The Flu Shot...

Hear hear!

I don't get the flu shot. The only times I've gotten it, I've ended up GETTING the flu. Not worth it.

Same here.

a bunch of garbage basically.

A lot of long term real world studies show the flu vaccine to be equal to, or minimally better than nothing in most people. they used to boast 70-80% effectiveness, now they say 60%, real world shows it to be much much lower if it shows anything at all.

They now mandate a lot of health care workers to get one. The public thinks it's about safety, but it has more to do with money. The US gov't is the largest purchaser of flu vaccine, to the tune of billions of dollars per year. Put that with a very large and powerful lobbying group and now we have a situation where Hospitals are mandating a flu shot. Why?

The past 10 years of incentivizing and forcing employees to get it, they were able to raise vaccination rates of health care workers from under 20% to just over 40%. Were they too lazy? Did they not have access? Stupid? or do they know more about it than your average person?

Well that wasn't high enough, so today, it's being mandated, OR the hospital group will get hit with decreases to Medicare reimbursements for all services if they don't mandate all employees to get a flu vaccine. Doesn't really seem all that fair. Especially for something with such a garbage record of preventing anything in ALL age group.

And for those who have been here a while, you may remember a friend of mine, 30 year old mother, nurse, former college soccer player, current triathlete who was forced to take a flu vaccine in 2009 with the H1N1 paranoia at a Hospital in IA. She suffered a rare, but very real side effect of vaccine, and 3 days later was on a ventilator and on a flight for life to the University of IA Hospital and was on life support for a week. 2 weeks later she was still unable to speak. SHe had to learn to walk and everything again, and for what? To settle some paranoia??

Anyway, they have quite the marketing campaign, generate fear, lots of it, then provide a solution. A rather weak and ineffective one, but when did that ever matter?

Is it really about health and information? or is it about marketing and cash flow?

from 2004, read a little presentation from the CDC about the flu. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/36/2004_flu_nowak02.pdf

Sure lots of people may be sick this year. Is it really the flu? Rapid tests aren't all that accurate and usually can only tell if there is influenza present not what type. Lots of people have an influenza on mucas membranes, though that doesn't cause illness. I read a study earlier this year, wish I could find it, that said only 1 in 6 that come in contact with influenza, will get a clinical case of the "flu".

Anyway, they usually diagnose flu cases by appearance only, not diagnostic testing. That leaves a lot of room for error. When the H1N1 paranoia was being spread, they were claiming cases in the thousands in some areas. When clinical differential diagnosis were finally done, it was found that in many cases, fewer than 20% of the reported cases of H1N1 infections, were any influenza infection at all. That means over 80% of those reported cases they touted on the news every night were NOT even a influenza infection at all. But I guess when did accuracy in reporting matter any more?

if anybody wants to do any other reading, just do a quick search on the Cochrane database reviews on flu vaccines. There' a few and it's honest to goodness, large scale studies done on flu vaccines done by people that aren't making billions off of the sale and distribution of the vaccine.

So needless to say, no, I don't get one, never will.

I haven't yet, but I am going to get it. My seizure medicine is still not properly adjusted, and getting sick is a pretty big trigger and anything to lessen the risk is worth it for me. I have never had it but the only vaccine I have ever had a reaction to was either rabies or Japanese encephalitis (they gave them at the same time so no way to tell). Once my medicine is working properly I probably won't ever get it again since I rarely get sick.

I don't see the point in the flu shot. Everyone I know who gets one ends up getting very sick for several days or weeks. My family and I never get it and we rarely get sick.

no--I won't get one, and I advise my children not to as well. I work with preschoolers too--I take vit D, vit B --both good immune boosters.

I didn't get a flu shot. Never have. But, I did get the flu. It's a bear. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I may just get a shot next year.

I don't get the flu. But even if I did I likely wouldn't bother with the shot. I am all for vaccinations, but I would like to take ones that aren't like throwing a dart at a moving target from have a year away.

I got mine. Medicaid covers it, so I didn't see a good reason not to.

I don't get the flu shot, neither does Kevin or any of our kids. Never have.

I got to be honest though, the news and media in general are just about scaring me into QUESTIONING my decision this year! I am normally unwavering and firm about the choice.........I mirror what many of you have said......HOOEY.

BUT, this year it seems every commercial break, every news bite has something about the nasty level of the flu this year, how it's already claimed X amount of lives...........a few of those lives young, healthy, strong teenage boys etc etc etc.

I tell you, a weaker person would have already ran for the nearest Walgreens and got in line for the vaccine! Dang Media working on a mother's fear like that

I can't afford to get really sick so I get my shot every year at the free clinic. 1 Million disease bearers have crossed through my presence in the last year at work and I have only a cold to speak of for illness.

Which is exactly part of the plan Did you check out this link? It's a "Recipe" That foster Vaccine interest a Demand for the vaccine. Bought and paid for by the CDC.

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/36/2004_flu_nowak02.pdf

You see that every news break with bought and paid for advertising in the form of a regurgitated AP news report. This is also where the Nancy Sniderman's and the Richard Besser's of the world thrive. Bought and paid for spokespeople for the industry posing as "health experts" on your morning and nightly news.


another part of their recipe is to tell you just how severe, just how it seems to be attacking others it normally doesn't and say these things, true or not in areas of high population density, true or not.

By doing the above, they hope to achieve this:
also the kids you see sick, the reports of deaths, the pictures and the stories, for crying out loud, the morning abc National news had their "flu cam" so people could get on the news and tell the world about their illness, that truthfully might not be an influenza infection of any kind. Another tidbit they don't usually put out on the news, it isn't part of their recipe. Influenza type illnesses are often reported as the flu, though they have nothing to do with influenza of any type.

This morning, we're visiting my parents in Woodbury MN, and guess what led the local morning news? The death and memorial of a 14 (?) year old girl from the flu. She was apparently healthy, active, and by all the pictures a very beautiful child with a great life ahead of her. I feel horrible for her family, but she is just part of the plan for the CDC and vaccine makers, use her image, create fear, create anxiety, create demand. The kicker of the whole story, she was vaccinated with this years flu vaccine.

But their "recipe" isn't about health or information, or truth. It's about, Creating motivating levels of concern and anxiety about influenza and interest in flu vaccines. At least according to their own words.

It's marketing people, a very well thought out, planned and carefully orchestrated marketing plan that is tweaked and put upon us every year. Gotta hand it to them, it's working

Never had it. ReAlly only people at high risk should bother... Asthmatics etc. I have an inhaler, but only really triggered by allergies or odd viruses so not bothered.

I have never ever had the flu, but have gotten the flu shot the last few years. I started getting the shot when I went back to work after raising my kids. I don't want to have to miss work because I got sick. I also have my 80 year old father living with me and if there is anyway I can try and avoid getting him sick I will.

This.

I'm all for vaccinating and do believe in them (especially for things that are life threatening.. ) but for the flu? just don't think it's worth the trip to go get it or the needle lol
I've only had the flu once and that's because my gross boyfriend at the time (who got his flu shot) gave me his germs.

I keep saying this and no one believes me, tells me that is not possible. The few times I did get a flu shot I was sick within a day or two with the worst flu. The years I didn't, I didn't get it.

I wish they had a shot for Mtn cedar allergies :/ the count is like ... At 20,000 last time I checked & it's making me miserable ... But what sucks is all the meds that decongest me also make me too drowsy to work

This is usually how I feel.

However, this year I'm doing clinical in a nursing home. I got the flu vaccine not for myself, but for the safety of the residents. I probably will not get it next year. Although, what I can say is that I have been around a few sick people already that normally I would have gotten sick, but this year I didn't.

Count me in as a person who got it two years in a row and got the flu both years. In the 6 years since I stopped, I haven't been sick one time (unless you count the time I ate that antique bacon).

Of course, I also work a job where I'm outside all day long, in every kind of weather imaginable, playing with dog poop. I'm pretty sure that my immune system is so strong that I'm immortal now.

Same here, usually the only thing rhstbgetsbme down is allergies.'