My anti-vaxxer in-laws didn't get their flu shots...UPDATE

[Coventina]

Last edited Tue Dec 17, 2019, 12:56 AM - Edit history (1)

FIL just had delicate surgery on his respiratory system.

Guess what?

They both got the flu.

FIL had to have urgent care come to the house, because of his post-surgery situation.

He continued to get worse.

They came back, and took chest x-rays.

Sure enough, he has pneumonia.

Did I mention he's also a cardiac patient?

And didn't get his pneumonia shot either.



He's supposed to get on a plane on Thursday to spend Christmas with his grandkids.



Real consequences, folks.

Update Monday night:

MIL still sick, now has a sinus infection.

FIL still sick with both flu and pneumonia.
He will get another chest x-ray tomorrow.

The trip to see the grandkids for Christmas is off.

Thanks to those who wish them well.
I do as well, but I'm also frustrated as hell.

[samnsara]

1. im 70 and have never had a flu shot..im not an anti vaxxer either....just the opposite.

Hubby is a pharmacist and gives shots to people all day. hes offered and I always say no. he doesnt push it.

[MineralMan]

5. You're an adult and can decide what chances to take.

i wouldn't, though, take that chance. At least get the 13-valent pneumonia vaccine, please. That way, if you get the flu, you'll be less likely to end up in the hospital with pneumonia. That is distinctly no fun at all, and even worse sometimes.

[chowder66]

8. You have a strong constitution. Lucky you!

Unfortunately not everyone does. I got pneumonia when I was 2 and again at 16 with pleurisy. I was in the hospital for a long time.
I wouldn't dare skip a flu vaccine let alone my pneumonia vaccine.

[lithiumbomb]

9. It's not just for you, but for others with compromised immune systems

I used to never get flu shots, because I rarely got the flu. Here's what convinced me to change my mind. You could be carrying the flu virus, but not get sick. So you could then transfer it to someone else, who does. If you get the shot, it could lower the chance that you make someone else sick.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

26. Actually, it's a myth that you can carry the virus

and not have symptoms. Here's a link to something from the NIH which verifies that. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2646474/

The real problem is the people who go to work or out shopping or whatever when they are sick. Especially if they're in a job where they come in contact with the public.

[TwilightZone]

30. That doesn't say what you apparently think it does.

"One in three influenza-infected individuals is asymptomatic"

"The proportion of transmission by asymptomatic individuals, defined as Theta (? in transmission models, is assumed to be one-third to one-half that of influenza-infected symptomatic individuals"

Your assertion is clearly false, as indicated by your own source.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

34. I think this sentence is unambiguous

Based on the available literature, we found that there is scant, if any, evidence that asymptomatic or presymptomatic individuals play an important role in influenza transmission

As well as the next sentence:

As such, recent articles concerning pandemic planning, some using transmission modeling, may have overestimated the effect of presymptomatic or asymptomatic influenza transmission. More definitive transmission studies are sorely needed.

Again, it's the people who knowingly go to work sick who should be shouldering more blame.

[Beartracks]

61. Many people do "knowingly go to work sick" because they don't get sick leave...

... or don't have health insurance to go to a doctor -- or both. And being underpaid to start with, they simply can't "afford" to be off work. How much does our capitalist economy "save" by not providing living wages and health insurance to workers, compared to how much the economy "loses" when these workers get sick and can't work?

=========

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

62. So you give them a pass, but not someone who never gets sick

but you can accuse erroneously and counter-factually to be an asymptomatic carrier?

Regardless of why people go to work sick, they are the ones spreading disease. Not healthy people.

[Beartracks]

66. Hey, I was just elaborating on an obvious situation, not defending a position. :)

If studies show that asymptomatic people are not big carriers of the flu, I'm down with the science.

But I still think it's a travesty that people who get sick often HAVE to go to work, or FEEL like they have to go to work, for fear of losing their job or not making the rent. That was the only gist of my post.



===============

[Major Nikon]

103. That's not what your source says, nor is it the last say in the matter

During an epidemiologic investigation of pandemic influenza (H1N1) 2009 virus infection in May 2009 in Osaka, Japan, we found 3 clusters in which virus transmission occurred during the presymptomatic phase. This finding has public health implications because it indicates that viral transmission in communities cannot be prevented solely by isolating symptomatic case-patients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322057/

[Aussie105]

105. You can be infectious

for a set period before you realize you have symptoms.

'Why am I feeling so tired and vague? Let me just ignore it, it will go away' . . . type of thinking.

[olegramps]

143. You are citing a study that condridicts what you are saying. Please reread it carefully and slowly.

[greatauntoftriplets]

38. As someone with a rare autoimmune disease, I must say thank you for saying that.

[Rebl2]

56. Exactly!

If you get the flu please stay in your house and don’t expose those with compromised immune systems. Cancer patients and especially babies that are to young to get a flu shot.

[AlexSFCA]

10. get vaccinated if eligible

People, please stop spreading flu, get vaccinated each and every year, as early as it is first available. Yes, not every year’s vaccine is effective but there are no real side effects and you may help save lives! Besides, refusing a flu vaccine means you may be dumb!

[Dem2theMax]

27. Thank you for using the words 'if eligible.'

I am on a biologic medication, and I have to take it every week, for the rest of my life. I am not allowed to take live vaccines, and the flu vaccine is live. Until they come up with a 'dead' option, I am one of the 'ineligible' people.

[eggplant]

71. Only the nasal spray version of the vaccine is "live".

The shot isn't.

[Dem2theMax]

78. My doctors will not allow me to have ANY flu vaccines.

If I want to take it, I have to stop my biologic medication for a month before and a month after. And it is not worth it. I am in excruciating pain without that medication.

Edited to add that this specifically goes for the shot. They won't let me have the shot version unless I stop my biologic medication for two months.

And this isn't just coming from my GP. My dermatologist, rheumatologist and the pharmacist are all in the same position when it comes to flu shots versus biologic medications.

[eggplant]

96. I'm not suggesting that you should get the shot.

Only correcting the misunderstanding about whether the flu shot contains live vaccine. I don't question your medical team's advice, or your decision to opt out. Biologics have serious consequences.

[Dem2theMax]

98. Thank you. I appreciate that very much.

Actually, some of the shots do contain live vaccine. It totally depends on the strain. And I'm too old for the nasal spray vaccine, so I don't have to worry about that one. Lol.

[Laffy Kat]

106. I heard an expert of NPR just yesterday reiterating that none of the vaccines contain live virus.

And it is absolutely impossible to get the flu from the shot.

[Dem2theMax]

162. That's not what the CDC says. Do a Google search.

And with that, I am stepping out of this discussion.

[womanofthehills]

180. You can't get the flu from the shot - but you can still get the flu esp older people - from CDC

Flu vaccines work best on younger people whose bodies are better at making antibodies.

Can I get vaccinated and still get flu?

Yes. It’s possible to get sick with flu even if you have been vaccinated (although you won’t know for sure unless you get a flu test). This is possible for the following reasons:

You may be exposed to a flu virus shortly before getting vaccinated or during the period that it takes the body to gain protection after getting vaccinated. This exposure may result in you becoming ill with flu before the vaccine begins to protect you. (Antibodies that provide protection develop in the body about 2 weeks after vaccination.)

You may be exposed to a flu virus that is not included in the seasonal flu vaccine. There are many different flu viruses that circulate every year. A flu vaccine is made to protect against the three or four flu viruses that research suggests will be most common.

Flu vaccine varies in how well it works, and unfortunately, some people can become infected with a flu virus that a flu vaccine is designed to protect against, despite getting vaccinated. Protection provided by flu vaccination can vary widely, based in part on health and age factors of the person getting vaccinated. It also can vary based on the match between the vaccine viruses used to produce vaccine and circulating viruses that season. In general, a flu vaccine works best among healthy younger adults and older children. Some older people and people with certain chronic illnesses may develop less immunity after vaccination. Flu vaccination is not a perfect product, but it is the best way to protect against flu infection.

Even if you do get the flu after being vaccinated, some studies have shown that a flu vaccine can reduce the severity of your illness.
A 2017 study showed that flu vaccination reduced deaths, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and overall duration of hospitalization among hospitalized flu patients.

A 2018 studyexternal icon showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients were 59 percent less likely to be admitted to the ICU than those who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with flu, vaccinated patients on average spent 4 fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2019-2020.htm

[eilen]

126. There are plenty who cannot get the shot

which is an indication you should wear a mask in crowds, at the Dr. office, at hospitals etc. during flu season and if symptomatic. At my job, if we do not get the flu shot, we have to wear a mask everywhere until they announce the flu season is over and we can take them off. However, every public idiot off the street can visit without a flu shot or a mask.

[Frustratedlady]

177. I'm also on a biologic and I got the flu shot with no problems.

You might check with your doctor.

[blaze]

11. But you can still be a carrier

[Aristus]

25. You are going to become increasingly vulnerable to influenza

and other deadly but preventable diseases as you get older. Getting the flu vaccine is the right thing to do.

Not only will you substantially decrease your risk of getting the flu, you will avoiding passing it on to someone else; someone who may be more vulnerable than you. We have a duty to protect the vulnerable through herd immunity.

If someone says "I'm not anti-vaxx, I just don't want to get immunized", they're anti-vaxx.

It's the infectious-disease equivalent of "I'm not racist, but..."

[ailsagirl]

64. Aristus, what say you about the shingles inoculation(s)?

I've had my first-- it's interesting how my injection site is both itchy and painful!

I'm going to wait awhile for the second... maybe 3-4 months.

Each shot costs $175-- ouch!!

But no way am i going to leave myself vulnerable to shingles!

[Aristus]

67. The same thing I say about every safe, effective vaccine intended to prevent

communicable, deadly, or in the case of shingles, very painful diseases: Get it.

[DENVERPOPS]

159. Know this

The single shot/dose vaccine for Herpes Zoster does not work. I had the single and still got Shingles.
Shingles is like nothing you have ever had....

I just got the two shot vaccine at considerable expense even though I have great Part D coverage.

the first shot was no big deal, the SECOND shot is the one you have to watch out for.
My pharmacist said that people had reported pain at injection site and flu like pain for days after.....
No kidding.......but still far better than shingles eruption and pain, I will tell you!

The pain is rough, and since it is nerve? pain, no pain meds work, including opioids.
They have a new pain med specifically for this pain, it is a fortune, and I didn't get any relief from it.

[spanone]

169. Had both shingle shots...only pain was the local area where the shot occurred on both shots.

minimal at best for me.

[woodsprite]

69. The pneumonia shot made my arm itchy, red, swollen, and hot shoulder to elbow for about a week.

I'd still get it, but they said I won't need one for a few years. I did not have the same reaction to the flu shots that I've had, either this year or past years.

[ailsagirl]

72. Despite the discomfort, I always feel virtuous after getting a shot!

[mcar]

79. I had shingles about 10 years ago

at age 50. Everyone kept telling me it was so unusual for someone my age to get it - it's for older people! Other everyones told me about how they got it in their 30s, 40s. My DIL got it last year at age 38.

The pain was significant. Months later, I'd still feel sharp pains in the area, occurring randomly.

Yes, get the shingles vaccine. It is well worth it.

[woodsprite]

82. They told me the same, although

They say that diabetics are considered in the “lowered immunity” group and there has never been any evidence that I ever had chicken pox.

[Aristus]

93. Post-herpetic neuralgia. Yeah, I understand it's not a lot of fun.

Anti-vaxxers crow about 'natural immunity', acquired from the disease itself. But don't stop to think about the sequelae of diseases, which can be as bad as the disease itself, or even kill you. With measles (which anti-vaxxers dismiss as 'just a rash!' ) it's subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a nasty, deadly disease.

[AllyCat]

99. I know you didn't ask me, but get the Shingrix vaccine

I have had shingles twice in the past calendar year. I missed SEVEN WEEKS of work because of contagious rash and extreme pain. My clinic didn’t have the vaccine. I moved from #80 to #56 on the waiting list at my local pharmacy.

I have never had such pain in my life. Had both children with no drugs. Rarely took pain medicine after breaking bones. Really high pain tolerance. This disease KNOCKED ME ON MY ASS. I have permanent nerve damage in my face.

Get the flippin’ vaccine. NO ONE should suffer like that.

[Farmer-Rick]

123. So glad you brought up The Shingles Vacine

Shingles is the most frequent cause of suicide due to pain. It is that horrible and painful. Get your shingle's shots and avoid a possible life time of unbearable pain.

I got the 2 shots and each one made my arm itch and I ached all over....but only for 3 days. Better than actually getting it. I watched my spouse suffer from it...it is one horrible disease.

[catbyte]

167. Good for you! That itching is nothing compared to a shingles outbreak. Believe me--I know.

I've had about 12 bouts of shingles since 1994. Multiple bouts run in my family but I take the cake for the number of outbreaks. All but one of them have been down my right sciatic nerve, hence I have permanent nerve damage from Post-Herpetic Neuralgia. Not fun. I'm on a daily antiviral to help suppress the virus in my system. Doctors can't figure it out because my immune system is totally normal.

Anyway, make sure you get that second shot. Please!

[Demonaut]

28. how is that "just the opposite", you refuse the vaccine, why?

[ashredux]

43. You have just been lucky

[LiberalArkie]

45. You are lucky. A lot of people can not afford to stay home and away from others if they get

the flu. A lot of people don't have someone who can run to the store etc while they are contagious. A lot of people have to get the shots to protect others at work from catching the flu.

Only a very callous person would come down with the flu and spread it around to others.

[Rebl2]

51. Not smart

[Cousin Dupree]

54. You are playing with fire. And the older you get, the more risk you are assuming.

[womanofthehills]

190. It's a catch 22 - because older people are not as protected by the flu shot as the young

The great majority of influenza deaths occur within populations older than 65 years, and aged individuals have a significantly reduced antibody response to influenza vaccination. As a result, influenza is a leading cause of death in the elderly, and the vaccine protects only a fraction of this population.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190219111742.htm

[jpak]

65. "just the opposite"

that's what they all say

[Iggo]

74. Why do you always say no?

How is that the opposite of being anti-vax?

Are you anti-vax for yourself but pro-vax for everyone else?

[USALiberal]

115. Why not?? Nt

[shanti]

150. Does your hubby take one?

Dunno, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I've taken the flu shot since about 2011. Before that I never got one, and I never got the flu either. It's just me, so if I get sick there's no one to take care of me but myself, so I take ALL the vaccines offered.

Have you had the pneumonia shot that is offered/pushed for seniors?

[Brainstormy]

168. same here

but I don't get it because basically it doesn't work. When the efficacy rate gets above 50%, I'll consider.

[Backseat Driver]

2. I do have concerns about babies and pre-natal scheduling, but

I GOT MINE!

[Oppaloopa]

116. I have concerns also.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I got the Hong Kong flu many years ago, and I've never been that sick,

before or since. I get the flu shot every year because even if it doesn't protect perfectly there's no way in Hell I ever want to get the flu and be that sick again. I think it's unwise, to put it mildly, not to get it, especially considering it's usually free, covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.

[yardwork]

13. Me too and I feel the same way. I get my shots.

[Ohiogal]

39. I was without insurance last October

I paid $55 for a flu shot at Walmart.

[tavernier]

112. Me too, back in 69.

My doc told my husband to take my two year old and go stay with relatives. I was left at home with a newborn. It was Christmas. I mostly remember how badly my eyes hurt when I tried to look from left to right.

[MineralMan]

4. Wow! How Unfortunate!

Sounds like that trip will have to be postponed.

Refusing the flu vaccine isn't wise, especially for older folks with other health issues. The flu can make everything else worse, or lead to life-threatening pneumonia in many cases. That's especially true for older people. I'm sorry to hear about your in-laws. I hope they survive this.

[Karadeniz]

6. Maybe next year, abduct them and march them to a place for vaccs!

[comradebillyboy]

7. Flu and pneumonia are big killers of old people. I get a flu shot

every year. Glad I only needed one pneumonia shot. Also got both zoster (shingles) shots.

[coti]

16. They're almost THE killers of old people.

The in-laws here really aren't in the phase of their lives where it's a good idea to be anti-vaxxers.

[smirkymonkey]

22. I'm not that old (mid-50's) but I went for an annual checkup a little over a month ago

and got all those shots anyway. Have my 2nd shingles shot tomorrow after work. I just don't want to take any chances.

Even w/ the flu shot, I still managed to catch a bad cold from someone and have been sick since the Sunday after Thanksgiving w/ a cough & other upper respiratory symptoms. Have just been feeling awful. I am definitely on the upswing, but I have heard cases of perfectly healthy people who have come down with the flu and a few days later, they are dead. You just never know.

[LiberalArkie]

47. Yep. My MD calls and tells me that they have a shot I need and I march down to get it. I have asthma

and heart problems also. I now come down with a runny nose, but at least I don't have to fight for every breath I take.

[cwydro]

85. Except in the 1917 epidemic, where oddly enough, the elderly died less than the young adults.

Young adults were the worst affected in that particular case.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

87. That particular strain tended to cause cytokine storms,

a phenomenon in which the virus somehow turns the body's immune system against it. Since young people usually have strong immune systems, a cytokine storm is more likely to kill a young person than an old person.

[cwydro]

88. An awful epidemic. I think theories now tie it to WW1.

My grandmother knew many who died in it.

I was too young to ask her much about that, but I do remember my mom telling me about it.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

90. One reason it affected so many people around the world

was because it spread so rapidly in soldiers' barracks. The war was certainly a major factor.

[DENVERPOPS]

161. I think I read somewhere

That 80% of all soldiers deaths in 1918 were the flu that ravaged Europe and the U.S.

A recent article, in one of the science magazines, is reporting that that nightmare influenza in 1918ish might have been first seen/recognized in a small rural town in Eastern Colorado. May have been an avian flu.
A doctor's notes in that small town were found, and everything he witnessed, he wrote down in his journal.

[True Blue American]

101. I trust my Doctor.

I get my free shot at the Kroger clinic because they get the over 65. Many times Doctors are limited.

The waiting list for shingles is over 100. Pneumonia shot. Why take chances?

[Major Nikon]

135. Call around for the shingles shot

Some pharmacies have stock, some do not.

[True Blue American]

139. Pretty normal here

I wil sy Doctor next time, thanks

[Major Nikon]

141. Both my kids work at different pharmacies

One only has enough stock to give the 2nd shot and the other has enough for the 1st and 2nd.

[lindysalsagal]

12. If you've ever had the real flu, not what most people call the flu, you'll get your shot every year.

In the real flu, you stare at the ceiling and moan. Every nerve in y our body aches simultaneously. You can't watch tv. You think you can't get to the bathroom and back. And it hits you in minutes: less than 30: you go from fine to crawling on the floor.

Flu isn't upper respiratory, although that can show up at the same time. It isn't stomach, although that can also piggypback on a weak system. Flu makes you wonder how you ever got through a day of work. The world is utterly mystifying, as you lie there, with the backs of your knees and hair hurting.

Get your shot. I always do.

[yardwork]

15. And the effects can last for months.

The last time I had the flu I became very depressed and had dizziness for months afterward. I was in graduate school and the effects of the flu caused me to postpone writing my thesis. The job I had lined up was almost rescinded because I didn't have my degree on time.

As you say, influenza is not something to mess with.

[lindysalsagal]

70. Wow. Tragic.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. Exactly this. I remember crawling feebly to the bathroom on my hands and knees

because I was too dizzy to stand up due to the high fever. You ache all over and all you can do is lie there, thinking you'll need to get better in order to die. Don't get the flu. Get the shot.

[Major Nikon]

136. Last time I got the flu I was afraid I was going to die

Later I was afraid I was going to live.

[lindysalsagal]

142. Exactly. THAT's the real flu.

Sorry to hear it.

[Major Nikon]

146. The lesson learned was always keep antipyretic drugs with you when traveling

I was out of town at the time staying in a hotel by myself. By the time it hit me I was too sick to go out and get anything. I'm pretty sure if I had tylenol, aspirin, etc, it wouldn't have been as bad.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

151. That's assuming you would have had the strength to get the bottle open

and then drag yourself to the bathroom to get a glass of water, which might have involved having to stand up. Flu turns you into an aching, almost immobile blob of feeble protoplasm.

[Major Nikon]

153. True

But even though the flu hits you hard and fast, if you recognize what's coming you can take something before it puts you down.

If I start to exhibit any sort of fever symptoms, I take acetaminophen or ibuprofen right away.

[lindysalsagal]

183. Yes,it does. No exaggeration.

[coti]

23. Be careful of meningitis, also. nt

[BamaRefugee]

35. TRUTH! Most people don't have a clue of what it really is.

[Auggie]

36. +1,000,000

Flu probably caused my immune system to screw up my thyroid. I know exactly when it happened - a year I didn’t get a flu shot.

I’m on friggin drug for life because I skipped a simple, inexpensive shot.

[csziggy]

41. The best description ever of the effects of flu - and funny as hell

AN INVASION FROM MARS: GET YOUR FEET UP--AND DON`T MOVE
Dave Barry
CHICAGO TRIBUNE

We have the flu. I don`t know if this particular strain has an official name, but if it does, it must be something like ''Martian Death Flu.'' You may have had it yourself. The main symptom is that you wish you had another setting on your electric blanket, up past ''HIGH,'' that said:

''ELECTROCUTION.''

Another symptom is that you cease brushing your teeth because (a) your teeth hurt, and (b) you lack the strength. Midway through the brushing process, you`d have to lie down in front of the sink to rest for a couple of hours, and rivulets of toothpaste foam would dribble sideways out of your mouth, eventually hardening into crusty little toothpaste stalagmites that would bond your head permanently to the bathroom floor, which is how the police would find you.

You know the kind of flu I`m talking about.

More - and worth reading: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-04-27-8601300375-story.html

The first time I read this I had the flu - and Dave Barry nearly killed me. I laughed until I passed out. So don't read this if you actually have the flu.

[lindysalsagal]

68. lol!

[True Blue American]

148. Has anyone ever had

Gastroenteritis?That is the one where I wished I was dead. My Doctor was out of town so I went to her partner. After telling me what I had she gave me anti nausea pills. There is nothing else.

The pills worked in reverse. Thank goodness my bathroom was there. Talk about projectile? I threw up half way across the room, although I had not eaten for several days. She later told my Doctor she should have sent me to the hospital. Wasn’t that nice?Took me 2 months to get my strength back.

[shanti]

152. Those anti-nausea pills

DO work, but apparently not for the flu!

[True Blue American]

154. All they did

Was to clear out the bad bacteria in my intestines. They really did not work for me either, yet they did in reverse in my empty, swollen stomach.

[stage left]

50. That is exactly how the real flu is.

You ache to the bone. Nothing helps. The real flu laughs at any and all pain killers that don't knock you completely out. I have had it twice and don't want it again. I was late getting my flu shot this year and hope I don't have to pay for that.

[Cousin Dupree]

59. I got the flu and got so dehydrated that I went into kidney failure. Thankfully hospitalization

and treatment returned kidney function to within normal limits. I’ve never been so sick.

[Aquaria]

83. This

I got swine flu during the epidemic of 2009 (handling mail posted by infected people will do that).

It did not consist of some sneezes, sniffles, or a bit of the trots. It was nearly a month of pain everywhere, struggling to breathe at all, and liquified innards. The only things I could keep down were jello and broth. All the medical staff could do was help me ride it out, keep me hydrated, and keep pneumonia at bay.

Even when the worst of it passed, I was still not well. I was shaky and weak for weeks after that.

I never want to be that sick again.

[GaYellowDawg]

86. Damn. Straight.

I got it within a week of getting my vaccination - hooray for the delay in the primary immune response - and it was AWFUL. I felt it coming on at school. I managed to teach my schedule out for the day - it was Friday - and when I drove home, I wanted to go to bed so badly that I skipped going to the clinic. HUGE mistake. I got in the next morning and they said I'd missed the window for Tamiflu. So I got hit with the full strength symptoms. I could barely walk. I didn't feel like eating. My joints felt like they had ground glass in them. The shafts of the long bones in my arms and legs ached. I was just about incapacitated for a week, and felt really weak for two weeks after that. It was a couple of months before I felt fully like myself again.

Flu shots are an absolute must for me after that experience.

[eilen]

127. I remember the flu well

I thought I was going to be an invalid for the rest of my life. I managed to crawl up the stairs and bath once a day. My family is lucky that the week before I thought I would try Once a Month Cooking. So all they had to do is take a meal out of the freezer everyday. Every joint ached, every muscle ached, I had no appetite, water tasted horrible and hurt, my head... even closing my eyes hurt. I soaked in a tub with drops of tea tree and oil of oregano essential oils to try to feel better. I had cankersores in my mouth I had to rinse with saltwater. This happened 20 years ago. I never thought I needed a flu shot because I had always been really healthy. After that I got the flu shot every year.

[meadowlander]

158. +1. I had the flu last January which turned into pneumonia.

I developed severe asthma as a complication and now need to use inhalers for the rest of my life.

I've had seven chest infections since then because the asthma medication I'm on means every single bug I'm exposed to goes straight to my lungs.

For all the people I work with who come in visibly ill, please stop. Nobody is impressed by your "dedication" and some of the people you work with could end up in the hospital as a result of your thoughtlessness.

I work in a job where people can easily telecommute and where the employer encourages people to stay away when they are ill. So there is really no excuse. But people do it anyway because the consequences of their actions don't affect them and therefore don't register.

[NickB79]

179. Last time I had it, I didn't sleep for 2 days from coughing

By the third sleepless day, I was in tears, begging my doctor for something to help. I got cough syrup with codeine; it was pure heaven to finally sleep through the night.

[Drahthaardogs]

14. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

He's going to be lucky if he recovers

[ismnotwasm]

17. As long as those unvaccinated fuckers stay away from my immunosuppressed patients

I got no patience for this crap. People are dying as I speak and every year is a “bad” flu year.

[Raven]

19. I would not go near these people or allow my kids near them, period, no debate. n/t

[Tipperary]

94. How in the world would you know?

I have no earthly idea what the vaccination status is of anyone I come into contact with on any given day.

[Raven]

113. I run into people all the time who brag about it and

with them, I usually stay as far away as I can. But with people I know and family members (I have some in-laws who don't vaccinate) I remind them that I am 73 years old and that the flu in my age group can be a death sentence. I tell them I'll see them in the spring when the danger has passed.

[Tipperary]

145. My god, not one person in my entire life has told me

about their vaccinations or lack thereof.

[Raven]

147. You are lucky. Aside from the in-law people who are batshit crazy,

the other folks I run into who feel that way are folks in their 40's or 50's who think they are still in their 20's and have never gotten the flu.

[womanofthehills]

175. You better stay in your house then because only 37.1 % of adults got flu shot last year

[Tipperary]

181. I am not worried, but thanks.

Cannot remember the last time I got sick.

And again, how will I know what person has not been vaccinated? How to know whom to avoid?

[Shrike47]

20. I would not want to expose children to them, especially babies.

[lambchopp59]

21. I'm baffled

Just where all this anti-vaxxer confabulation began and questioning if the likes of Faux Noise has been disseminating that garbage?
If so, I'd say it's ripe for a great, big class action lawsuit, with pain and suffering damages in the billions.

[coti]

24. If I was Putin, I'd be ramming anti-vax bullshit right down Facebookers' throats, 24/7 nt

[TwilightZone]

31. Much of it started with Andrew Wakefield.

He faked a study to "prove" that vaccines were harmful, because he thought he could make millions by offering an alternative.

The anti-vaxxer masses have been using his debunked, discredited, and disowned study as a primary source ever since.

Here's a good synopsis:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136032/

As for how it's spread, social media is a primary source, as it is with a lot of other discredited conspiracy nonsense.

[brewens]

29. I registered donors at blood drives for 12 years. I was in hospital lobby's, schools, dorms,

and frat house all the time. You better believe I got my shot as soon as my pharmacy had them. Used to get the bonus 24 hours of PTO for never calling in sick almost every year. It pays off if you ask me.

[True Blue American]

187. Agree!

[PJMcK]

32. They're too old to be Darwin Award candidates

It's everyone's right to make their own personal decision about their health.

Nonetheless, it's rather foolish to not get recognized vaccinations... ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE FREE!

[Ohiogal]

42. No, they're not free. That is a common misconception.

They are only “free” if you have insurance. I had no insurance last October. My ACA plan does not kick in till Jan. 1. My flu shot cost $55 at Walmart. I figured that was still cheaper than paying for a hospital stay.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

33. Someone with health issues.

That's the most important part of this story.

I went to a lecture recently about influenza and came away with some very interesting information. Now this was not by some anti-vaxxer, by any means, and clearly stated that she thought getting a flu vaccine was a very good idea. But there is evidence that getting the shot every single year isn't as effective as it ought to be, that a flu shot gotten more like two years after the previous one is more effective.

And then there's this chart:

Notice the huge spike in flu deaths in 1918. And then how it drops off. Even the Hong Kong flu epidemic in 1957 doesn't show a spike in deaths.

I am one of those who got flu several times growing up, including that same Hong Kong flu. I probably got flu a couple of times more over the next decade or so, and never since. So I don't get the vaccine. I might change my mind down the road, especially if I start having health issues, but meanwhile, I am simply the healthiest person I know my age.

And, as I posted above, please do not try to accuse me of being an asymptomatic carrier of flu. Those people probably don't exist. Check this link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2646474

Be a lot more concerned about the people who knowingly go to work sick, which happens far too often.

[Aristus]

46. It's interesting to see how someone could fail to see a correlation

between increased influenza vaccination and a decrease in mortality from influenza.

Even for the people who eat kale at every meal, wash their hands ten times a day, lead a healthy lifestyle, and say their prayers at night, it's important to get one's vaccine every flu season.

It's not about being an asymptomatic carrier. It's about having the influenza antibodies that prevent the spread of infection.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

60. However, people did not start getting flu shots

in any significant numbers until the 1980s or so. I never even heard about a flu vaccine until around then. So the remarkable drop in mortality took place well before the vaccine. And again, even recent epidemics or pandemics don't seem to result in so vast an increase in deaths as tends to be assumed.

[Aristus]

63. They are a lot easier to contain these days.

The Spanish Flu piggybacked on soldiers deploying from the US to Europe during World War I. Wartime communication security, combined with a need to get millions of warm bodies where they were going quickly, combined with ignorance and incompetence increased the spread and mortality of an already nasty virus.

[Major Nikon]

108. The flu vaccine reduces mortality from the flu

It also reduces all sorts of other negative outcomes from the flu like hospitalizations, ICU admittance, missed work, etc. The only people arguing against this are anti-vaxxers, and a very common tactic by them is to suggest mortality rates have not been influenced by vaccines which is demonstrably false.

[HockeyMom]

114. very true

Cannot claim from that graph that flu deaths declined from the 20's through the 80's because of flu vaccine.

The campaign for the general public to get it first began in 1976 with President Ford going on TV rolling up his sleeve getting a flu shot.

Less than half of the adult population gets a flu shot. Half of the adult population in the US are anti-vaxxers?

[hack89]

120. The last data point on your chart is 1992

about the time you say flue shots became common. What is the mortality rate now?

[Major Nikon]

138. Less for those who get the vaccine

https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/6/Supplement_2/S26/5604111

[Drahthaardogs]

164. Decrease in mortality is attributed to invent of antibiotics

Influenza was a killer.

[SidDithers]

111. +1...nt

Sid

[eilen]

129. Viruses don't care about kale.

They want to eff you up. Viruses are fast moving little suckers and it only takes a little exposure.

[Aristus]

131. I know.

You wouldn't believe how many people I've talked to, some even right here on DU, who refuse the vaccine and then brag about their clean living, yep, nothin' but fruits and vegetables for me, I wash my hands a lot and keep my house clean; blissfully unaware that the flu virus doesn't care about any of that; it's spread through droplets coughed or sneezed by an infected person.

[SidDithers]

110. Who gave the lecture?...

If you're going to appeal to authority, let us decide if your source is legitimate.

Sid

[spooky3]

37. Warning: do NOT get flu and pneumonia shots at the same time

I did and got a high fever and red blotches and swelling. The pharmacist had assured me there was no problem getting them in the same arm, at once. The urgent care folks I saw after the reactions said it is too much medicine at one time.

Don’t take the risk.

[Rebl2]

53. Yea probably

not a good idea. I know my rheumatologist never makes two changes in my meds at once because if there is a problem you don’t know which is causing it.

[TwilightZone]

55. Same time is usually fine. The CDC does recommend different injection sites.

"For Adults

In adults, you can administer either pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13 or PPSV23) during the same visit with influenza vaccination. Administer each vaccine with a separate syringe and, if feasible, at a different injection site. "

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/pneumo/hcp/administering-vaccine.html

[spooky3]

73. It may be usually, or it may be the opinion of people at CDC.

The opinion was not shared by the staff at the urgent care.

Recommendations are typically based on adverse events reported. I had to be very assertive to get the pharmacy to input my adverse event—so I am very suspicious about whether adverse events are reported reliably.

[Aquaria]

100. I got them at the same time.

But in different arms. I had no problems that way.

[ProfessorGAC]

149. Same Here

The pneumonia shot caused my arm to be sore for a couple days, maybe 3, but I had no other negative effects.
I got one in each arm probably 10 seconds apart.

[True Blue American]

102. I did.

Sore arms from shots but no problems.

[spooky3]

182. It's not necessary for 100% of people who get the shots

To experience the same side effects for there to be a demonstrated relationship with a procedure. An analogy would be that many lifetime smokers never get cancer.

If you look at the disclosure sheets that come with any prescriptions you may take, you will probably see that a percentage (eg 15%) of the group getting the med may experience headaches, for example, while a smaller % (eg 5%) in the placebo group get them. With a big enough sample this is a significant difference, even though the majority of the med group may not get headaches.

The urgent care folks had obviously run into this previously and their advice is good—don’t get them at the same time. You may be someone who didn’t get a reaction but it is easy for someone else to reduce the risk by getting the shots at different times.

[True Blue American]

186. My family Doctor

Gave them, not EC. But you do not have to take pneumonia shots every year.. Mine was just a booster. That was a couple of years ago.

[Hortensis]

40. We know some. Mildly suspicious, paranoid traits

that influence other areas of lives are pretty normal.

One very typical one at the end of this street insists prescription antihypertensives came close to killing him three times, -- but he saved himself and now self medicates with "alternative" medications. He's a fun person otherwise, and we were pleased to find him still alive when we arrived in Florida for the winter.

Our DIL has a nice friend I try to pretend to almost agree with when she passes on "insider" information from people Louise Mensch; you know, the real dope, unlike what corporations feed people on TV. She's also normal and not crazy, though.

That lay label I feel fits a very pretty and charming young woman our son briefly dated in Georgia who, it turned out, believed The X-Files was channeling secret messages from The Resistance; you know, to get them past government censorship to the people. Our son doesn't care to be reminded. She eventually disappeared with her parents, we believe into somewhere in the Appalachians where they all planned to survive the coming race wars. Where she will have married and reproduced by now.

[marble falls]

44. I've had the flu after the wrong virus was tageted by vax producers several times. The last time ...

was the absolute worst, my wife and I were both down for over a week and her 90year old mom was left to bring in supplies.

I did take it for this year, and the day after came down with a cold that got me hospitalized for three days. Coincidental, I know.

[ToxMarz]

48. Do they think their going to develop autism in their old age?!

What reason do they give? Fools!

[NutmegYankee]

49. I'm in my 30s and get flu shots.

For no out of pocket cost and very minor shoulder ache for one day I can prevent a week of misery. Why the heck wouldn’t I do it?

[beachbumbob]

52. goes back to risk and outcome

some don;t care, so there you go

[TNNurse]

57. I had a pneumonia vaccine before I started chemo.

I have a flu shot every year as does my husband. I have had the original and the newer Shingles vaccines. My husband has started on the Shingles plan. I got a DPT booster when a relative came home with a baby too young to be vaccinated for Pertussis.

One of the best things that our pharmacist told us this year was that if the Shingles vaccine made you feel a little achy and maybe like you have a fever, DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING. That is the vaccine giving you the desired protection, do not fight it. We thought more people should hear that.

Both of us have had the flu when the vaccine was not for the right strain. We both worked in a hospital and were exposed to sick people so it was hard to avoid some years. The person on here who described crawling to the bathroom had the flu. It is a huge event. As we get older (we are 70) and have other medical issues, the flu could kill you dead.

I have no sympathy with anti-vaxxers. They are choosing ignorance and superstition. I do not think they or their children should be allowed in public places. I was seriously immuno-compromised when I was on chemo and a serious infection or contagious illness could have ended my life. Some people live with that threat their whole lives, healthy people who could get vaccinated and do not endanger others. I think it is criminal.

[Marthe48]

58. I have a friend who is a commercial pilot

After the flight was delayed for takeoff, he had to make the unpleasant decision to make a very sick person with medical problems get off the plane. He wasn't happy to make that choice, but he had a planeful of passengers and the rest of the crew to think of.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

89. During the SARs epidemic I was on an airplane, just about to depart ORD.

I was riding on the flight deck jumpseat for my job with the airline. The pilots were doing their preflight checks when a flight attendant came up and explained that there was a woman in the very last row, vomiting profusely into an airsick bag. The captain asked her if she was comfortable letting this person stay on the plane and she said no, so they asked her to get off the plane for her own sake and that of the other passengers. She left the airplane looking pissed off but she also looked really sick. As we were pushing back an ambulance pulled up to the gate, so the gate agents must have figured she was pretty ill and got her some emergency help. It seemed just crazy to want to fly while vomiting.

[Marthe48]

157. There's always a good reason

To ignore how sick you are. I wonder if the transportation industry were more flexible about refunding fees, and employees more forgiving about illness, people would pay more attention to their health?

[Gothmog]

75. I get my flu shot every year to avoid issues like this

[miyazaki]

80. Ya no shit.

I'll tell anybody how easy it is. I walk into my grocery store one morning to get paper towels etc. and right there was the pharmacy with no customers. The sign says "flu shots available here". Five minutes later my shot was delivered and i'm rolling down my sleeve and cutting it up with the pharmacist.

Done.

I had suffered through a bad flu in my twenties once when I was alone and isolated and thought I very well may die. I was so sick, exhausted and delirious I didn't even care. Got the shot ever since.

[MineralMan]

130. Yup, me too, usually in late September or early October.

The last two years, the pharmacy at my supermarket was a preferred pharmacy on my Medicare insurance, so I stopped in at the pharmacy, got my shot and then did my shopping. The shot, a high-dose vaccine for seniors, cost me nothing. The groceries and other supplies, on the other hand, cost me plenty.

[Gothmog]

171. I am type II diabetic and so have a compromised immune system

[MineralMan]

174. I'm just old and have smoked for decades. I've had the flu.

I don't want to have the flu. So, I take the shot. I did get the flu a few years ago, despite having gotten the vaccine. But, and this is really important, I had a high fever for one day, a lower fever the next, and lost only one day of my normal activities, although I didn't feel great. The vaccine can moderate a case of the flu, even if it isn't a perfect match for that year's virus strain.

A full-blown case of the flu will knock you on your ass for a week. I've had that, too, but not since I started getting the shot every year. In fact, that case of the flue was back in the early 1970s, and I have gotten the vaccine every year since. Both my wife at the time and I were flat on our backs from the flu, with high fevers, bad coughs and joint pain. We were both students at the time and called the student health center. "Do NOT come into the health center! Take aspirin, drink lots of fluids and stay in bed." That was their advice, so that's what we did. We had enough food on hand to eat, so we stayed in bed for a week. Terrible!

[Amimnoch]

76. Very possible I don't "need" them.

I’m one of those individuals that almost never gets sick, and have the luck of healing pretty darn fast when I do.

Still, every year I get the vaccine. To me, it’s a matter of social responsibility not just for myself, but for everyone that I interact with daily.

As a P.S. The few times I do get sick, I’m a big ass baby grouchy bitch.. my husband can definitely attest.

[Initech]

77. Anti vaxxers don't realize that they're affected by their own bullshit too.

It's one of those things where it doesn't matter unless it affects them directly and even then they don't care.

[CousinIT]

81. Flu shots and pneumonia vaccines - even Medicare / Medicaid covers it.

They know it prevents illness (which is much more expensive than the damn vaccines).

There is NO EXCUSE for this stubborn ignorant shit.

[JonLP24]

84. How did this become a thing?

I always received shots and never worried about it. When I was in the Army I received a lot of shots.

[Aristus]

92. I have no idea. When I was in the Army, every vaccine I got, I thought

"This will keep me healthy!" Even the typhoid shot, which hurt like a son-of-a-gun for hours. I had read enough history by that point to know how nasty typhoid is, and how many people have died from it.

I'd like to see one of these anti-vaxxers try their bullshit in military service. They pop off with "I just don't want to" even once, and they're out on their disease-riddled asses...

[TheBlackAdder]

91. Better take a lot of Elecampane to clean out those lungs.

[Tipperary]

95. Oh no. I hope they recover soon.

What a terrible time of year to fall ill.

[Squinch]

109. You're a lone voice in this thread, Tipperary, and a kind one. I share your sentiments.

[Sea Glass]

97. In my experience anti-vaxxers are as immune to reason as Trump cultists.

I know someone who posted the theory that polio vaccines were responsible for a polio outbreak. Uhhh, what about the polio that occurred BEFORE the vaccine?

Idiots, pure and simple. And they endanger the lives of millions.

[Aussie105]

104. I caught . . .

Cytomegalovirus (glandular fever) from a food vendor on a Singapore street.

Swine flu from a co-worker who decided to 'tough it out' and go to work, and spread it at the same time.
(The prevailing advice at the time from the government was to go get tested if you had flu like symptoms.)

Wife has recently recovered from pneumonia, she went off to hospital in an ambulance.
(A blessing in disguise, she says, scans showed a 2 cm lung cancer that has now been thoroughly irradiated and hopefully gone.)

BUT neither of us have had the flu for years. It's a free shot here, and the vaccine is up to date as far as which strains you are protected from.
And from the glandular fever I know you feel ok for 10 minutes after waking, feel without energy for the rest of the day, and sleep 16 hours a day. And that goes on for months.

Why 'volunteer' for that, anti-vaxxers?

[Laffy Kat]

107. How do you know where you caught CMV?

It's ubiquitous. At least half of Americans have antibodies for CMV and most of us don't remember having the infection. I'm not trying to put you on the spot, I don't doubt you, just curious. I only found out that I had positive titers after I had to have loads of tests while applying for life insurance.

[lark]

117. Why?

Medicare pays in full for flu and pneumonia shots - recipient pays zero. My dr. always pushes me to get these now and I had to annually for 20 years because of my job. Since I started getting these shots, my previously annual flu and respiratory infections have almost completely stopped. Before I was 65 I didn't get pneumonia shots, just the required flu shot, and got respiratory infections every year. Since I added the pneumonia shot, the upper respiratory problems have greatly decreased

[Farmer-Rick]

125. Oh, good to know. I'm a bit young for the pneumonia shot but I might push it with my doctor

She's pretty good at keeping me healthy.

This time when I got the flu shot, I didn't get all achy and sore. It was almost as if I never had the shot.

I'm hoping I won't catch the flu on my Christmas trip like I did on my spring trip.

[Texin]

118. I have asthma. I always get a flu shot every fall.

I got my shot the first week of October (just as the first cases of infection started to be reported). Earlier this month I asked my doctor if there was any benefit to getting another round sometime in January or February. (I read that many doctors believe there is a benefit to receive another shot later in the flu season, and I wanted to see if that had any merit.) My doctor said she believed it would be beneficial, as the effectiveness of the vaccination does wane over time and new strains start beginning to emerge in late winter and early spring that the earlier vaccination may not protect against. I plan to get another senior flu shot sometime toward the end of January as a result.

I don't believe the shots are fail safe. People can and do get the flu after receiving the shot, but the severity of the illness is usually greatly reduced. I had flu as a young person and it is absolutely miserable. I honestly cannot in my life understand why anyone would want to contract that illness if there might be even a small chance of preventing it through a vaccine once or twice a year. It just fails to make any sense to me unless the person is allergic to any of the components that compose the vaccine (such as eggs).

[Nonhlanhla]

119. Yes get the flu shot

But keep in mind that it's still possible to get the flu. My daughter and I both have asthma, and we had our flu shots in October, and yet she was diagnosed with the flu this weekend. Luckily we took her to the urgent care quite quickly, so she was able to get Tamiflu. Two days later and she's already visibly better. (The doctor annoyed me, though, by asking if I've "ever considered getting flu shots" for my family. Yes, doctor, we had them - ask, don't assume that I'm negligent.)

I hope your in-laws recover. Flu is nothing to play with.

[Aristus]

121. So, the Rapid Influenza A&B clinic test was positive?

I only ask because people think even the least little sniffle is the flu. If a patient tells me they got the flu after getting the flu shot, I ask them what their primary symptoms were. Usually they say: "Nausea and vomiting". I tell them that's not the flu. They're thinking of 'stomach flu', and is there is no such thing. Influenza is respiratory in nature.

If she did actually have the flu, the vaccine gave her at least a partial immunity, thereby preventing what could have been a much worse infection; possibly deadly.

If you only knew how many times I've heard: "I got my flu shot and got the flu anyway!" stories. Always anecdotal. Never any proof to go with the story.

[Nonhlanhla]

122. Yes, the nasal test was positive

I'm not one of those idiots who confuse the common cold with the flu. They did the clinic test and it was positive for the flu, hence her doctor's prescription of Tamiflu. But yes, she already seems much better - likely because her shot does lessen her symptoms, and also because of the Tamiflu.

[Aristus]

124. Good. Glad to hear it.

I have seen some providers, MD's even, wildly misdiagnose and treat patients. I had a patient not long ago following up on a visit with one of my colleagues. She had been treated with antibiotics, prednisone, and an albuterol inhaler for a respiratory infection. I read the chart note, and didn't see anything on it that would seem to indicate the need for such treatment. The history and exam pointed toward a garden-variety cold, for which only symptomatic treatment would be required.

I can understand the desire to prescribe certain treatments in the absence of clear-cut evidence, 'just to be safe'. But not all treatments are easily tolerable by patients, and prescribing 'just to be safe' can be detrimental to the patient. It's called defensive medicine.

[boomer_wv]

128. I get the shot...

But let's be real, flu shots are ridiculously ineffective compared to most vaccines. They have to be repeated yearly and only offer protection against a fraction of flu viruses that will circulate in a given year, and those strains may or may not be the predominant ones for the season.

A universal flu vaccine would save more lives than just about any other medical advancement I can imagine us reaching in the next decade.

[MineralMan]

132. They continue to work on that universal flu vaccine.

We'll have it one year soon.

[Aristus]

133. I would replace 'ridiculously ineffective' with 'at the very least, partially effective'.

Even when the boys in the back room at the CDC miss their educated guess, like they did a couple of years ago, the vaccine they come up with is rarely less than 25% effective against the strain that emerges. And a partial immunity can be the difference between life and death.

[Major Nikon]

140. There's three things to consider

One is reducing the risk of getting the flu in the first place. Another is reducing the likelihood of severe outcomes like hospitalization, pneumonia, and death. Then there's reducing the chances of infecting someone else and subjecting them to a severe outcome.

For all of these things, the flu vaccine produces a benefit. We know this and it isn't something that should be debated any longer, especially since the cost of vaccination is low and the convenience is high. Most pharmacies and clinics can give you the shot and many employers will do it at your place of employment.

[KPN]

134. My wife and I never get the flu shot, nor do

any of our 3 children. Not because we are anti-vaxxers or because we don’t care about society’s health overall. It’s a personal health decision base on personal experience with a syndrome called GBS — Guillaine-Barre Syndrome which affected our oldest when he was 12 and was rather debilitating for a couple of years. He basically was paralyzed for several months and was at high risk of losing his life in its’ early stages.

His GBS presented immediately following a minor bout with a flu. In researching GBS, we learned that along with post-pregnancy, and post flu shot are the primary triggering events. Since our son’s episode, we have known personally three other people (all adults) who have been afflicted with GBS following a flu shot. We made the decision to forego flu shots following my son’s episode 25 years ago based on discussions with his neurologist and our family practitioner who advised there was a risk factor that some individuals appear predisposed to and that it could well be a genetic trait related to the immune-system.

For some, there may be a legitimate reason to forego some vaccines. I sometimes think man’s greatest affliction is the one- size fits all mentality that society so frequently demonstrates in a immense diversity of ways.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

144. There will always be people who have valid medical reasons for not getting a vaccine

or other treatment that works for most others. If your doctors advised you not to get the flu shots, of course you shouldn't get them. But that's not true for most people, and not getting a flu shot because you might have complications is a whole lot different from not getting it because you don't think you need it since you've never gotten the flu before, or because you read something on the internet about how it causes autism or rabies or some damn thing, or you read something else on the internet about how large doses of kale or some homeopathic nonsense will prevent you from ever getting sick. The point is that anyone who does not have a medical condition that contraindicates getting the flu vaccination should get it, for their own sake and for that of the people they interact with.

[hack89]

156. I got my flu shot today - Guillaine-Barre Syndrome was a question on the screening form.

so I totally understand your position.

[KPN]

176. Wow. I didn't know that. To me, that's good news.

Thanks for letting me know.

[womanofthehills]

178. Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for people who get Guillaine-Barre Syndrome

A tiny percentage of people who get vaccines, do get severe reactions and one is GBS. The government Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid out billions for vaccine injury - $4,061,322,557.08. There is no lawyer cost for the injured, but often cases take 2 to 3 yrs.

https://www.hrsa.gov/vaccine-compensation/index.html

[KPN]

184. Good to know that there's some recognition and

validation of the legitimate risks. Compensation is helpful but can never fully mitigate the impacts of something like GBS, especially in a child’s life from our experience.

I’m just glad some people here recognize there are some legitimate concerns.

[womanofthehills]

189. There are some legitimate concerns especially for immune compromised people

from CDC

People who SHOULD NOT get the flu shot:

Children younger than 6 months of age are too young to get a flu shot.

People with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. This might include gelatin, antibiotics, or
other ingredients. See Special Considerations Regarding Egg Allergy for more information about egg allergies and flu vaccine

.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/egg-allergies.htm

and talk to your health care provider before getting flu vaccine if you have any of the following:


Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the vaccine:

Is younger than 2 years or older than 49 years of age.
Is pregnant.
Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of influenza vaccine, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies.
Is a child or adolescent 2 through 17 years of age who is receiving aspirin or aspirin-containing products.
Has a weakened immune system.
Is a child 2 through 4 years old who has asthma or a history of wheezing in the past 12 months.
Has taken influenza antiviral medication in the previous 48 hours.
Cares for severely immunocompromised persons who require a protected environment.
Is 5 years or older and has asthma.
Has other underlying medical conditions that can put people at higher risk of serious flu complications (such as lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, kidney or liver disorders, neurologic or neuromuscular or metabolic disorders).
Has had Guillain-Barré Syndrome within 6 weeks after a previous dose of influenza vaccine.

In some cases, your health care provider may decide to postpone influenza vaccination to a future visit.

For some patients, a different type of influenza vaccine (inactivated or recombinant influenza vaccine) might be more appropriate than live, attenuated influenza vaccine.

People with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. People who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting influenza vaccine.

Your health care provider can give you more information.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/should-not-vacc.html

[oswaldactedalone]

137. I get a free flu shot and

a $5 discount coupon at CVS. I get a flu shot every year now. Getting paid to get a flu shot, can't pass it up.

[garybeck]

155. adunt flu shot and child vaccines are two different things

let's not conflate two completely different things please.

i never get flu shot, or the flu.

[Coventina]

160. The reason they didn't get the flu shot is because they are anti-vaxxers

I'm not conflating anything.

[Aristus]

173. The anti-vaxx supporters, knowing they're full of shit, but too stupid to pack it in,

have moved on to all vaccines, targeting adult immunizations, too. As usual, it manifests itself as 'concern' over whatever the hell they're told to evince concern over; the ingredients of the vaccine, the preservative, the warning on the package insert, the color of the medical provider's eyes, whatever; they're just 'concerned'.

So whatever they told you about the influenza vaccine to get you to refuse it, they're wrong. And anyway, it isn't about whether or not you get the flu (Disease-free human beings! My dream come true!) but whether you can pass it on to others who aren't as disease-resistant as you. Start getting the immunization.

[DENVERPOPS]

163. all of the anti-vaxxers

I know, also voted for Trump. Hell, next thing some of his followers will
be talking up is that the world is flat...........

Every thing that is happening on this earth is mother nature saying "you want to screw with my earth, watch out, I can get even"..........."If humans are what is causing my earth to suffer, I can take care of that too!!!"

[LanternWaste]

165. The idiocy of anti-vaxxers is just another hip trend...

that will hopefully fall out of hipster favor as did the Pet Rock.

The line "I never had the flu or a vaccine..." is usually followed by me leaving before I say something more hateful than usual.

[catbyte]

166. I was remiss in getting a flu shot for the past 2 years. Luckily, I didn't get sick,

but thought I'd better get one this year. I traveled from Michigan to Arizona on the 1st and thought for sure I'd pick up something. Airliner air is so bad and both flights were packed. So far, so good. I know that the flu shot won't protect me from everything, but I felt better traveling knowing I'd gotten it.

[Jerrika]

170. That's risky

Their health is in danger.

[gopiscrap]

188. welcome to DU

[MoonRiver]

172. Well bless their hearts.

[herding cats]

185. I hope they heal fully.

I get the lesson here, and I agree completely. Still, I hope they heal fully and all they have to deal with are the inconvenience of missing a family gathering and suffering their ill health short term.

I also hope they grow and learn from this... I know that's less likely, but I still hope they do.