[ARCHIVED THREAD] - lets discuss flu shots (Page 1 of 4)
Posted: 10/13/2011 7:11:51 AM EDT
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how do they work? do they work? are they worse for you? is it better not to get one?
I work at a hospital so they are mandatory. I got mine yesterday and today I feel sluggish and sore. am I doomed? |
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I've been getting one since I turned 30 (or about 12 years.) I've been operating under the idea that they're only good for about 3 months, so I try to wait until November to get one each year.
I've never had any side effects, and I haven't gotten the flu in those 12 years, so it's worth it to me. |
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Flu shot = government conspiracy. They urge you and urge you to get one, and who knows what the hell you're actually getting injected with. I refuse to get one. [/tinfoil hat] FWIW my fiancee is required by her work to get one, she got it yesterday and woke up sick today. |
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Flu shot = government conspiracy. They urge you and urge you to get one, and who knows what the hell you're actually getting injected with. I refuse to get one. [/tinfoil hat] FWIW my fiancee is required by her work to get one, she got it yesterday and woke up sick today. Somebody is watching you! |
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omg people, feeling groggy/achy, etc after getting vaccinated is not being sick. it means that the vaccine is working and your body is making the antibodies to fight the virus That still doesn't mean I don't feel like shit the next day. I love being told that it is all in my head by the people giving the shot. (Army) so we usually seem to get our mandatory shot in March. I wouldn't get one if it wasn't required. |
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I got mine yesterday, they were a freebie where I work.
10 Flu Myths: Sometimes medical myths can get in the way of good medical care. When it's flu season, take the necessary steps to stay healthy. That includes separating fact from myth. 1) You can catch the flu from the vaccine. The vaccine is made from an inactivated virus that can't transmit infection. So, people who get sick after receiving a flu vaccination were going to get sick anyway. It takes a week or two to get protection from the vaccine. People assume that because they got sick after getting the vaccine, the shot caused their illness. 2) Healthy people don't need to be vaccinated. It's true that the flu vaccination is routinely recommended for people who have a chronic illness, but anyone can benefit from being vaccinated. Current guidelines suggest that children ages 6 months to 19 years old, pregnant women, and anyone over age 49 be vaccinated each year. 3) Getting the flu vaccination is all you need to do to protect yourself from the flu. There are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself during flu season besides vaccination. Avoid contact with people who have the flu, wash your hands frequently, and consider taking anti-viral medications if you were exposed to the flu before being vaccinated. 4) The flu is just a bad cold. The cold virus is different from the flu virus. Influenza may cause bad cold symptoms, but in the United States alone, 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 are hospitalized each year because of the flu. 5) You can't spread the flu if you're feeling well. Actually, 20 to 30 percent of people carrying the influenza virus have no symptoms. 6) You don't need to get a flu shot every year. The influenza virus changes (mutates) each year. So getting vaccinated each year is important to make sure you have immunity to the strains most likely to cause an outbreak. 7) You can catch the flu from going out in cold weather without a coat, with wet hair or by sitting near a drafty window. The only way to catch the flu is by being exposed to the influenza virus. Flu season coincides with the cold weather, so people often associate the flu with a cold, drafty environment, but they are not related. 8) Feed a cold, starve a fever. If you have the flu (or a cold) and a fever, you need more fluids. There's little reason to increase or decrease how much you eat. Though you may have no appetite, "starving" yourself will accomplish little. Poor nutrition will not help you get better. 9) Chicken soup will speed your recovery from the flu. Hot liquids can soothe a sore throat and provide much needed fluids, but chicken soup has no other specific qualities that can help fight the flu. 10) If you have a high fever with the flu that lasts more than a day or two, antibiotics may be necessary. Antibiotics work well against bacteria, but they aren't effective for a viral infection like the flu. Then again, some people develop a bacterial infection as a complication of the flu, so it may be a good idea to get checked out if your symptoms drag on or worsen. Source: Harvard Health Publications, © 2009 |
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Flu shot = government conspiracy. They urge you and urge you to get one, and who knows what the hell you're actually getting injected with. I refuse to get one. [/tinfoil hat] FWIW my fiancee is required by her work to get one, she got it yesterday and woke up sick today. More or less how I felt. But then in order to do some stuff I had to get half a dozen injections of vaccines for who knows what... guess they got their microscopic tracker installed in the end 
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Flu shot = government conspiracy. They urge you and urge you to get one, and who knows what the hell you're actually getting injected with. I refuse to get one. [/tinfoil hat] FWIW my fiancee is required by her work to get one, she got it yesterday and woke up sick today. GAHHH! You can't get sick from a fucking Flu shot, and you can't get the Flu. The deal where they spray that thing up your nostril you can get sick from, but not the shot. The shot is full of dead flu. If you get the sniffles or something it might be an allergic reaction, as in, your histamine system kicking on to beat the ass off the new intruder, even though it's dead. You *WANT* that to happen, as it means the shot worked and now you're protected against that specific strain. Getting the shot is way better than getting the full on Flu. I got the Flu a couple years ago when they (You know "THEM!") totally missed the strain that went around. I'm in really good shape, work out regularly, and I was 30 at the time, and let me tell you, that would have killed a lesser man. I could barely climb into bed. If you don't get the shot, there's a better than 30% chance you're going to get the flu. Are you willing to play Russian Roulette with a revolver with only three cylinders? |
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If you don't get the shot, there's a better than 30% chance you're going to get the flu. Are you willing to play Russian Roulette with a revolver with only three cylinders? You are better off getting lots of sleep, eating well and washing your hands judiciously if you really want to prevent influenza. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Flu shot = government conspiracy. They urge you and urge you to get one, and who knows what the hell you're actually getting injected with. I refuse to get one. [/tinfoil hat] FWIW my fiancee is required by her work to get one, she got it yesterday and woke up sick today. GAHHH! You can't get sick from a fucking Flu shot, and you can't get the Flu. The deal where they spray that thing up your nostril you can get sick from, but not the shot. The shot is full of dead flu. If you get the sniffles or something it might be an allergic reaction, as in, your histamine system kicking on to beat the ass off the new intruder, even though it's dead. You *WANT* that to happen, as it means the shot worked and now you're protected against that specific strain. Getting the shot is way better than getting the full on Flu. I got the Flu a couple years ago when they (You know "THEM!") totally missed the strain that went around. I'm in really good shape, work out regularly, and I was 30 at the time, and let me tell you, that would have killed a lesser man. I could barely climb into bed. If you don't get the shot, there's a better than 30% chance you're going to get the flu. Are you willing to play Russian Roulette with a revolver with only three cylinders? I've done it every year for... ever. Haven't ever had the flu. (Oh boy, now I done did it). |
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Some very basics-
They work by exposing your immune system to parts of the flu virus before you get exposed to the whole infectious bug. When your immune system recognizes the (completely dead) bits in the vaccine, it starts making cells that will specifically hunt the virus down and kill it if you get exposed to it later, keeping you from catching the flu. Yes, it works. When your immune system is getting ramped up and learning about the dead flu from the vaccine, it makes chemicals that might make you feel a little sick for a day or two. The shot WILL NOT give you the flu, though. The nasal mist vaccine does contain a live virus that has been weakened. If you're immunocompromised in some way, it is possible for the weakened virus to make you legitimately sick. For normal, healthy people, though, it works in much the same way as the injection, but without a needle. Better, actually, because the part of your immune system in your airway passages learns to recognize the flu, and kill it where your body is first exposed to it. |
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They probably just gave you the wrong shot. http://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/11755/17338.JPG Yep, OP now has aids. Pool's Closed for OP. |
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I have been offered them for free for the past 3 years (EMT/FF) and while I got one the first year the last two I haven't (minus H1N1 as it was required) as I don't ever get it anyway and I feel like crap afterwards. Sometimes free is too high of a price to pay when you have a good immune system to begin with. I haven't been to the doctor in years and the last time was when I had an ear infection and need medication.
I have also come to believe that I may have a slight allergy to eggs which may cause my issues with the flu vaccine. I no longer eat plain eggs as I get tightness in my chest and what feels like severe heartburn but I can tolerate them in baked goods or in potato salad where there aren't that many. |
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<––- licensed Health Care Provider for the last 20 years. Put me in the not worth the effort/money camp. Really seems more like a passing trend/money maker than anything else. 'Interdasting story bro' incoming.... My wife and I each got separate letter from Blue Cross/Blue Shield containing a plastic credit card-type card. The card is redeemable for a FREE flu shot at CVS, Walgreen's Publix or Target. After you get the shot you mail a copy of the reeipt and they send you a $25 gift card to the store where you got your shot. My first thought was tinfoil-ish, of course. Then I realized they are probably partnering up to try to increase retail traffic. |
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how do they work? do they work? are they worse for you? is it better not to get one? I work at a hospital so they are mandatory. I got mine yesterday and today I feel sluggish and sore. am I doomed? I work in a hospital. They cannot require a flu shot so they are not mandatory. They can strongly encourage it and they can make you sign forms and wear a mask during flu season but they cannot directly force you to get one. I can't stand being forced to do anything so I'm declining it. Fight the power. If you actually want a flu shot, go get on on your own but don't tell the hospital that and refuse theirs. |
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Picked up mine this Monday. I'm still alive. Amazing story, isn't it? I'm convinced the majority of the flu shot excuses are just folks that are deathly afraid of needles. Or maybe we're just men, who aren't afraid of the sniffles. This man can easily die from the flu. That still makes you afraid of needles.
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I get the flu shot when I can. For most of my life I always got the flu every year. Sometimes it really really really sucked. For example, one year I got the flu three times. Each time it hit it was worse than before. At one point I was so messed up with fever and dehydration up my spit and snot was a thick gel. It would try to spit it and hack it up and it would hang from the back of my throat and dangle 4-5 feet down without breaking.  I felt like I was going to die. I never ever want to feel that sick or that messed up from flu again.
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omg people, feeling groggy/achy, etc after getting vaccinated is not being sick. it means that the vaccine is working and your body is making the antibodies to fight the virus Sore throat? Runny nose? Yes. Runny nose is a very non-specific symptom that can be caused by inflammatory cytokines your immune system releases when it's encountering the vaccine. Runny nose causes sore throat. |
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I get the flu shot when I can. For most of my life I always got the flu every year. Sometimes it really really really sucked. For example, one year I got the flu three times. Each time it hit it was worse than before. At one point I was so messed up with fever and dehydration up my spit and snot was a thick gel. It would try to spit it and hack it up and it would hang from the back of my throat and dangle 4-5 feet down without breaking. I felt like I was going to die. I never ever want to feel that sick or that messed up from flu again.The above info (about the flu shot) is pretty good. One thing to remember is that the flu shot is generally 3 strains of inactivated flu virus. It may NOT protect you against the strain you picked up...the CDC (IIRC) makes a best guess on what the most likely strains coming out of Asia are going to be and bases the current years flu vaccine on those guesses. AFARR |
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Never gotten one, because the risk/reward ratio is dogshit. I don't see much risk in getting the flu shot, but my situtaion is probably different than most. For me, the risk of catching the flu from not getting one is too great, as I spend 8-12 hours a workday leaning into sick people's faces, telling them to say "Ahh." Quoted:
omg people, feeling groggy/achy, etc after getting vaccinated is not being sick. it means that the vaccine is working and your body is making the antibodies to fight the virus You're one of THEM, aren't you!?!?! Spreading RFID nano-chips through your "vaccines". But I'm wise to you! 
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Isn't there a study that said the mercury in flu shots can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimers? Thimerosol is being phased out as a preservative in flu shots. In fact, this year, the only flu vaccine that contains thimerosol, is the multi-dose bottles of vaccine. If you receive a shot from a single use bottle, or a prefilled syringe, it does not contain mercury. Here is a list of the vaccines in use in 2011, and their mercury content. |
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Picked up mine this Monday. I'm still alive. Amazing story, isn't it? I'm convinced the majority of the flu shot excuses are just folks that are deathly afraid of needles. Or maybe we're just men, who aren't afraid of the sniffles. You've never had the flu, have you? |
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Isn't there a study that said the mercury in flu shots can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimers? Thimerosol is being phased out as a preservative in flu shots. In fact, this year, the only flu vaccine that contains thimerosol, is the multi-dose bottles of vaccine. If you receive a shot from a single use bottle, or a prefilled syringe, it does not contain mercury. Here is a list of the vaccines in use in 2011, and their mercury content. ... And there is no correlation between thimerosal exposure and alzheimers, or any other disease. |
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<––- licensed Health Care Provider for the last 20 years. Put me in the not worth the effort/money camp. Really seems more like a passing trend/money maker than anything else. Nursing 16 years here. I took it twice in that time. Both times ended up in Dr. office and I don't go to the Dr. Never have I had the flu. I'm not calling the above reaction the flu. They guess what bug may be coming, start making vaccines and hope they're right. In 2009 Baxter sent batches of seasonal flu vaccine to several European countries that was contaminated by LIVE bird flu. Look it up if you doubt it. It was discovered when it killed the test animals in Austria. The story is carried by mainstream web sites although many, many tin foil sites come up first. The .gov is making Medicare/Medicade reimbursement partially dependent on flu shot administration for 2013 or 14. I'm not doing it. I believe 25% of my peers already refuse it. We already have a level of isolation for flu patients. |
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Isn't there a study that said the mercury in flu shots can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimers? Thimerosal (the mercury compound) may still be in the flu shot but it is aluminum (an adjuctant) that is suspected to have links to Alzheimer's ...of course all of the 'official studies' deny it. Of course all 'official studies' use the same science and logic - remember the 'official studies' of the tobacco industry? ...just a caution. I am not a scientist so I will not declare it one way or the other. I have suspicions, but I basically do not get the shot because I do not need it. With that, expect a full bore assault of mouthbreathers to attack with a vengeance. |
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We have annual training on flu shots. I don't even need to read the posts to know what misinformation is being spewed.
If you work in a clinical environment, death of a patient could result from your refusal to get a flu shot. I don't care whether you get one or not. |
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Isn't there a study that said the mercury in flu shots can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimers? they no longer have mercury in them... A lot of vaccines still have trace elements of Thimerosal, IIRC. I used to read the inserts my wife (an RN) would bring in, while I was researching for WVVE. |
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Isn't there a study that said the mercury in flu shots can lead to an increased risk for Alzheimers? Thimerosol is being phased out as a preservative in flu shots. In fact, this year, the only flu vaccine that contains thimerosol, is the multi-dose bottles of vaccine. If you receive a shot from a single use bottle, or a prefilled syringe, it does not contain mercury. Here is a list of the vaccines in use in 2011, and their mercury content. ... And there is no correlation between thimerosal exposure and alzheimers, or any other disease. Even so, it is understandable that people would have a desire to refrain from putting mercury (in any level) into their body. |
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Picked up mine this Monday. I'm still alive. Amazing story, isn't it? I'm convinced the majority of the flu shot excuses are just folks that are deathly afraid of needles. Or maybe we're just men, who aren't afraid of the sniffles. You've never had the flu, have you? I'm fucking 38. I've had a FEW nasty cases. Nothing to justify the cost of the shots, or the potential adverse effects from them. |
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Picked up mine this Monday. I'm still alive. Amazing story, isn't it? I'm convinced the majority of the flu shot excuses are just folks that are deathly afraid of needles. Or maybe we're just men, who aren't afraid of the sniffles. You've never had the flu, have you? I'm fucking 38. I've had a FEW nasty cases. Nothing to justify the cost of the shots, or the potential adverse effects from them. Ok. I'd rather pay the $25 a year, and get the jab, than EVER have that shit again. It's a damn nightmare, IMHO. |