The flu shot - your thoughts?

[bogan]

See that's one thing you never hear the medical 'industry' talk about, the measure of natural immunity. They make a big hysteria if say 10 people get chicken pox. But through various mechanisms those ten people will have exposed thousands of others before being sick enough to stay home yet it doesn't go full pandemic on us like they try to scare us.

Really? in both cases they talk about the jab consisting of an attenuated virus to increase our immunity to it, above that of natural levels.

As for those ten people, a big deal should be made, herd immunity is of immense benefit. Given how outbreaks work, the difference between a localised grouping of ten, and a pandemic, is not is large as the numbers alone would suggest.

[Virago]

Just remember when you get your jab that one of man's best friends gave his or her all so that you could have it.

.

[YellowDog]

The missus has the flu jab every year. 3 weeks ago she got the flu and stopped breathing. Luckily, she was already at the doctor's surgery. They shat themselves, big style, but it was OK.

There are too many strains of the flu going around to make the flu jab worthwhile

[mada]

[Mike.Gayner]

The missus has the flu jab every year. 3 weeks ago she got the flu and stopped breathing. Luckily, she was already at the doctor's surgery. They shat themselves, big style, but it was OK.

There are too many strains of the flu going around to make the flu jab worthwhile

Your logic is that if you cannot stop every strain of every disease then prophylactic treatment isn't "worthwhile"?

There are some true retards on this forum.

[jasonu]

Your logic is that if you cannot stop every strain of every disease then prophylactic treatment isn't "worthwhile"?

There are some true retards on this forum.

That's fucking rich coming from you.

[rocketman1]

I had a free flu shot back in 2001, I was so crook afterwards I swore I will never have another one.
A work colleague went down the same.
I spoke to my Doctor he said that the same thing had happened to him. He said never again.
I was told by another doctor that there is some evidence that some other diseases are being connected with those that have had flu jabs regularly.
Watch this space.
I have not had a real bad flu for years, I use Vitamin C & D supplements everyday, some of those around me have had bad flu, luckily not me. Touch wood.

[Paul in NZ]

I'm a type 1 diabetic... That's something that never flies alone so there are a few other things as well...

A cold this year turned into an infection and won me a trip in an ambulance to ED and a hospital visit. I've had the flu and it stuffed me up rather badly so I have a shot every year. Its never made me ill and it usually works although you do need to realise it is constructed in advance so they guess which strains will be about.

Vicki was kinda 'meh' about the shots - she got the flu 2 years back - it went to pneumonia and it came as close to killing her as you ever want to go. ie coming to in you bed surrounded by the full on crash team, every expensive machine that goes 'bing' and a man with a huge syringe full of adrenaline that was going into her heart shortly.. Shes had one ever since...

[avgas]

The flu vaccine is at terrible attempt of fixing the problem.
The vaccine only contains the easiest and least lethal strains of the virus. Most only get a vaccine that covers one or 2 strains because the other vaccine is very expensive.

It also infects the host with the virus and lets the body fights it off. The is very similar to just getting the virus itself. This is good if you are young and weak as the virus is localized and downgraded, and the body can fight it easier and be prepared. For the rest of us you are middle aged and healthy - all your doing is beating up your body, before the main fight. As the main fight is almost guaranteed to be a different strain, making your vaccine useless.

I'm not against vaccine's - just wasting of resources. When it covers at least 50% of the strains, then we stand a chance. Until then only the young and weak/old - who fear the strains of flu that the vaccine covers should consider it compulsory.
The rest of us will have to build our own immunity, and fear the things that all things fear - a new virus from a bird, pig, monkey or flying fox / bat.

Terrifying when you consider that if that Fly Foxes have dozens of viruses that would wipe humans out - but these viruses can't jump species......yet

[Ruahine]

The flu vaccine is at terrible attempt of fixing the problem.
The vaccine only contains the easiest and least lethal strains of the virus. Most only get a vaccine that covers one or 2 strains because the other vaccine is very expensive.

Not true.

There are 4 types of influenza virus, of these, Group A and B cause the most damaging symptoms in Humans.

Group C influenza is the "easiest and least lethal strain", usually causing only mild respiratory symptoms. Strains from this class are not covered in seasonal flu vaccines as they are not considered likely to cause epidemics.

Group D influenza do not cause disease in humans.

The current (2016) seasonal flu vaccine covers three strains - two from the A Group (H1N1 California, H3N2 - Hong Kong Virus) and one is from the B group (B60 Brisbane). There is also a quadravalant vaccine that covers all those plus another group B strain (B3073 Phuket).

Each year an attempt is made to determine which of the strains is most likely to cause an epidemic and an attempt is made to construct a vaccine. It is expensive and for that reason effort is focused on those strains considered most likely to occur in a certain geographical area and is prioritised on those that are potentially life-threatening.

It also infects the host with the virus and lets the body fights it off. The is very similar to just getting the virus itself. This is good if you are young and weak as the virus is localized and downgraded, and the body can fight it easier and be prepared. For the rest of us you are middle aged and healthy - all your doing is beating up your body, before the main fight. As the main fight is almost guaranteed to be a different strain, making your vaccine useless.

As mentioned previously, the seasonal flu vaccines available in NZ are not live virus. Therefore they do not "infect" the patient. They are either dead virus or bits of virus protein. While your body will have to mount an immune response it will not be dealing with a live virus that will be replicating and infecting the body. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine.

Your statement about beating up your body before the main fight is an interesting one. Each day your body is mounting immune responses against microbial invaders. Your immune system is so good at this that most of time you do not notice. It is more than capable of dealing with the immune challenge of a vaccine.

In fact the people who benefit most from the flu vaccine are those with poor immune systems, such as the elderly and those with other co-morbitiies such as diabetes or heart failure. This is why the government provides the flu vaccine to these groups of people. The fact that it is recognised to be safe to give to these patients shows how easily they are tolerated.

You are correct in that if you are infected with a strain not covered by the vaccine then you will have no protection. However it is not "almost guaranteed" to be a different strain. People forget that there are a number of other viral illnesses that present like influenza (the common cold for example). It requires a specific test to diagnose the flu.

It is also important to note that the vaccine is never 100% effective at preventing infection by the strain they are designed against (some vaccines are as low as 50% effective). However, and I think this is the pertinent point, some protection is better than none.

[Ruahine]

Some information about the 2016 seasonal flu vaccine available in NZ

http://www.influenza.org.nz/2016-sea...uenza-vaccines

[Paul in NZ]

Some information about the 2016 seasonal flu vaccine available in NZ

http://www.influenza.org.nz/2016-sea...uenza-vaccines

Those 2 posts are just awesome, intelligent and easy to follow - thanks....

[The Reibz]

We are required to have a flu jab everytime we go overseas now on a ship.
I have had it 3 times in the last 14 months. You are 100% guaranteed to get six within 6 weeks of getting it IMO. Most of ships company get it on the same day and about a month later most start getting sick. Coincidence?

Unfortunately we can not refuse it if we want to deploy. Arse

[caspernz]

Those 2 posts are just awesome, intelligent and easy to follow - thanks....

Agree, easy to comprehend. Much appreciated.

We are required to have a flu jab everytime we go overseas now on a ship.
I have had it 3 times in the last 14 months. You are 100% guaranteed to get six within 6 weeks of getting it IMO. Most of ships company get it on the same day and about a month later most start getting sick. Coincidence?

Unfortunately we can not refuse it if we want to deploy. Arse

And yet, it's this weird coincidence that bugs me. I know in theory the jab and getting sick are not related, but I don't buy it being coincidence on account of the regularity...

[Scuba_Steve]

I have not had a real bad flu for years, I use Vitamin C & D supplements everyday, some of those around me have had bad flu, luckily not me. Touch wood.

You should save your money, unless you're fighting off the possibility of scurvy those things are useless; and even if you were they shouldn't be your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice anyhow
Eat an orange & step outside... Success!