Bill Maher: ‘I’m not an anti-vaxxer,’ but you’re never sticking me with a flu shot

[RandySF]

Real Time host Bill Maher revisited his skepticism surrounding vaccines on Friday, while arguing that he was not specifically against measles vaccinations.

“I’m not an anti-vaxxer, I never have been,” he told his panel. “I’m an anti-flu shot guy. I think that’s bullsh*t and I think the fact that it was 23 percent effective this week bears that out. But if Ebola was airborne, I’d get the vaccine tomorrow.”

He complained that coverage of the issue demonized anti-vaccine arguments by unfairly comparing them to climate change deniers.

“I don’t think all science is alike,” Maher argued. “I think climate science is rather straightforward, ’cause you’re dealing with the Earth. It’s a rock. I’m not saying I know how to deal with it. But climate scientists, from the very beginning, have pretty much said the same thing. And their predictions have pretty much come true.”.


http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/bill-maher-im-not-an-anti-vaxxer-but-youre-never-sticking-me-with-a-flu-shot/

[former9thward]

1. The flu shot is BS.

I would never get it.

Earlier this month, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the 2014-15 flu season had already crossed the threshold for epidemic status, with 15 child deaths from the virus so far. Now, a new report from the organization estimates this season's flu vaccine is only 23% effective across all age groups.


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/288153.php

[hedgehog]

9. The fact that this year's vaccine isn't as effective is a reason to get the shots -

"he CDC say their estimate supports previous findings that the 2014-15 flu vaccine has low effectiveness against circulating influenza A H3N2 viruses, which, as the report indicates, have been the most predominant viruses this season.

H3N2 viruses are the most severe, causing the highest number of hospitalizations and deaths. During the three seasons with the highest mortality rates over the past 10 years - 2012-13, 2007-08 and 2003-04 - H3N2 viruses were the most prevalent.

The CDC note that around 70% of this season's H3N2 viruses have been identified as "drift variants" - viruses that possess antigenic or genetic changes that make them different from the virus included in this season's flu vaccine, meaning the vaccine's effectiveness is reduced.

Vaccine effectiveness, the CDC say, is also dependent on the age and health of the individual receiving the vaccine; it tends to be most effective in young, healthy people and less effective among older people - as demonstrated in the report's estimates. "

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/288153.php

With a virus that changes so rapidly, your natural immunity developed from having the flu last year is no good against the flu this year.

[uppityperson]

2. I always get the flu shot, would prefer being immune to some strains even if not all.

Earlier this month, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the 2014-15 flu season had already crossed the threshold for epidemic status, with 15 child deaths from the virus so far.
(clip)
From this, the CDC estimate that the flu vaccine has reduced an individual's risk of visiting a doctor due to flu by 23%. This result remained after accounting for patients' age, sex, race/ethnicity, self-reported health and the number of days between illness onset and study enrollment

Better some protection than none.

[arcane1]

3. I'm pro-vaccines, but I don't get flu shots. Mostly out of indifference and laziness.

That's how I roll

[all american girl]

8. That's me, also

My husband has to because he is in the Army. The kids get it, but I just never get around to it.

[Aerows]

4. I've been vaccinated

against everything under the sun recently, including rabies series (not fun), and I don't take a flu vaccine. Maybe my body has decided it has put up with too much shit that flu isn't going to knock it down.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. I figure it the flu shot will offer some protection or none at all.

At worst, it is usually free and cost nothing more than a sore arm for a day or so.

Then again, I got teh AIDS, so better safe than sorry.

[Liberal Veteran]

5. Some of what he said made him sound like he didn't understand how vaccines work.

Particularly when he was talking about vaccines making us weaker by not using our immune system.

By definition, vaccines invoke an immune response and teach the body how to respond to a specific disease causing pathogen. That way if the body actually does encounter the real thing (like measles or smallpox), it can respond and destroy the pathogen more quickly.

The way he talked about it, it was like he thought vaccines were bypassing something critical. The only part we are bypassing is getting exposed to and having to fight off the real thing with an immune system never being challenged by that particular disease.

[haikugal]

7. Agree...

Sometimes he makes no sense....

[NuclearDem]

10. He's also a germ theory denialist too.

Reverse of the broken clock analogy.