The Flu and Flu Shotts

The flu is nothing to sneeze at. I nearly died from it a couple years ago. Super healthy people can die from it. Part of the problem is that somebody with an excellent immune system reacts to the flu , your immune system becomes hyperactive and creates what is called a Cytokine storm. This can liquefy your organs in a matter of hours. The Spanish flu in 1918 killed a lot of people this way. People became sick at noon and they were dead by 4 PM. They were so many dead people in Philadelphia they stack them up in the street.

The other problem with the flu is that people develop opportunistic infections such as pneumonia. This can happen with people who have poor immune system‘s and other health problems and they can die of the pneumonia.

Each year, the scientist make an educated guess about which which predominant flu strain will be circulating that season. They base the vaccine on that. But sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes they are right, but the flu mutates. This will create a very bad flu season because the vaccine will be less effective than usual. This has happened this year in part. But it is still effective against certain flu strains this year, just not all of them.

Your best strategy is to get a flu shot. If you happen to come down with flu, you have 48 hours to start Tamiflu. The Tamiflu can interfere with the reproduction of the flu virus when it is in your upper respiratory tract. After 48 hours, the flu has reproduce so much that the Tamiflu does not have as much of a chance. When you take the Tamiflu, you may still experience flu, but less intensely in the course will be shorter.

If you are exposed to the flu Your doctor can give you a preventive course of Tamiflu so that you do not come down with the flu.
Signed, Dr. Betty

Ps do not exercise with flu. It can cause tachycardia as your lungs don’t work as well so the heart tries to pump harder to keep up with need for increased oxygen for exercise. Don’t be a big shot.

 

Only time I can remember “definitely” having the flu was in college back when SARS (2004ish?) was all over the news media. Duuuude, I was soooo frikin sick. I was in college and had a 103.5 fever for over 24 hours. I was incapacitated for over 3 days. No joke, I felt the effects for months after. I vividly remember getting out of bed when I finally had enough energy. The blanket I was using and the shorts I was wearing were stained dark brown from all the toxins I sweat out of my body. It was really foul. Now that I think about it, I was in a lot more danger than I realized! If you have the “legit” flu, dont take it as a joke.

 

Man. The flu sounds terrible, but it seems the people who get flu shots are the ones who end up getting it. My wife and I never get the shot, and don’t seem to get the flu. My wife has a lifelong blood disease that makes her vulnerable but she has been lucky thus far to not get it too bad. It worries me though because she has walking pneumonia that flares up from time to time.

I almost never get sick, of anything at anytime. I think it’s all the herb I burn. No other explanation. I’m sure my body is saving it all for one big whammie when I’m older.

 

The surest way to know if someone lacks an education is if they think the flu shot is a bad thing.

 

i think the flu shot is a bad thing

 

A surfer can only catch an illness when there is a swell. wink wink.

 

Explain why I don’t get it then. Explain why those who do seem to always get it, and bad.

 

Coincidence DP? I'm not educated on this. Not saying it's good or bad.

I rarely get sick. Might of had the flu once when i was younger. Got the flu shot this year so i can see my new baby nephew. Flu and tdap or whatever. Still not sick.

 

Rate of severe adverse reaction to flu shot is about 100 times higher than severe reaction to the flu. With that being said it is considered worth the risk if you are immuno deficuent, elderly or very young.

Basically, its a gamble either way. Vaccine efficacy (wrt specific strain) varies as well.

Not an easy question to answer!

 

Drink plenty of fluids...hope you feel better.

 

I don’t believe in coincidence.

 

Chavez, I hope you feel better dude. My posts are not directed at you or anything. Just to be clear.

 

I've gotten the flu shot pretty much every year for the last 5-10(?) years. Other than a sore arm/deltoid one year, I haven't had the flu nor complications from the shots in that time.

Me thinks the most important thing you can do however, is wash your hands and keep them out of your orifices. Or at least before/after you put them in or around your (or others') orifices.

 

I think a lot of ppl who are afraid or against the flu shot don't really understand how they work. It's worth it to read up on how they really work- and not how some ppl "think" it lead them to getting sick or diseases.
When you think about the science behind the shot- it's actually using your own body to create its own defense against the flu or any other immunization.
I personally feel a lot of ppl now days are afraid of immunization that's based on theories and feelings- not based on facts. I work in the pharma field and can tell you that the amount of research and testing that goes into any drug is very excessive. In fact- a lot of great medicines never make it out to the general public- after years and years of testing, something goes amiss at the end and that's it... done...
anywyzz- like wise to what was mentioned earlier- I got the flu real bad in my early 20s. Spent a week literally on my couch... couldn't get up... lived on my own...lost a lot of weight ... it was pretty bad. Only thing good that came out of it was that I used it as a springboard to quit smoking.... and oh yea- got the flu shot almost every year ever since...(and never got sick from getting the actual shot)

 

Blah blah blah, I’m aware of the “science” behind it, doesn’t mean it’s effective on everybody.

 

Well yeah. The shot isn't 100% effective. And no one claims it to be. I just did some reading on this subject as i was curious. Seems the average effectiveness ranges from 40-60% effective. This year its only 36% which is apparently more effective than they originally thought it would be. Getting the shot don't mean toy can't get it. Just gives you less of a chance of catching it. And if you do catch it, it'll likley be less severe.

Seems like wearing a seatbelt. Won't protect you 100%, but it's better than nothing.

What are the arguments for the shot being bad? Iv never heard of anyone doubting it before reading this thread. Hence the quick research i just did.

 

I don't know a single person that has received a flu shot that has come down with the flu this year. And for the most part any year. My work has been crushed this year with the flu, ever last one of them did not get a shot.

 

Bassmon, some people think getting a flu shot gives them the flu. The same people that eat tide pods I expect.