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NFT: Am I the only who doesn't get a flu shot?

RinR : 8/29/2018 12:23 pm
I'm 59 and have never gotten a flu shot or had the flu for that matter. But I've met maybe 2 other people who have never gotten one.

Of course, my doctor recommends it every year. I do work in a fairly large office but again, never came down with it.

Just wondering how much I'm in the minority or if others have never gotten one either.

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Everyone - EVERYONE - I know  
Beezer : 8/29/2018 1:27 pm : link
who has mentioned to me they got a flu shot GOT THE FLU RIGHT AFTER!

No. I have never gotten a flu shot.
No, I don't either.  
GiantsUA : 8/29/2018 1:28 pm : link
And yes, my brother got his first flu shot and did get the flu that year.
An alternate perspective.  
Daniel in Kentucky : 8/29/2018 1:29 pm : link
Remember the government used to spray our children with DDT.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcXXbuR244
Link - ( New Window )
RE: An alternate perspective.  
Jim in Fairfax : 8/29/2018 1:34 pm : link
In comment 14052253 Daniel in Kentucky said:
Quote:
Remember the government used to spray our children with DDT.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcXXbuR244 Link - ( New Window )

Please stop with the faux-science.
I don't get it because the mercury will give me autism  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 1:38 pm : link
.
Okay, I lied  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 1:42 pm : link
I get it every year because I'm not an idiot or completely irresponsible.

One note...a couple of people have mentioned that they don't get it because they don't have kids (or that if they have kids they would get it). The flu can be just as lethal to adults as it is too children (except for the extremely young children (less than a couple of years). And, depending on your age (i.e., if you're getting to be a geezer (and that's probably around colonoscopy age), your immune system begins to deteriorate and, in fact, the elderly actually have *weaker* immune systems than children (again, >2 yrs old).

Protect yourself; protect others.
RE: Everyone - EVERYONE - I know  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 1:43 pm : link
In comment 14052249 Beezer said:
Quote:
who has mentioned to me they got a flu shot GOT THE FLU RIGHT AFTER!

No. I have never gotten a flu shot.

You know a lot of people...pretty much everyone you know...who seem to be afflicted by either extreme coincidence or extreme psychosomatica.
Herd Immunity  
NYG27 : 8/29/2018 1:44 pm : link
Personally, I think too much is mentioned of herd immunity  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 1:47 pm : link
(which is not to diminish its importance). It's to protect the outliers who, for whatever reason (age, immunodeficiency, etc) cannot be vaccinated). That's a rare event. People should be vaccinated for their own protection.
RE: An alternate perspective.  
jhibb : 8/29/2018 1:49 pm : link
In comment 14052253 Daniel in Kentucky said:
Quote:
Remember the government used to spray our children with DDT.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcXXbuR244 Link - ( New Window )


That's not an alternate perspective. That's a list of debunked myths and/or fear mongering based on either plain ignorance or an anti-science agenda.

Maybe the next thread  
pjcas18 : 8/29/2018 1:49 pm : link
should be who doesn't wear a seat belt.

the cross section of people who don't get a flu shot and who do not wear a seat belt are Darwin candidates.
RE: Maybe the next thread  
arcarsenal : 8/29/2018 1:55 pm : link
In comment 14052281 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
should be who doesn't wear a seat belt.

the cross section of people who don't get a flu shot and who do not wear a seat belt are Darwin candidates.


What if I do always wear a seatbelt but DON'T get the flu shot?

Do I like... half-evolve?
Why would I?  
trueblueinpw : 8/29/2018 1:57 pm : link
Efficacy is dependent on predicting the right variation of the circulating strain and on the off chance I get the flu, it won’t likely kill me. I’m no Ludite and I’m not an anti-vaxer either but it’s not like injecting things into the body is without consequence. I find the righteous zealotry on both sides to be without sufficient supporting data. No offense to anyone.
I get one ever year  
turkey : 8/29/2018 2:06 pm : link
On my birthday in September.i will be 91.Never had the flu and can anyone convince me not to get the shot
RE: RE: Maybe the next thread  
pjcas18 : 8/29/2018 2:07 pm : link
In comment 14052287 arcarsenal said:
Quote:
In comment 14052281 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


should be who doesn't wear a seat belt.

the cross section of people who don't get a flu shot and who do not wear a seat belt are Darwin candidates.



What if I do always wear a seatbelt but DON'T get the flu shot?

Do I like... half-evolve?


Yes, imagine two overlapping circles, one circle filled with people who don't get flu shots and one circle filled with people who don't wear seat belts.

Some people are in the overlapping section from the two circles and they're the ones we should follow around with a video camera.

Surprisingly, even with technology advancements for seat belts and annoyances built in to cars, almost the same number of people don't wear seat belts as who don't get flu shots. Not a perfect analogy since seat belt usage really only affects yourself, but enough of an analogy in my mind to bring it up since science 100% supports both seat belt usage and flu shots.


I don't get the flu shot and neither do my kids.  
Brown Recluse : 8/29/2018 2:11 pm : link
.
RE: RE: RE: Maybe the next thread  
arcarsenal : 8/29/2018 2:13 pm : link
In comment 14052301 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 14052287 arcarsenal said:


Quote:


In comment 14052281 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


should be who doesn't wear a seat belt.

the cross section of people who don't get a flu shot and who do not wear a seat belt are Darwin candidates.



What if I do always wear a seatbelt but DON'T get the flu shot?

Do I like... half-evolve?



Yes, imagine two overlapping circles, one circle filled with people who don't get flu shots and one circle filled with people who don't wear seat belts.

Some people are in the overlapping section from the two circles and they're the ones we should follow around with a video camera.

Surprisingly, even with technology advancements for seat belts and annoyances built in to cars, almost the same number of people don't wear seat belts as who don't get flu shots. Not a perfect analogy since seat belt usage really only affects yourself, but enough of an analogy in my mind to bring it up since science 100% supports both seat belt usage and flu shots.



Ooh, a VENN DIAGRAM. I remember those. Fancy.
No  
Sec 103 : 8/29/2018 2:19 pm : link
.
I got the MMR vaccinations, TB and all those mandatory ones.  
fivehead : 8/29/2018 2:21 pm : link
The Flu shot can go fook itself. I got the flu shot once, and got the flu that year.
Exactly, a Venn diagram  
pjcas18 : 8/29/2018 2:25 pm : link
and you don't want to be in the intersection of the Venn diagram.

That's where the people who say "I smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for 35 years and I'm fine" generally live.

RE: I got the MMR vaccinations, TB and all those mandatory ones.  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 2:27 pm : link
In comment 14052321 fivehead said:
Quote:
The Flu shot can go fook itself. I got the flu shot once, and got the flu that year.

TB?
Never have I had the flu shot, nor the flu.  
Ryan in Albany : 8/29/2018 2:28 pm : link
.
RE: RE: I got the MMR vaccinations, TB and all those mandatory ones.  
fivehead : 8/29/2018 2:29 pm : link
In comment 14052330 Bill L said:
Quote:
In comment 14052321 fivehead said:


Quote:


The Flu shot can go fook itself. I got the flu shot once, and got the flu that year.


TB?


I worked in a nursing home many moons ago, and had to get it as a term of employment.
RE: RE: RE: I got the MMR vaccinations, TB and all those mandatory ones.  
Bill L : 8/29/2018 2:35 pm : link
In comment 14052335 fivehead said:
Quote:
In comment 14052330 Bill L said:


Quote:


In comment 14052321 fivehead said:


Quote:


The Flu shot can go fook itself. I got the flu shot once, and got the flu that year.


TB?



I worked in a nursing home many moons ago, and had to get it as a term of employment.

Interesting.

Of course no you've hit on one of my real peeves. People who work in a health care profession and who should know better (regarding the flu shot). And especially people who work around highly susceptible populations.

We have nurses here one of the local hospitals who shold be smart but who still refuse to get the flu shot. Fortunately, hospital policy requires them to wear a mask. But that, in and of itself, sends a horrible message to the patient population.
I get the shot every year  
Oscar : 8/29/2018 2:42 pm : link
No flu. Works for me.
Nope  
MotownGIANTS : 8/29/2018 2:47 pm : link
Hell No ...
Nope - ( New Window )
I get it every year since  
Diver_Down : 8/29/2018 2:48 pm : link
I got the flu the one year I didn't get vaccinated. Horrible experience, and as another poster mentioned, I can see why people die of it. I ended up taking TamiFlu as prescribed, but my insurance did not cover it. It was $350 for the dosage. Since that time, I get the flu shot at Publix every year where they give you a $10 gift card to do so.
RE: Nope  
Mr. Bungle : 8/29/2018 3:33 pm : link
In comment 14052354 MotownGIANTS said:
Quote:
Hell No ... Nope - ( New Window )

That has exactly nothing to do with the flu shot in 2018.
I worked in public education  
VTDAD : 8/29/2018 3:44 pm : link
before retirement. Schools are festering petri dishes for seemingly every contagion known to mankind. Damn right I got flu shots. And I continue to get them after retirement... and shingles and pneumonia vaccines. And we keep hand sanitizer in the car to use before and after shopping.

I've had flu a few times in my life. It is not an experience worth repeating.
I love the misguided outrage at not receiving the flu shot.  
Knineteen : 8/29/2018 4:17 pm : link
Last year's shot has been sighted as potentially being only 10% effective.

It's hard to emphasis the shot's importance with such a poor result. Having a false sense of protection isn't beneficial either.
last  
Les in TO : 8/29/2018 4:20 pm : link
year was the first time I can remember not getting the flu shot - I regretted it after I had a flu at least twice last winter.
I get one and get sick every time I do  
eli4life : 8/29/2018 4:29 pm : link
But they argue with me till they are blue in the face it’s not because of the shot but yet every time I get one boom sick for two days. I still get them because it’s only two days of feeling crappy usually and isn’t as bad as 7 -10 days of feeling like I’m going to die
I Get One Every Year  
Rong5611 : 8/29/2018 4:50 pm : link
I had the flu and it morphed into pneumonia one year. I'll never be without one. My wife won't get one. My son does.
No, there isn't too much mentioned of heard immunity..  
manh george : 8/29/2018 5:49 pm : link
because widespread immunization, including yourself, helps four groups:

--Those who can't get immunized;
--The group of individuals without shots who don't get exposed;
--The individuals who are immunized for the wrong strain, but get a weaker bout because they had a shot;
--You.
I dont get a flu shot...  
EricJ : 8/29/2018 6:01 pm : link
I have had just one sick day in the past 20 years. I am not going to mess with success by injecting the flu into me.
RE: I love the misguided outrage at not receiving the flu shot.  
Mr. Bungle : 8/29/2018 6:05 pm : link
In comment 14052490 Knineteen said:
Quote:
Last year's shot has been sighted as potentially being only 10% effective.

It's hard to emphasis the shot's importance with such a poor result. Having a false sense of protection isn't beneficial either.

First of all, where's this "outrage" that you're supposedly loving?

Second of all, your data is wrong. I trust the CDC's numbers more than yours:

"The overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the 2017-2018 flu vaccine against both influenza A and B viruses is estimated to be 40%. This means the flu vaccine reduced a person’s overall risk of having to seek medical care at a doctor’s office for flu illness by 40%. Protection by virus type and subtype was: 25% against A(H3N2), 65% against A(H1N1), and 49% against influenza B viruses."

Even if it were only 10%, 10% is greater than 0%.

Third of all, what is a "false sense of protection" given to people by a flu shot? Are people going around licking doorknobs after they get the flu shot or something? The people I know who get flu shots take other precautions, such as regular handwashing, keeping distance from people who are coughing and sneezing, getting adequate sleep, drinking lots of water, etc. I don't see people going around with some false sense of protection.

Some people just need to admit that they're scared of needles. Getting a flu shot these days couldn't be much easier or cheaper, and it's scientifically demonstrated to be better than skipping the flu shot.

My wife never got a flu shot because she'd never gotten the flu in her life and hated needles. Discussing it with her was a non-starter. Then she got the flu and felt like she was at death's door for days. She gets the flu shot now.
I get it every year  
jcn56 : 8/29/2018 9:17 pm : link
Three or four years ago, being busy with the family and work and repetitively putting it off, I managed to get the flu before I got the flu shot.

Since then, I put a reminder in my cell phone to get it when they start having the shots available. That one fucking time was miserable enough to warrant not taking another chance.
RE: RE: I love the misguided outrage at not receiving the flu shot.  
section125 : 8/29/2018 9:34 pm : link
In comment 14052595 Mr. Bungle said:
Quote:
In comment 14052490 Knineteen said:


Quote:


Last year's shot has been sighted as potentially being only 10% effective.

It's hard to emphasis the shot's importance with such a poor result. Having a false sense of protection isn't beneficial either.


First of all, where's this "outrage" that you're supposedly loving?

Second of all, your data is wrong. I trust the CDC's numbers more than yours:

"The overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the 2017-2018 flu vaccine against both influenza A and B viruses is estimated to be 40%. This means the flu vaccine reduced a person’s overall risk of having to seek medical care at a doctor’s office for flu illness by 40%. Protection by virus type and subtype was: 25% against A(H3N2), 65% against A(H1N1), and 49% against influenza B viruses."

Even if it were only 10%, 10% is greater than 0%.

Third of all, what is a "false sense of protection" given to people by a flu shot? Are people going around licking doorknobs after they get the flu shot or something? The people I know who get flu shots take other precautions, such as regular handwashing, keeping distance from people who are coughing and sneezing, getting adequate sleep, drinking lots of water, etc. I don't see people going around with some false sense of protection.

Some people just need to admit that they're scared of needles. Getting a flu shot these days couldn't be much easier or cheaper, and it's scientifically demonstrated to be better than skipping the flu shot.

My wife never got a flu shot because she'd never gotten the flu in her life and hated needles. Discussing it with her was a non-starter. Then she got the flu and felt like she was at death's door for days. She gets the flu shot now.


They virtually completely missed last year in guessing the strains. Problem is they need to guess the strains expected to be prevalent by the Summer to have enough vaccination for the season. However as stated above, even that missed vaccine did reduce the effects of those who had the shot and got the flu. It is worth getting.

I only got it once, last year, and will probably get it from now on.
Oddly, I have fantastic health insurance and it does not cover the flu shot.
RE: I get one and get sick every time I do  
pjcas18 : 8/29/2018 9:40 pm : link
In comment 14052499 eli4life said:
Quote:
But they argue with me till they are blue in the face it’s not because of the shot but yet every time I get one boom sick for two days. I still get them because it’s only two days of feeling crappy usually and isn’t as bad as 7 -10 days of feeling like I’m going to die


Getting sick is not an uncommon side effect of a flu shot and no medical professional should argue with you about that. Soreness around the injection site, low grade fever, chills, and achiness are all symptoms that a small percentage of people do get from the flu shot.

but no, the flu shot cannot possibly cause the flu. It's not injecting active flu virus in you, it's inactive. which is why its' impossible, but the body can, and does in some cases, react to a foreign substance entering their body with the side effects I mentioned above.

However like you say, these symptoms last just a couple days at most and are NOTHING like the flu (and I know you didn't say you had the flu, but others have said it). Many times people say they have the flu, but have no real idea what the flu is.

Unless you have texted positive you probably haven't had the flu. And in some cases if your symptoms have persisted longer than 48 hours you might not even be tested because you miss the tamiflu window which would only help lessen the severity and duration of the flu, at this point it's viral and you just need to ride it out (as far as I know).

the flu feels close to death, and people (usually the elderly and really young) can die from it. Last year almost 250,000 people were hospitalized with the flu and over 35,000 died from it.

the scariest thing about all this is that over 25% of people who carry the flu virus show no symptoms, aka they're carriers.

So, some of you who say "I never get sick so I don't get the flu shot" could be infecting your loved ones, colleagues, students, etc. and are just plain ignorant to it or don't care.



I've been getting flu shots yearly....  
MOOPS : 8/30/2018 1:20 am : link
for over 40 years and have not gotten the flu in all that time.
People who don't get the flu shot are the same as  
SHO'NUFF : 8/30/2018 3:37 am : link
people who don't use their signal lights: selfish, selfish, selfish...
It not only protects you  
10thAve : 8/30/2018 7:23 am : link
but it also protects others. Personally, I get the flu shot every year, and I also have a medical condition that combined with the medication I take for that my immune system is weakened. So it’s beneficial to me that I’m around responsible adults who take this precaution and get a flu shot.
I'm 64 & in all my years,I've gotten the flu shot once  
TheMick7 : 8/30/2018 8:29 am : link
at the urging of my ex-wife. That winter I had the flu, not once but twice & it was debilitating.I don't get flu shots anymore!
This falls into..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 8/30/2018 8:49 am : link
a personal choice field for me. As adults, we should have the ability to make choices, both good and shitty and even though not getting the shot is a bad choice, I respect people's rights to make them.

Don't get me started on how ludicrous it is to enforce that people have to wear their seat belts. You literally will harm nobody but yourself for not wearing them.

I've seen calls to make the flu shot mandatory, and while I both get the flu shot and wear my seatbelt, I really can't stand forced choices.
Rin - I don't remember the last time I got a Flu shot  
short lease : 9/2/2018 12:58 pm : link
(for that matter I don't remember the last time I had the Flu) - and it has nothing to do with the fear of autism (the report was proven completely false) - I am 57 years old.
RE: Everyone - EVERYONE - I know  
montanagiant : 9/2/2018 1:15 pm : link
In comment 14052249 Beezer said:
Quote:
who has mentioned to me they got a flu shot GOT THE FLU RIGHT AFTER!

No. I have never gotten a flu shot.

I get it every year for the last 8 years and have not had the flu one time during that stretch.
Get the flu shot...  
lono801 : 9/4/2018 9:26 pm : link
My Brother in Law just got on to the lung transplant list...

All cuz of the flu...

It’s not something to be taken lightly

Just do it...


Just to counter some of the stupid on this thread  
BUgiantfan : 9/4/2018 10:33 pm : link
I have gotten the flu shot every year for the past 18 years. I've never had the flew and three times I felt slightly (every so slightly) under the weather for a day after the injection. It's not that big of a deal.
RE: This falls into..  
Jay in Toronto : 9/5/2018 1:03 am : link
In comment 14052887 FatMan in Charlotte said:
Quote:
a personal choice field for me. As adults, we should have the ability to make choices, both good and shitty and even though not getting the shot is a bad choice, I respect people's rights to make them.

Don't get me started on how ludicrous it is to enforce that people have to wear their seat belts. You literally will harm nobody but yourself for not wearing them.l

I've seen calls to make the flu shot mandatory, and while I both get the flu shot and wear my seatbelt, I really can't stand forced choices.


So are you against restricting smoking?
RE: RE: This falls into..  
Bill L : 9/5/2018 9:11 am : link
In comment 14061163 Jay in Toronto said:
Quote:
In comment 14052887 FatMan in Charlotte said:


Quote:


a personal choice field for me. As adults, we should have the ability to make choices, both good and shitty and even though not getting the shot is a bad choice, I respect people's rights to make them.

Don't get me started on how ludicrous it is to enforce that people have to wear their seat belts. You literally will harm nobody but yourself for not wearing them.l

I've seen calls to make the flu shot mandatory, and while I both get the flu shot and wear my seatbelt, I really can't stand forced choices.



So are you against restricting smoking?

I will admit to being an outlier, but I am. I mean, I support non-smoking areas in public places like bars and restaurants, but I am against outright bans. I think that there's tons of restaurants in the world so if smokers and non-smokers wanted to segregate themselves, then the market should rule. As long as non-smokers are aware that there might be smoking in advance and smokers are aware that their place of choice might not permit smoking, then I think "buyer beware" applies and people can make their own choice.
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