Flu shot - nuts

bsoko2

Went to my local group death HMO last night to get a Flu shot and they gave it to me in my left arm. Then they checked my med records and said "hey, you haven't had a Pneumonia shot in the last 5-years. We can do it now. OK, they shot it in my left arm. Woke up this morning with my arm sore and hurting like hell. Anyone in the Marines? Remember when you made Corporal and they pinned your stripes on? Well, it hurt alot more then that. The day went on and I got a temp and it is now 101! It's good to be 67 and alive!

Bill

kawizx9r

bsoko2 wrote: »

Went to my local group death HMO last night to get a Flu shot and they gave it to me in my left arm. Then they checked my med records and said "hey, you haven't had a Pneumonia shot in the last 5-years. We can do it now. OK, they shot it in my left arm. Woke up this morning with my arm sore and hurting like hell. Anyone in the Marines? Remember when you made Corporal and they pinned your stripes on? Well, it hurt alot more then that. The day went on and I got a temp and it is now 101! It's good to be 67 and alive!

Bill

Ha, former marine here.

And yeah, when you got your blood stripe EVERYONE was giving you a swift kick or a knee on your thigh/sides and it hurt like hell!

I also hated all the shots we got, especially the one on your **** cheek....that one was painful :mad:

PerfectCreature

Flu Shots are ****.
Everytime I ever got one I got sick. Every time.

wayne3burk

I avoid the flu-shots like the plague

Everytime I ever got one I got sick. Every time.

Lost

Its because you guys have a crappy immune system.....

jephdood

I never ever get the flu. My wife brings it home at least twice/year, and I never get sick. No way am I **** up my system with one of these shots.

[conspiracy]
The US government seems to REALLY be pushing these things. Hmm...
[/conspiracy]

wayne3burk

[conspiracy]
The US government seems to REALLY be pushing these things. Hmm...
[/conspiracy]

I'll take my chances with the real flu any day -- the flu never killed anybody, it's the complications of dehydration and/or pneumonia that kills folks.

-- wayne --

F1nut

You cannot get the flu from a flu shot, period.

PerfectCreature

I never get the flu or sick for that matter (aside from allergies) Until I get the flue shot. And yes you can. Flu shots are strains (weakened) so that your immune system can make the cells to kill them. Some of them however can be strong enough to infect you....

george daniel

Got mine yesterday--couple of tylenol's--I'm good to go.

tonyb

Lost wrote: »

Its because you guys have a crappy immune system.....

Well...if they had a good immune system,they wouldn't need the flu shot.

inspiredsports

F1nut wrote: »

You cannot get the flu from a flu shot, period.

I'm thinking they meant they got the flu later that flu season despite the having gotten the shot beforehand.

The fevers/reactions folks have to the shots are generally related to allergies, eggs usually.

The CDC claims you can't get the actual flue as the cells in the vaccine are dead, but who knows, they are a government organization.

I've never had a flu shot in my life and plan on keeping it that way, especially with the thimerosal (mercury based preservative) the continue to put into many of the doses.

If you do choose to get a flu shot, INSIST it does not contain this thimerosal.

Tony M

My wife got sick right after a flu shot a few years ago. 3 days in bed to get over it. She will not get one again until later in age probably.

I never got sick but I don't get them anymore. Maybe in 10 years if I'm alive.

George Grand

I used to get stuck all the time. Flu was a piece of cake. Some of the others were freakin' brutal. I can't remember if it was yellow fever, typhoid, leprosy, or what, but one of those shots (it was only every 5 years thankfully) turned your arm into nothing but hung meat for two days. A worthless piece of hanging meat.

headrott

I have never gotten a flu shot and never will. I've had doctors really try to push it on me (as I have diabetes). I'll take my chances of possibly getting the flu over getting the shot. My immuse system is pretty good (despite having diabetes) and I have actually not gotten sick at all for 2 years now. OK, now I just jinxed myself.;)

Greg

F1nut

PerfectCreature wrote: »

I never get the flu or sick for that matter (aside from allergies) Until I get the flue shot. And yes you can. Flu shots are strains (weakened) so that your immune system can make the cells to kill them. Some of them however can be strong enough to infect you....

Wrong!



The facts....

The injection ("flu shot") vaccine

Flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, meaning that it contains killed influenza virus. The killed influenza virus is injected into muscles and stimulates the immune system to produce an immune response (antibodies) to the influenza virus. When the virus enters a person who has been vaccinated, the antibodies attack and kill the virus and prevent infection.

The inactivated flu vaccine is administered as a single dose of 0.5 ml of liquid injected through the skin into muscle (intramuscular or IM). Typically, the injection is into the deltoid muscle at the side of the arm, using alcohol rubbed over the skin for sterilization. The vaccine is given annually, each fall. Side effects of the inactivated flu vaccine are not common.

Side effects include soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell. Very rarely, serious allergic reactions have been reported.

The vaccine is generally effective against the influenza virus within two weeks of administration. The vaccine is only effective against the strains of the virus that match the vaccine. These strains vary from flu season to flu season each year. This is the reason that revaccination is required annually with the vaccine that matches the strains of influenza that are currently prevalent.

Flu season can begin in October and last as late as May. October and November are considered the best times to receive the vaccination, but it is still effective when administered later.

Flu vaccination does not protect against infection caused by microbes other than the influenza virus.

Vaccine Side Effects (What to Expect)
Different side effects can be associated with the flu shot and LAIV.
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
If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. However, on rare occasions, flu vaccination can cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.

Again, you cannot get the flu from a flu shot, period.

polkfarmboy

The flu is constantly changing so its kinda like updating virus software in your computer.. Why bother getting the shot?

Shizelbs

You cannot get the flu from the flu shot.

punk-roc

why bother updating your computer virus software? just use the same anti-virus software you downloaded in 1994..

it works just as well, right?

Super-infections and the flu kill thousands of people each year...

inspiredsports

punk-roc wrote: »

why bother updating your computer virus software? just use the same anti-virus software you downloaded in 1994..

it works just as well, right?

Super-infections and the flu kill thousands of people each year...

. . . and will absolutely continue to do so despite our efforts to create a fix.

bobman1235

From F1Nut's post :

Side effects include soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell

The "feeling unwell" part of it is usually where people think they got the flu. Or they get a COLD later in the season, which is unrelated to the flu, and blame the flu shot for either giving it tot hem or not protecting them.

I dont' get a flu shot either, but just because I'm a healthy 30-year old guy so the flu isn't that big of a concern to me, and I'd rather not get an extra shot every year if I don't have to.

shawn474

It always amazes me how the flu shot (and other vaccinations) spark such debate. People convinced that they get the flu from the shot, those who think they should be immune to every strain with the vaccine, those who think the vaccination is a huge government conspiracy, and everything in between. The facts are that you cannot get the flu from the vaccination. It does cause soreness, muscle aches, etc. that then cause people to become convinced that they have the flu (don't undersestimate the psychosomatic response).

The bottom line is get it or don't. Get it and you are protected from a few strains of the flu that may or may not infect you during the season. Don't and risk being exposed to more strains. Either way its a crapshoot. I choose to get it as does my family.

The misinformation out there is staggering with this shot and others. The people who buy into the theory that certain infant vaccinations cause autism is another hot topic. The doctor performing the initial research has even debunked the findings, but the groundswell of people who bought into it grows exponentially. Or the parents who come into my brothers pediatric practice and wonder why their kid is sick because they travel to Pennsylvania to buy unpasturized milk to build the immune system.:rolleyes:

I choose to trust medicine when it comes to the flu shot - other areas I choose to do more research and individual investigation.

shawn474

inspiredsports wrote: »

. . . and will absolutely continue to do so despite our efforts to create a fix.

Yes, but how many more would die if not receiving preventitive intervention? The flu shot has never been created to be a "fix". Its been created to protect against certain strains of a virus. Some would argue that this is the reason that we have exposure to so many of these super-bugs or viruses, but that's a topic for another day.

cristo

Kudos on the accurate info from F1nut, bobman1235, shawn474, Shizelbs, etc.


I get a flu shot every year and my office administers almost a thousand every fall
(and not for profit - medicare just about covers our cost of buying and giving them,
some years we actually lose money giving flu shots).
If you have had an allergic or serious adverse reaction to flu shots in the past,
or if you'd rather have a higher chance of getting this year's strains of influenza,
then don't get one. Otherwise, it's a good idea to get one each fall.

inspiredsports

shawn474 wrote: »

Yes, but how many more would die if not receiving preventitive intervention? The flu shot has never been created to be a "fix". Its been created to protect against certain strains of a virus. Some would argue that this is the reason that we have exposure to so many of these super-bugs or viruses, but that's a topic for another day.

This has been hashed out here on CP before.

History has proven so far that viruses and bacteria evolve faster than the science to "control" them. We simply can't keep up.

I'm happy we have methods to protect ourselves, but the bottom line is we've raised the virility of the bugs that kill us by putting barriers into the body that simply cause the bugs to evolve to become more virulent.

We have super bugs and super viruses because we have super antibiotics and vaccinations.

shawn474

inspiredsports wrote: »

This has been hashed out here on CP before.

History has proven so far that viruses and bacteria evolve faster than the science to "control" them. We simply can't keep up.

I'm happy we have methods to protect ourselves, but the bottom line is we've raised the virility of the bugs that kill us by putting barriers into the body that simply cause the bugs to evolve to become more virulent.

We have super bugs and super viruses because we have super antibiotics and vaccinations.

History? Are you serious? (I say you in the general sense of the term, not to anyone in particular). The flu used to kill hundreds of thousands of people per year. Have we contributed to the evolution of the viruses and bacterias? Sure we have, while saving an insane amount of lives. So I ask you.......What's the alternative? Let these bacterias and viruses eradicate themselves by killing millions or try to prevent the "collateral damage" by coming up with vaccinations? Do you feel the need to vaccinate against polio? Measles? Mumps?

Vaccines do not "block" anything. They allow the body to build up antibodies to be resistant. The medicine allows the body to adapt and change to prevent illness. The vaccine itself does not destroy the virus.

I have argued and will continue to argue that the real culprit in these mutations comes from the fact that we are an instant gratification, antibiotic happy society when it comes to illnesses. You go to the doctor for a cold that you have had for 24 hours and demand an antibiotic. It does nothing to kill the virus, but you won't leave the office without one. Its that vicious cycle that causes much more damage to the credibility of medicine than vaccinations ever could.

inspiredsports

Read "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston.

I hope I'm wrong, but my opinion is that all we have done is postpone a global viral event that will exhibit a 90+% kill rate (that's 7 Billion becomes 70 Million).

cristo

The influenza virus will shift its surface antigens whether we immunize people or not.
Mutations in the antigens on the virus occurs regularly, and the ones that most people
don't already have immunity to will be ones to be most common each flu season.
The viruses don't know if that immunity came from flu shots or people's eventual response
in fighting off influenza after they catch it. Either way they mutate into new strains
(or sometimes recycyle old strains that most people are no longer immune to) each
flu season. This has been going on for a very, very long time, long before flu shots were ever invented.
Widespread use of flu shots will, however, decrease the number of flu cases each year substantially.

In the case of most other vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus,
diphtheria, pertussis, polio, smallpox, hepatitis, meningitis, etc.) this antigenic
shift just doesn't occur and resistance to these vaccines has not occured
despite their widespread use and success for many decades.

In the case of antibiotics and antiviral medicines, antimicrobial resistance has become
and remains a big growing problem. Development of resistance does not
usually mean more virulent organisms, however.
An untreated infection from a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics is not necessarily
more severe than an untreated infection from bacteria sensitive to the usual antibiotics,
but it is harder (occasionally impossible) to find the right antibiotic to successfully treat it.

bobman1235

inspiredsports wrote: »

I hope I'm wrong, but my opinion is that all we have done is postpone a global viral event that will exhibit a 90+% kill rate (that's 7 Billion becomes 70 Million).

I hope you're right; there's just too many people 'round here.

rayslifecycle

You're not sick.
You don't have the flu.
You have:
soreness at the site of the injection, muscle aching, fever, and feeling unwell

shawn474

cristo wrote: »

The influenza virus will shift its surface antigens whether we immunize people or not.
Mutations in the antigens on the virus occurs regularly, and the ones that most people
don't already have immunity to will be ones to be most common each flu season.
The viruses don't know if that immunity came from flu shots or people's eventual response
in fighting off influenza after they catch it. Either way they mutate into new strains
(or sometimes recycyle old strains that most people are no longer immune to) each
flu season. This has been going on for a very, very long time, long before flu shots were ever invented.
Widespread use of flu shots will, however, decrease the number of flu cases each year substantially.

In the case of most other vaccines (measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus,
diphtheria, pertussis, polio, smallpox, hepatitis, meningitis, etc.) this antigenic
shift just doesn't occur and resistance to these vaccines has not occured
despite their widespread use and success for many decades.

In the case of antibiotics and antiviral medicines, antimicrobial resistance has become
and remains a big growing problem. Development of resistance does not
usually mean more virulent organisms, however.
An untreated infection from a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics is not necessarily
more severe than an untreated infection from bacteria sensitive to the usual antibiotics,
but it is harder (occasionally impossible) to find the right antibiotic to successfully treat it.

Agreed 1000%. Viral infections (and subsequent vaccines) and bacterial infections (and antibitoics) are two totally different and independent discussions. I didn't mean to sound as if they were one in the same. I agree with everything you have said. I just think that this whole discussion gets out of hand with people claiming the vaccines don't work, that they get sick from the shot, that they cause other illnesses, etc. when history has clearly shown these to be beneficial to the livel;ihood of the population.

There was an interesting story in the DC area about a Reskins cheerleader who claimed to have a ridiculous ailment from the flu shot. She claimed to develop a vaccine induced dystonia from a flu shot. Wnet to countless experts, had a media windfall and subsequent donations from people trying to help her considering she didn't have health insurance, etc. If you have the time or interest read this: http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2009/11/desiree_jennings_cured.php