When do you get your flu vaccine?

[missy]

Just got mine this afternoon. Can you believe our health insurance didn't cover it? It cost $30 at the pharmacy. I mean $30 is fine and basically that's my copay for most visits (with the exception of specialists and most of the doctors we see are specialists because anyone who is not an internist is considered a specialist like my ob/gyn for example and that copay is higher) but how could our health insurance not cover the flu vaccine? I usually get it at work so it never cost me anything before and I was surprised that it was not even covered partly.

Our pharmacist told me that last year's flu vaccine totally missed the mark and was not protective since it covered the wrong strain. Let's hope this year's flu vaccine is more accurate!

 

[msop04]

Flu vaccines are not excluded from herd immunity. The questionable effectiveness probably arises from the fact that the flu shot only protects against the 3 most common strains of flu virus (some shots provide protection against 4 strains) so if you are exposed to a strain that wasn't included in the flu shot, then obviously there's no extra protection against it. If you get sick or flu-like symptoms shortly after getting the flu shot, it could be due to either the regular flu going around or from a less common strain - your body hasn't developed a full immune response so you are still vulnerable to getting the flu.

The amount of mercury in the multiple dose vials is very minimal per shot. If you normally eat fish, then you are already exposed to minute amounts of mercury.

This exactly. Thanks for posting pandabee! As far as mercury goes, getting an annual flu vaccination is extremely small compared to what most get from their diets. Fish, rice, and high fructose corn syrup (among others) have mercury in them. HFCS has little, but when you look at how many foods/drinks contain it, it can add up quickly.

 

[msop04]

Just got mine this afternoon. Can you believe our health insurance didn't cover it? It cost $30 at the pharmacy. I mean $30 is fine and basically that's my copay for most visits (with the exception of specialists and most of the doctors we see are specialists because anyone who is not an internist is considered a specialist like my ob/gyn for example and that copay is higher) but how could our health insurance not cover the flu vaccine? I usually get it at work so it never cost me anything before and I was surprised that it was not even covered partly.

Our pharmacist told me that last year's flu vaccine totally missed the mark and was not protective since it covered the wrong strain. Let's hope this year's flu vaccine is more accurate!

Missy, if it makes you feel any better, I am a pharmacist with benefits through my employer... and we have to pay for our flu shots.

Here's to getting the correct strains covered this year!!

 

[momhappy]

Mercury exists in various forms and people can be exposed to each in different ways. Things like old alkaline batteries (before 1996), some antiques (like grandfather clocks, barometers, mirrors, silvered glass, etc.), button cell batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, and latex paint (before 1990) may contain mercury and can pose risk of exposure.

 

[msop04]

Mercury exists in various forms and people can be exposed to each in different ways. Things like old alkaline batteries (before 1996), some antiques (like grandfather clocks, barometers, mirrors, silvered glass, etc.), button cell batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, and latex paint (before 1990) may contain mercury and can pose risk of exposure.

Exactly... which is why I've always wondered why ppl cue in on vaccinations to play the villain. [emoji16][emoji53]

 

[texaskj]

I got mine 10 days ago and even got SO to get one because he had the flu last year.
They were $14.99 each at Costco.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I actually avoid fish with higher levels of mercury, I rarely eat rice, and I buy as much organic food as I can. I realize I can't avoid all metals. But if I can eat healthier foods and avoid some metals, why not? Why would anyone object I chose a shot without mercury??? Is it less effective? Even if there is currently no proof that it causes anything, I don't want more than is naturally in the unprocessed foods I eat. For that matter, there are a lot of things in some processed foods I'd rather not eat, but I can't avoid it all. My life's work has been with children with disabilities, and I firmly believe there is an environmental component to some children's disabilities (and there are things that we know are dangerous for sure such as lead exposure). I believe that a healthy diet with as much organic food as possible and avoiding unnecessary toxins is a wise way to live.

 

[msop04]

I actually avoid fish with higher levels of mercury, I rarely eat rice, and I buy as much organic food as I can. I realize I can't avoid all metals. But if I can eat healthier foods and avoid some metals, why not? Why would anyone object I chose a shot without mercury??? Is it less effective? Even if there is currently no proof that it causes anything, I don't want more than is naturally in the unprocessed foods I eat. For that matter, there are a lot of things in some processed foods I'd rather not eat, but I can't avoid it all. My life's work has been with children with disabilities, and I firmly believe there is an environmental component to some children's disabilities (and there are things that we know are dangerous for sure such as lead exposure). I believe that a healthy diet with as much organic food as possible and avoiding unnecessary toxins is a wise way to live.

No one cares what you do with your diet nor do we care if you choose a "non-mercury shot over one that contains it... no one said anything about any of that.

GETTING THE VACC every year is all that matters. As long as you don't put everyone else at risk by choosing not to get a shot, I'm good with that.

 

[pandabee]

Just got mine this afternoon. Can you believe our health insurance didn't cover it? It cost $30 at the pharmacy. I mean $30 is fine and basically that's my copay for most visits (with the exception of specialists and most of the doctors we see are specialists because anyone who is not an internist is considered a specialist like my ob/gyn for example and that copay is higher) but how could our health insurance not cover the flu vaccine? I usually get it at work so it never cost me anything before and I was surprised that it was not even covered partly.

Our pharmacist told me that last year's flu vaccine totally missed the mark and was not protective since it covered the wrong strain. Let's hope this year's flu vaccine is more accurate!

That's interesting because this year's flu shot covers the same three strains as last year's...

DS agreed with msop, no one is trying to single you out for choosing to minimize your mercury content. I just want to make sure people in general are not misinformed and use that as a reason not to get the flu shot as there is always the option for the preservative free version if it is really that important of a concern.

 

[LoveLikeCrazy]

i get it when I'm forced to! Since i work in a hospital that mandates the flu vaccine, i do not have much of a choice. I never have had the flu in my life (knock on wood) and i have never received the flu vaccine until last year when it became mandatory. I'm not crazy about getting it but i do feel its my responsibility to protect my patients.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

When my employer says I have to usually in October. I would probably get one anyways but it really angers some of my coworkers. At least it is free and my boss is good at giving shots.

 

[momhappy]

Just got mine this afternoon. Can you believe our health insurance didn't cover it? It cost $30 at the pharmacy. I mean $30 is fine and basically that's my copay for most visits (with the exception of specialists and most of the doctors we see are specialists because anyone who is not an internist is considered a specialist like my ob/gyn for example and that copay is higher) but how could our health insurance not cover the flu vaccine? I usually get it at work so it never cost me anything before and I was surprised that it was not even covered partly.

Our pharmacist told me that last year's flu vaccine totally missed the mark and was not protective since it covered the wrong strain. Let's hope this year's flu vaccine is more accurate!

That's interesting because this year's flu shot covers the same three strains as last year's...

DS agreed with msop, no one is trying to single you out for choosing to minimize your mercury content. I just want to make sure people in general are not misinformed and use that as a reason not to get the flu shot as there is always the option for the preservative free version if it is really that important of a concern.

Agreed. Certainly no one would spite you for wanting to reduce your risk of mercury exposure (in whatever ways that you see fit), but the point that some of us made was in regards to using mercury as an excuse to not get a flu vaccine.

 

[UrsTx]

I like to get mine around the first week of September. I know it doesn't protect every flu strain out there but I'm diabetic so preventing or shortening the time I could be ill is very important (flu = vomitting = meds can't stay "in" me to help my blood glucose levels).

 

[msop04]

Just got mine this afternoon. Can you believe our health insurance didn't cover it? It cost $30 at the pharmacy. I mean $30 is fine and basically that's my copay for most visits (with the exception of specialists and most of the doctors we see are specialists because anyone who is not an internist is considered a specialist like my ob/gyn for example and that copay is higher) but how could our health insurance not cover the flu vaccine? I usually get it at work so it never cost me anything before and I was surprised that it was not even covered partly.

Our pharmacist told me that last year's flu vaccine totally missed the mark and was not protective since it covered the wrong strain. Let's hope this year's flu vaccine is more accurate!

That's interesting because this year's flu shot covers the same three strains as last year's...

DS agreed with msop, no one is trying to single you out for choosing to minimize your mercury content. I just want to make sure people in general are not misinformed and use that as a reason not to get the flu shot as there is always the option for the preservative free version if it is really that important of a concern.

Agreed. Certainly no one would spite you for wanting to reduce your risk of mercury exposure (in whatever ways that you see fit), but the point that some of us made was in regards to using mercury as an excuse to not get a flu vaccine

Exactly.

 

[msop04]

To answer the original question, I get mine as soon as they're available... Usually around mid-Sept to October. Looks like it's that time again! [emoji51]

 

[TooPatient]

Thanks for all the continued replies!

It sounds like it is good to ask for the mercury free option (that is actually all they use at my dr's office) and get it sometime before getting sick -- around end of September to end of October.

I had thought that it was something other than mercury in the vaccines? My dr offered some sort of preservative free option last year but I don't remember the details. Is that the same as the mercury free?


I had heard that it was the same three strands this year as last. Is there some reason to think those are the strains this year when they weren't last? (just curious!)


Re: mercury --
The stuff is everywhere so it seems like being aware and making informed decisions is a great thing. I was talking with a lady the other day who didn't know about soaking her crystal wine glasses in vinegar to remove the lead. If we don't talk about these things, people (including me!) don't learn and can't make their own informed choices. So, thank you all for sharing where you avoid and how you weigh the risks/benefits


OH!!

mist vs. traditional needle?
I've seen a couple of people here mention getting the mist. If you'd feel comfortable sharing why you chose that, I'd love to hear. I did a bit of reading on it last year but am far from an expert!
It looked like the needle uses inactive (dead?) virus but the mist uses live virus? (please correct me if I am wrong!)
Is this more effective?
With the mist instead of needle in the muscle, is there less risk to side effects?

 

[missy]

Interesting. I was doing some reading because I was trying to find out what the 2014 flu strains in the vaccination are vs 2013 (wouldn't surprise me if my pharmacist was wrong because they have made bigger mistakes before) and I found this.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm

Recent studies show vaccine can reduce the risk of flu illness by about 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are like the viruses the flu vaccine is designed to protect against.

Wow, I thought the flu vaccine was more protective (if they chose the correct strains at least) and while 60% is certainly better than not getting it I am surprised it is not a higher percentage.

Here are some interesting reads fyi.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6322a2.htm

During the 2013-2014 season, influenza A (H3N2), 2009 influenza A (H1N1), and influenza B viruses circulated in the United States. 2009 H1N1 viruses predominated overall during the 2013-14 flu season, though influenza B viruses became the predominant virus nationally later in the season and caused an increase in influenza-like-illness in parts of the northeast especially. After several recent influenza A (H3N2)–predominant seasons, 2013-14 was the first pH1N1–predominant season since the 2009 pH1N1 pandemic.

The 2013–14 influenza season was the first influenza A (H1N1)pdm09–predominant season since the emergence of the virus in 2009, and also had later-season influenza B activity. The highest hospitalization rates were among adults aged ≥65 years, which is consistent with previous influenza seasons; hospitalization rates among those aged 50 to 64 years were significantly higher than in all years since the 2009 pandemic. Nearly all of the influenza virus specimens sent to CDC for antigenic characterization were similar to the components of the 2013–14 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine.

My pharmacist could not have been more wrong. But at least last year's vaccine was on the mark it seems.

The Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the 2014–15 influenza vaccines used in the United States have the same antigenic composition as those used in 2013–14.

Same flu vaccination as last year.

 

[missy]

Thanks for all the continued replies!

It sounds like it is good to ask for the mercury free option (that is actually all they use at my dr's office) and get it sometime before getting sick -- around end of September to end of October.

I had thought that it was something other than mercury in the vaccines? My dr offered some sort of preservative free option last year but I don't remember the details. Is that the same as the mercury free?


I had heard that it was the same three strands this year as last. Is there some reason to think those are the strains this year when they weren't last? (just curious!)


Re: mercury --
The stuff is everywhere so it seems like being aware and making informed decisions is a great thing. I was talking with a lady the other day who didn't know about soaking her crystal wine glasses in vinegar to remove the lead. If we don't talk about these things, people (including me!) don't learn and can't make their own informed choices. So, thank you all for sharing where you avoid and how you weigh the risks/benefits


OH!!

mist vs. traditional needle?
I've seen a couple of people here mention getting the mist. If you'd feel comfortable sharing why you chose that, I'd love to hear. I did a bit of reading on it last year but am far from an expert!
It looked like the needle uses inactive (dead?) virus but the mist uses live virus? (please correct me if I am wrong!)
Is this more effective?
With the mist instead of needle in the muscle, is there less risk to side effects?

TooPatient, I am interested to see what our resident pharmacists have to say with regards to your questions. In the meantime here is what I found.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/flulive.html

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm

The nasal spray contains "live, attenuated influenza vaccine (called LAIV)" and protects against 4 strains of flu. Most of the flu vaccinations only protect against 3. And the LAIV does not contain any preservatives. And for some reason it seems it is only approved for people 2-49 years of age right now. And evidence suggests the spray might work better for children 2-8 years old vs the vaccination. However 2 doses might be necessary for these children.

You should get the flu shot instead of the nasal spray if you:
are pregnant
have a weakened immune system
are allergic to eggs
are a young child with asthma or wheezing problems
are a child or adolescent on long-term aspirin therapy
will provide care for, or visit someone, within the next 7 days who needs special care for an extremely weakened immune system (ask your health care provider)
have taken influenza antiviral medications in the past 48 hours

 

[JewelFreak]

I got a shot that protects against 4 strains. They called it something like an "extra protection" vaccine; that's a scientific term.

That afternoon & evening I had flu-like symptoms, a side effect, but they were gone by morning. It's a killed vaccine, so no possibility of giving anyone the flu. Around here the drug stores advertise that the CDC recommends the 4-strain one for people over 60. I guess the rest of the population is SOL, lol.

--- Laurie

 

[packrat]

We started doing the mist b/c the kids cried about the shots. JD and I both feel like flu shot stings worse than others for whatever reason. Thicker liquid? I was told it is effective faster than the shot and protects against 1 more strain than the shot.

 

[momhappy]

My kids get the mist because one of them is absolutely terrified of shots. I actually prefer the mist too because why subject myself to the pain (however minimal it may be) and anxiety of the shot if I don't have to? The problem is that I have trouble finding the mist most years and typically end up getting the shot instead. I checked with my closest pharmacy yesterday and they had the mist available, so I will probably go in by the end of the week.

 

[lyra]

I am in the higher risk group, so I get it every year. Have done so for so long, I can't remember when I started getting the vaccine. I get my entire family to go whether they want to or not. I also get the pneumonia vaccine when appropriate. It's not just a convenience for me, it's more of a necessity. I was thinking of going this week actually. I usually go in September. Better safe than sorry for me.

 

[msop04]

We started doing the mist b/c the kids cried about the shots. JD and I both feel like flu shot stings worse than others for whatever reason. Thicker liquid? I was told it is effective faster than the shot and protects against 1 more strain than the shot.

packrat, the sting is probably due to the cold temperature (they're stored in the fridge). You can always ask for the pharmacist to "warm it up" a little, and that helps a lot.

 

[momhappy]

I noticed that last year, the flu shot wasn't too terribly bad (in terms of pain), but two years ago, it really stung. Don't get me wrong - It's not like shots hurt that bad in the grand scheme of things (I've delivered babies, had a few surgeries, and have suffered through kidney stones, so I'm no stranger to pain). For me, it's more about the anxiety leading up to it, which is why I much prefer the mist

 

[JaneSmith]

My family gets the flu vaccine every year, as soon as it is available.






From the Alzheimer's Association:

Myth: Flu shots increase risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: A theory linking flu shots to a greatly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease has been proposed by a U.S. doctor whose license was suspended by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. Several mainstream studies link flu shots and other vaccinations to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and overall better health.

Myth: Silver dental fillings increase risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: According to the best available scientific evidence, there is no relationship between silver dental fillings and Alzheimer's. The concern that there could be a link arose because "silver" fillings are made of an amalgam (mixture) that typically contains about 50 percent mercury, 35 percent silver and 15 percent tin. Mercury is a heavy metal that, in certain forms, is known to be toxic to the brain and other organs.

http://m.alz.org/myths.asp

The US doctor's name is Fudenburg.

Hmmm. That name sounded very familiar, so I did a little more digging. It turns out that Hugh Fudenberg was a collaborator and co-inventor with Andrew Wakefield, the scientist who published an absolutely horribly designed study in the Lancet in 1998 linking the MMR vaccine to autism, nearly all of whose authors later publicly retracted their authorship. This study, now thoroughly repudiated, caused a major scare in Britain and elsewhere regarding MMR, echoes of which persist even today, with anti-vaxers still citing Wakefield’s Lancet study as “evidence” that MMR causes autism. (Particularly hilarious is when they attribute MMR “causing” autism to the mercury in thimerosal, mainly because MMR has never contained thimerosal.) Dr. Fudenberg also happens to have been involved in some very dubious “treatments” for autism that led to some problems with his medical license. In November 1995, the South Carolina Medical Board concluded that Fudenberg was “guilty of engaging in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct,” and he was fined $10,000 and ordered to surrender his license to prescribe controlled substances (narcotic drugs). His medical license was also placed on suspension.
...
So what did Dr. Fudenberg base his claim about flu vaccines and Alzheimer’s on? Try as I might, I couldn’t find any research that supports this assertion, at least not in PubMed. Any Google searches done inevitably brought up the same quote as above or variants of it, but no source pointed me to any actual research supporting Dr. Fudenberg’s claim, even though he did seem to imply that he had done a study. Certainly there is nothing I could find in the peer-reviewed literature when I searched Dr. Fudenberg’s name with the term “influenza.”

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2007/08/27/bill-maher-antivaccination-wingnut/



Re: Guillain-Barré syndrome:

There are long-standing concerns that a small number of people develop a paralytic illness after getting a flu shot. But a new study shows that the risk of developing the condition, Guillain-Barré syndrome, is actually 16 times higher after contracting influenza than after vaccination.
The new findings, published in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, show that one additional case of GBS occurs after every million people who get a flu shot. But an additional case of GBS springs up in every 60,000 people who are treated for the flu.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/flu-carries-higher-risk-of-paralytic-disease-than-flu-shot/article11947471/

 

[JaneSmith]

This essay is, I would like to clarify, directed at healthcare providers, not patients. Healthcare providers have no excuse to avoid the flu vaccine: they have access to the world’s medical knowledge and should be able to rise above superstition and ignorance. Yes, I too am a Dumb Ass, but for different reasons.

I give you, slightly rewritten for 2012, a Budget of Dumb Asses.

I wonder if you are one of those Dumb Asses who do not get the flu shot each year? Yes. Dumb Ass. Big D, big A. You may be allergic to the vaccine (most are not when tested), you may have had Guillain-Barre (most can be vaccinated safely), in which case I will cut you some slack. But if you don’t have those conditions and you work in healthcare and you don’t get a vaccine for one of the following reasons, you are a Dumb Ass.

1. The vaccine gives me the flu. Dumb Ass. It is a killed vaccine. It cannot give you the influenza. It is impossible to get flu from the influenza vaccine.

2. I never get the flu, so I don’t need the vaccine. Irresponsible Dumb Ass. I have never had a head on collision, but I wear my seat belt. And you probably don’t use a condom either. So far you have been lucky, and you are a potential winner of a Darwin Award, although since you don’t use a condom, you are unfortunately still in the gene pool.

3. Only old people get the flu. Selfish Dumb Ass. Influenza can infect anyone, and the groups who are more likely to die of influenza are the very young, the pregnant, and the elderly. Often those most at risk for dying from influenza are those least able, due to age or underlying diseases, to respond to the vaccine. You can help prevent your old, sickly Grandmother or your newborn daughter from getting influenza by getting the vaccine, so you do not get flu and pass it one to her. Flu, by the way, is highly contagious, with 20% to 50% of contacts with an index case getting the flu. However, Granny may be sitting on a fortune that will come to you, and killing her off with the flu is a great way to get her out of the way and never be caught. That would make a good episode of CSI.

4. I can prevent influenza or treat it by taking echinacea, vitamin C, oscillococcinum or Airborne. Gullible Dumb Ass cubed then squared. None of these concoctions has any efficacy what so ever against influenza. And if you think oscillococcinum has any efficacy, I would like you to invest in a perpetual motion machine I have invented. None of the above either prevent or treat influenza. And you can’t “boost” your immune system either. Anyone who suggests otherwise wants you money, not to improve your health.

5. Flu isn’t all that bad of a disease. Underestimating Dumb Ass. Part of the problem with the term flu is that it is used both as a generic term for damn near any viral illness with a fever and is also used for a severe viral pneumonia. Medical people are just as inaccurate about using the term as the general public. The influenza virus directly and indirectly kills 20,000 people (depending on the circulating strain and year) and leads to the hospitalization of 200,000 in the US each year. Influenza is a nasty lung illness. And what is stomach ‘flu’? No such thing.

6. I am not at risk for flu. Denying Dumb Ass. If you breathe, you are risk for influenza. Here are the groups of people who should not get the flu vaccine (outside of people with severe adverse reactions to the vaccine): Former President Clinton, who evidently doesn’t inhale. Michele Bachmann. Wait, that’s the HPV vaccine. And people who are safe from zombies. If you don’t get the vaccine you do not have to worry about the zombie apocalypse, because zombies eat brains.

7. The vaccine is worse than the disease. Dumb Ass AND a wimp. What a combination. Your mother must be proud. Unless you think a sore deltoid for a day is too high a price to pay to prevent two weeks of high fevers, severe muscles aches, and intractable cough.

8. I had the vaccine last year, so I do not need it this year. Uneducated Dumb Ass. Each year new strains of influenza circulate across the world. Last year’s vaccine at best provides only partial protection. Every year you need a new shot.

9. The vaccine costs too much. Cheap Dumb Ass. The vaccine costs less than a funeral, less than Tamiflu, and less than a week in the hospital.

10. I received the vaccine and I got the flu anyway. Inexact Dumb Ass. The vaccine is not perfect and you may have indeed had the flu. More likely you called one of the many respiratory viruses (viri?) people get each year the flu. Remember there are dozens of potential causes of a respiratory infection circulating, the vaccine only covers influenza, the virus most likely to kill you and yours.

11. I don’t believe in the flu vaccine. Superstitious, premodern, magical thinking Dumb Ass. What is there to believe in? Belief is what you do when there is no data. Probably don’t believe in gravity or germ theory either. Everyone, I suppose, has to believe in something, and I believe I will have a beer.

12. I will wait until I have symptoms and stay home. Dangerous Dumb Ass. Despite often coming to work ill, especially second year residents, about 1 in 5 cases of influenza are subclinical, hospitalized patients are more susceptible to acquiring influenza from HCW’s than the general population, and 27% of nosocomial acquired H1N1 died. And you will never realize that you were the one responsible for killing that patient by passing on the flu.

13. The flu vaccine is not safe and has not been evaluated for safety. Computer illiterate Dumb Ass. There are 1342 references on the PubMeds on safety of the flu vaccine, and the vaccine usually causes only short term, mild reactions. All health care requires weighing the risks of an intervention against the benefits. For the flu vaccine all the data suggests huge benefit for negligible risk. And as a HCW, it could be argued that we have a moral responsibility to maximize the safety of our patients.

14. The government puts tracking nanobots in the vaccine as well as RFID chips as part of the mark of the beast, and the vaccine doesn’t work since it is part of a big government sponsored conspiracy to keep Americans ill, fill hospital beds, line the pockets of big pharma and inject the American sheeple with exotic new infections in an attempt to control population growth and help usher in a New World Order. Well, that excuse is at least reasonable. Paranoid Dumb Ass.

So get the vaccine. And pass this essay on to someone else instead of the flu. The life you may save may be your own. Or be a Dumb Ass.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/protect-yourself/

 

[packrat]

Momhappy, I know it! It's like um..lessee here...two c sections, hernia surgery, stupid T&A 4 years ago, tattoos...but holy hell don't give me a flu shot, I have to have mist!!!! haha I feel like a wuss sometimes but ooooo that does sting. And you can about feel it going into your arm-I always felt like if I looked, I could see my skin raising up as if there were pints being pumped in there instead of whatever, cc's.

Thanks for the tip msop! I'll try to remember that if we have to have the injections again!

 

[msop04]

This essay is, I would like to clarify, directed at healthcare providers, not patients. Healthcare providers have no excuse to avoid the flu vaccine: they have access to the world’s medical knowledge and should be able to rise above superstition and ignorance. Yes, I too am a Dumb a$$, but for different reasons.

I give you, slightly rewritten for 2012, a Budget of Dumb Asses.

I wonder if you are one of those Dumb Asses who do not get the flu shot each year? Yes. Dumb a$$. Big D, big A. You may be allergic to the vaccine (most are not when tested), you may have had Guillain-Barre (most can be vaccinated safely), in which case I will cut you some slack. But if you don’t have those conditions and you work in healthcare and you don’t get a vaccine for one of the following reasons, you are a Dumb a$$.

1. The vaccine gives me the flu. Dumb a$$. It is a killed vaccine. It cannot give you the influenza. It is impossible to get flu from the influenza vaccine.

2. I never get the flu, so I don’t need the vaccine. Irresponsible Dumb a$$. I have never had a head on collision, but I wear my seat belt. And you probably don’t use a condom either. So far you have been lucky, and you are a potential winner of a Darwin Award, although since you don’t use a condom, you are unfortunately still in the gene pool.

3. Only old people get the flu. Selfish Dumb a$$. Influenza can infect anyone, and the groups who are more likely to die of influenza are the very young, the pregnant, and the elderly. Often those most at risk for dying from influenza are those least able, due to age or underlying diseases, to respond to the vaccine. You can help prevent your old, sickly Grandmother or your newborn daughter from getting influenza by getting the vaccine, so you do not get flu and pass it one to her. Flu, by the way, is highly contagious, with 20% to 50% of contacts with an index case getting the flu. However, Granny may be sitting on a fortune that will come to you, and killing her off with the flu is a great way to get her out of the way and never be caught. That would make a good episode of CSI.

4. I can prevent influenza or treat it by taking echinacea, vitamin C, oscillococcinum or Airborne. Gullible Dumb a$$ cubed then squared. None of these concoctions has any efficacy what so ever against influenza. And if you think oscillococcinum has any efficacy, I would like you to invest in a perpetual motion machine I have invented. None of the above either prevent or treat influenza. And you can’t “boost” your immune system either. Anyone who suggests otherwise wants you money, not to improve your health.

5. Flu isn’t all that bad of a disease. Underestimating Dumb a$$. Part of the problem with the term flu is that it is used both as a generic term for damn near any viral illness with a fever and is also used for a severe viral pneumonia. Medical people are just as inaccurate about using the term as the general public. The influenza virus directly and indirectly kills 20,000 people (depending on the circulating strain and year) and leads to the hospitalization of 200,000 in the US each year. Influenza is a nasty lung illness. And what is stomach ‘flu’? No such thing.

6. I am not at risk for flu. Denying Dumb a$$. If you breathe, you are risk for influenza. Here are the groups of people who should not get the flu vaccine (outside of people with severe adverse reactions to the vaccine): Former President Clinton, who evidently doesn’t inhale. Michele Bachmann. Wait, that’s the HPV vaccine. And people who are safe from zombies. If you don’t get the vaccine you do not have to worry about the zombie apocalypse, because zombies eat brains.

7. The vaccine is worse than the disease. Dumb a$$ AND a wimp. What a combination. Your mother must be proud. Unless you think a sore deltoid for a day is too high a price to pay to prevent two weeks of high fevers, severe muscles aches, and intractable cough.

8. I had the vaccine last year, so I do not need it this year. Uneducated Dumb a$$. Each year new strains of influenza circulate across the world. Last year’s vaccine at best provides only partial protection. Every year you need a new shot.

9. The vaccine costs too much. Cheap Dumb a$$. The vaccine costs less than a funeral, less than Tamiflu, and less than a week in the hospital.

10. I received the vaccine and I got the flu anyway. Inexact Dumb a$$. The vaccine is not perfect and you may have indeed had the flu. More likely you called one of the many respiratory viruses (viri?) people get each year the flu. Remember there are dozens of potential causes of a respiratory infection circulating, the vaccine only covers influenza, the virus most likely to kill you and yours.

11. I don’t believe in the flu vaccine. Superstitious, premodern, magical thinking Dumb a$$. What is there to believe in? Belief is what you do when there is no data. Probably don’t believe in gravity or germ theory either. Everyone, I suppose, has to believe in something, and I believe I will have a beer.

12. I will wait until I have symptoms and stay home. Dangerous Dumb a$$. Despite often coming to work ill, especially second year residents, about 1 in 5 cases of influenza are subclinical, hospitalized patients are more susceptible to acquiring influenza from HCW’s than the general population, and 27% of nosocomial acquired H1N1 died. And you will never realize that you were the one responsible for killing that patient by passing on the flu.

13. The flu vaccine is not safe and has not been evaluated for safety. Computer illiterate Dumb a$$. There are 1342 references on the PubMeds on safety of the flu vaccine, and the vaccine usually causes only short term, mild reactions. All health care requires weighing the risks of an intervention against the benefits. For the flu vaccine all the data suggests huge benefit for negligible risk. And as a HCW, it could be argued that we have a moral responsibility to maximize the safety of our patients.

14. The government puts tracking nanobots in the vaccine as well as RFID chips as part of the mark of the beast, and the vaccine doesn’t work since it is part of a big government sponsored conspiracy to keep Americans ill, fill hospital beds, line the pockets of big pharma and inject the American sheeple with exotic new infections in an attempt to control population growth and help usher in a New World Order. Well, that excuse is at least reasonable. Paranoid Dumb a$$.

So get the vaccine. And pass this essay on to someone else instead of the flu. The life you may save may be your own. Or be a Dumb a$$.

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/protect-yourself/

YESSSS!!! THIS!!!

Thanks for posting this!

 

[TooPatient]

JaneSmith -- LOVE IT

Seriously, great information!

 

[DNB]

I'm getting mine Oct 2 and DH is getting his a couple of days later, both free at work. After having the flu when my boys were in elementary school 2 years in a row, we said "Never again". I rarely get sick, but I watch people around me at work who don't get the shot get sick often. Some every year. I love the people who won't get it because the last time they had it "they got the flu". If they did, it's not the shot, it's the fact they were exposed to the virus before the shot took effect. I've been getting the shot for 17 years and have not had the flu in that entire time, nor has DH. Influenza can be very dangerous as it creates an environment that allows secondary infections to take over. Both times I had the flu I had a secondary infection, sinus infection one time and pink eye the next. Believe me, those that were infected by the large influenza outbreak in the early 1900's (and many other years) would have done anything to have had the vaccines we have.

As for those wimps who are afraid of needles, the needle used for the influenza vaccine is sooooooo tiny that you don't even really feel it.