had the Flu was at least ten years ago. Never had the shot.

masraum · 03-29-2018, 06:44 AM

I think I've been vaccinated once or twice. This year was one of them. It was free in my building at work, so I went for it since this year was supposed to be bad, and my wife watches our grandson.

sammyg2 · 03-29-2018, 06:55 AM

Haven't gotten a shot (or the flu) in a long, long time.

Ka-nock on wood.

vash · vash's Garage

yes. no flu yet.

wife: yes.
she just got the flu yesterday. fever and everything.

i'm gonna test my immunity for sure..

nb6179505 · 03-29-2018, 07:51 AM

Got the flu in Sunday just now getting over it. I'm 29, so a bit of an advantage when it comes to recovery. But no flu shot. It was terrible, fever, throbbing headaches, slight body aches, now a little dry cough, had congestion, but knock on wood it's gone today

A lot of water and Theraflu and bed rest

Is it crazy to think the government injects us to get sick to drive up big pharma revenues?

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Porchdog · 03-29-2018, 08:12 AM

I just checked the CDC site. They figure about 40% of the population got the flu shot.

They tally about 1 million confirmed cases of the flu, all strains. Interestingly, only 20% of the samples tested for flu came back positive - so a lot of people who think they have the flu, don't.

There are 325 million people in the US. Even figuring that only 1 out of 3 go to the doctor when they get the flu, your chance of getting the flu is only 1%.

The other 80% of nasty bugs aren't even the flu.

Again, the flu vaccine has a history of being ineffective. I can see the point for "high risk" populations. I'm a healthy adult with minimal exposure to large groups of people - I don't see much potential for benefit to me.