Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
** Are flu shots worth it? **
28 views
Skip to first unread message
dav...@agent.com
Nov 15, 2012, 3:19:54 AM11/15/12
to
http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html?t=10934766#page:showThread,10934766,1
** Are flu shots worth it? **
I have never, ever had one & I think I've only had a real flu
bug once or twice in my life but recovered fairly quickly
without going to a doctor but I'm constantly worried about
some super flu type thing like the ones you hear about killing
hundreds of thousands of people every century or so. I've also
heard some people can get the flu from them. What's the deal?
by: Anonymous [replies 104], 10/13/2011 @ 02:50PM
==========
I had the flu once & was sick for 6 weeks. I missed a solid
week of work, & for 3 days I could barely tell if it was
day or night. I slept most of the time, crawled to the
bathroom every once in a while & made my way to the kitchen.
I've never been so sick in my life - and now know that every
other cold & bug I ever previously had was nothing close to
the flu. Since then, I get a shot every year. I did have a
weird reaction to this year's shot but more of a discomfort
than anything else. You cannot get the flu from a flu shot.
If you get the flu after it, you were already exposed. It
takes two weeks to kick in.
by: Anonymous [reply 1], 10/13/2011 @ 03:14PM
==========
Every time I've had a flu shot, I've gotten a reaction that
was probably as bad as having the flu anyway. And I don't buy
that old "you were already incubating the flu!" excuse either.
PLUS - you are only being vaccinated against strains that've
been around for a while, not strains that are mutating in
real time. I think flu shots are essentially worthless for
normally healthy people, and taking consistent precautions
will probably serve you just as well. I last had a flu shot
in 2002, immediately had a reaction that lasted about 2 weeks,
& have never had another one - & haven't gotten flu, either.
by: Anonymous [reply 2], 10/13/2011 @ 03:15PM
==========
I used to think they were a waste of time. Then 5 years ago
I got the flu in mid-January. I never really recovered until
the end of April. I went to the Dr almost every week & took
Tamiflu twice. The Dr said I was getting new flu bugs & it
wasn't the same bug but regardless I was in a living hell
almost the entire winter. The next year I got a flu shot &
then each autumn afterwards. Not even a cold (knock wood)
has befalled me. I swear by them.
by: Anonymous [reply 3], 10/13/2011 @ 03:21PM
===========
""Every time I've had a flu shot, I've gotten a reaction
that was probably as bad as having the flu anyway""
No it wasn't. I had real influenza when I was fifteen. It was
bad enough that I wasn't able to get in & out of bed on my own.
I'd never, ever want to go thru that, or wish it on anyone else.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 4], 10/13/2011 @ 03:23PM
===========
The flu shot is concocted with inactive (i.e. pulverized)
viral material from the top 3 flus that are circulating at
the time the vaccine is developed. This year we have the exact
same 3 as last year - this is very rare. You can't get the
flu from the flu shot but you're not going to believe me so
ask your doctor and/or nurse. The purpose of the flu shot is
to alert your immune system to identify & annihilate that
motherfucker the instant you are exposed to it. I work with
the homeless & mistakenly thought I had the flu several times
in my life. My experience was like [R2] however it did not
last weeks. I was shocked at the fatigue & the aches. It was
impossible to work, drive or do anything except moan & bitch &
sleep for at least 3 days. It hit me like a mack truck. I had
the flu one other year when there was a shortage of vaccine.
Maybe I need it more than you because of my risk of exposure
but I'm voting a big FUCK YEA to getting that flu vaccine
& I'll get mine at my 4:15P appt next Thurs.
by: Anonymous [reply 5], 10/13/2011 @ 03:27PM
============
VOTN, do you ever wonder if there's a relationship between
that bad flu and your arthritis?
by: Anonymous [reply 6], 10/13/2011 @ 03:30PM
============
""VOTN, do you ever wonder if there's a relationship between
that bad flu and your arthritis?""
Yes, actually. I don't know that it's actually likely from
what I've learned in Biochemistry, but it's something I've
considered.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 7], 10/13/2011 @ 03:39PM
==========
Are free ones available for silver fox types?
by: Silver Fox Type [reply 8], 10/13/2011 @ 03:44PM
=========
NO, I've never had one & probably won't ever. The health care
industry & pharma corporate greed is posturing to make us all
dependent on their poisons.
by: Anonymous [reply 9], 10/13/2011 @ 03:46PM
=========
VOTN, it seems to be something a lot of us arthritis sufferers
have in common, a memorable bout of flu. I had a physio-
therapist who was convinced there was a connection though she
had no real evidence. Physicians won't go there. When asked,
my doctor said he was more interested in the massive doses of
prednisone I had as a child.
by: Anonymous [reply 10], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
===========
[R9] that's another reason I've always been reluctant plus
the fear that the gov't would pull some experiment on us.
That may sound crazy but I don't trust them at all.
by: OP [reply 11], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
==========
I've never had one & have never gotten the flu. I see no
need to get a shot if you have a good immune system.
by: Anonymous [reply 12], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
===========
this is a thread where i would very much value charlie's
opinion. charlie, do YOU get a shot every year?
by: Anonymous [reply 13], 10/13/2011 @ 03:53PM
==========
I said I had a REACTION, which was PROBABLY as bad as having
the flu. I did not say I have never had the flu, did not say
I didn't know what the flu feels like, and did not mention any
symptoms that would allow you to compare your own symptoms (at
the age of 15) with mine. So stop ASSuming, VOTN. Go get your
flu shot. And then shut up.
by: R2 [reply 14], 10/13/2011 @ 03:54PM
===========
yes. Get the pneumonia shot as well. Lasts 5 years & it is
the best. I used to get pneumonia once a year, but for 6 years
now, no pneumonia. (Got another this year)
by: Anonymous [reply 15], 10/13/2011 @ 03:55PM
===========
One of my teachers died from the Swine Flu vaccine in the 70s.
It was great because she was a heinous bitch.
by: Anonymous [reply 16], 10/13/2011 @ 03:57PM
==========
OP, I haven't had a flu shot in years, and haven't been sick
in years, either.
by: Anonymous [reply 17], 10/13/2011 @ 04:04PM
==========
Op, Seriously, my aunt died from a flu shot at 63. It's a
propagated bunch of crap by the health industry, methinks.
None for me thanks, I have enough physical dependencies, I'll
pass on this one.
by: Anonymous [reply 18[, 10/13/2011 @ 04:20PM
===========
As you get older, whether you get a flu shot or not pretty
much depends on how you feel about dying.
by: Anonymous [reply 19], 10/13/2011 @ 04:24PM
===========
The shot is free at my HMO & I've never had a reaction other
than sometimes very minor itching &/or swelling &/or redness
at the site for a couple days. I've had the flu twice & don't
want it again (104 degree fever last time) -- no guarantees
with the shot, but I see no reason not to take advantage of
whatever protection it offers. I know someone who says that
her grandma died from getting a flu shot, but there's no med
evidence to support that. She may have been allergic & not
known it, or she may have caught the flu before the shot, or
she may have caught something else. As a general proposition,
vaccines don't kill people.
by: Anonymous [reply 20], 10/13/2011 @ 04:35PM
===========
I'm like [R1]. For years, I never bothered to get a flu shot
until I got sick. I literally woke up in the morning feeling
fine and by 1pm could barely get home on the subway because
I was so feverish & sick. I ended up in bed for a week & it
took me another week at home to recover my strength. After
that, I got a flu shot every year (for the last 15 years).
Never had a reaction more than a sore arm & I never got the
severe flu again. But everyone has a different opinion.
by: Anonymous [reply 21], 10/13/2011 @ 04:57PM
=============
Does the flu jab now have the swine flu jab mixed in with it?
by: Anonymous [reply 22], 10/13/2011 @ 05:05PM
==========
For the US, yes. There are two strains of Influenza A & one
of Influenza B, one of which is based on H1N1.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 23], 10/13/2011 @ 05:15PM
===========
Everyone should get a flu shot. And no, no one is allergic or
going to get sick from a flu shot. It's all in your head.
Get your flu shot, goddammit.
by: Anonymous [reply 24], 10/13/2011 @ 05:31PM
===========
Am I so paranoid that I'm the only one who thinks flu shots,
promoted like hell by the US govt, are intended to make us
ill & decrease population faster? I wouldn't get near one.
by: Anonymous [reply 25], 10/13/2011 @ 05:32PM
===========
""And no, no one is allergic or going to get sick
from a flu shot.""
If you're allergic to eggs or feathers, then you can get sick
from the vaccine.
by: Anonymous [reply 26], 10/13/2011 @ 05:34PM
=============
I think [R25]'s tinfoil hat is on a bit too tight.
by: Anonymous [reply 27], 10/13/2011 @ 05:35PM
=============
""Am I so paranoid that I'm the only one who thinks
flu shots, promoted like hell by the US govt, are
intended to make us ill & decrease population faster?
I wouldn't get near one.""
As there are currently 312 million Americans with an
additional one added every 8 seconds, I'd say they're not
doing a very good job.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 28], 10/13/2011 @ 05:56PM
===========
I never got the flu shot. I got the flu in 1999. I've never
been so ill in my life. I got out of bed only to use the
bathroom for a week. I prayed for death. My teeth hurt.
I get the shot annually now.
by: Anonymous [reply 29], 10/13/2011 @ 08:43PM
==========
I always get them. No problems so far. Got one 2 days ago.
by: Anonymous [reply 30], 10/13/2011 @ 08:47PM
===========
charlie???
by: Anonymous [reply 31], 10/13/2011 @ 08:48PM
===========
The U.S. govt gave poisonous shots to soldiers going into
the Gulf wars, and the shots causes extensive nerve damage
rather than protecting the soldiers.
by: Anonymous [reply 32], 10/13/2011 @ 08:52PM
=============
Maybe charlie died from the flu, or from his flu shot?
by: Anonymous [reply 33], 10/13/2011 @ 08:53PM
============
Well, in any case, I had mine a few days ago. I had my normal
sore throat that I always seem to get from it, & it actually
seemed worse than normal, but it cleared up.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 34], 10/13/2011 @ 09:06PM
===========
I've had the flu twice & it was horrible. If you have insurance
it should be covered. If not, it is pretty cheap at a big name
pharmacy. Why suffer when you can prevent it?
by: Anonymous [reply 35], 10/13/2011 @ 09:12PM
===========
I don't get sick days at work, I just get a general vacation
fund that I have to use for sick days and I'll be goddamned
if I'm taking one of those precious days for the goddamned
flu, so I'll take all the flu shots they are handing out.
Been getting them for years and haven't had the flu.
by: Anonymous [reply 36], 10/13/2011 @ 09:28PM
=============
[R36], I bet you got along just fine before the U.S. govt &
U.S. pharma companies started pushing these flu shots upon
everyone.
by: Anonymous [reply 37], 10/13/2011 @ 09:35PM
===========
It's govt mind control. My shot turned me into a republican!
by: Anonymous [reply 38], 10/13/2011 @ 09:46PM
=========
They're now covered when you get 'em at your Dr's office.
Obama's health plan requires this of all medical insurance.
I got one today & when I asked how much, the nurse said these
preventative shots are covered by insurance thanks to Obama's
health care plan. Of course if the Rethugs get this overturned
in the courts, we'll have to pay next year.
by: Anonymous [reply 39], 10/13/2011 @ 09:49PM
===========
As I understand it, there seemed to be a connection between
Parkinson's disease & the Flu pandemic of 1918. A very high
## of Parkinson's victims in nursing homes had survived the
flu. So my guess is a number of chronic diseases typically
afflicting the elderly may actually be after effects of one
flu or another. And yes, anyone who says they get the flu
from the vaccine is likely to have gotten a cold, think it's
the flu & make these proclamations. I had the real flu only
once in my life & I literally thought I was going to die, &
while going thru the worst of it, didn't really care if I did
or not. I started getting sick while on a sking vacation, on
the 3rd day, I got snowed in the airport for 36 hours as it
got worse. By the time I got home, I had a fever of 105,
hallucinations while the fever raged, fainting when I got up
out of bed, joint aches so bad I kept dreaming I'd been in an
auto accident, severe, bed soaking night sweats that lasted
for months & then it all ended up turning into pneumonia after
a month & half. So when people have a case of the sniffles &
say they have the "flu" I think "fuck you candyass". I never
miss getting a vaccination again.
by: Anonymous [reply 40], 10/13/2011 @ 09:52PM
===========
YESSSSSSSSSSS!
by: Anonymous [reply 41], 10/13/2011 @ 09:52PM
===========
I had the "I think I'm gonna die" flu 5 years ago, & it took
weeks to recover. I get a flu shot every year. If you can't
afford them I think you can go to the local health dept & get
it for free or $10. I don't recall ever seeing so many places
to get your shot. They're advertsing it everywhere. The other
thing to consider is your work/living habits. If you're in
contact with the public, or work in an office with a lot of
other people, if you're around kids, or work in a hospital, or
nursing home, or around the elderly, you need to get a shot.
If you eat out a lot you need to get a flu shot. My partner &
I have some lifestyle changes we apply during flu season. We
don't eat out as much. We don't go to the movies or the mall
as much, and we try to avoid crowds. Also, wash your hands.
Sometimes people go to the supermarket and come home, put the
groceries away, and then eat. They never wash their hands!
Buy some of those Lysol anti-bacteria wipes for your bathroom
& kitchen counters. Use it for the phones in your office, too.
If you do get sick get rid of your toothbrush as soon as you
are past your crisis. In fact, brush your teeth a lot, & keep
your hands away from your face. Bacteria and germs get into
your blood stream from your teeth. I've been well for 5 years,
& I never want to get sick like that again. It was scary.
by: Anonymous [reply 42], 10/13/2011 @ 09:53PM
===========
Flu shots aren't a big moneymaker for the pharma companies.
by: Anonymous [reply 43], 10/13/2011 @ 09:54PM
===========
[R39]--what about the uninsured -- are they supposed to die?
by: Anonymous [reply 44], 10/13/2011 @ 09:55PM
===========
The uninsured are the ones who need it most. Spend $10 or $25
now & avoid being rushed to the hospital with pneumonia. Or
worse. As I said, check with local health dept offices to see
if they offer them for free. Everyone should get one. Oh. I
forgot one other thing. Travel. Air travel is a really bad
prospect in flu season. Many of us will travel. Be careful
about hygiene. I carry a pack of anti-bacterial wipes in my
pocket. I rarely eat on the plane & I drink a lot of bottled
water once I get off the plane.
by: R42 [reply 45], 10/13/2011 @ 10:08PM
==============
Most pharmacies give the vaccine for about $25 if you're not
covered. Compared to the cost of being out of work and not
covered it's a bargain. People who've had the flu get a flu
shot. They never want to be that sick again. I don't have
time to get sick. If my business slows down I will go under
so I have to be healthy.
by: Anonymous [reply 46], 10/13/2011 @ 10:08PM
===========
[R15], I asked about a pneumonia shot, but was told you have
to be (everyone take a deep breath) at least 65 or older. So
needless to say, I did not get a pneumonia shot, but I get a
flu shot every year after having the flu so bad that I was
sick for 2 months and my husband barely recognized me. I felt
like one of the living dead. Since taking the shot, I've not
even had a cold.
by: Anonymous [reply 47], 10/13/2011 @ 10:18PM
=============
[R47], you need a new doctor. Anyone who asks their physician
should be able to get the PPV vaccine. You don't need to be
65 or older. If anyone is a smoker, they should definitely
get it. And if you do ever get a severe form of flu, the PPV
vaccine can protect you from dying of complications or being
admitted to a hospital.
by: Anonymous [reply 48], 10/13/2011 @ 10:23PM
=============
I missed my flu shot about 10 years ago, & of course I got it.
Never again. My Christmas vacation was ruined I remember that
I couldn't even watch TV because the light of the screen hurt
my eyes too much.
by: Anonymous [reply 49], 10/13/2011 @ 10:26PM
=============
If you live in Ontario then the flu shots are free to all.
They've been doing this for perhaps the last 10 years to see
if they can lessen the demand in emergency rooms during Jan &
Feb when the flu hits hard. Free clinics are set up thruout
the province for everyone who wants to get a shot, can. Also
primary health care providers have them for their patients.
by: Freeley McFreerson [reply 50], 10/13/2011 @ 10:38PM
===========
Wow, a good number of you are completely sold on getting
flu shots. How do you suppose you survived before you started
getting flu shots?
by: Anonymous [reply 51], 10/13/2011 @ 10:42PM
==============
Anybody that claims a "reaction" or a flu-like illness that
lasts a few days immediately after getting the flu shot is
mistaken. When you get a shot, you're usually in a clinic or
pharmacy i.e. places where sick people usually congregate.
You managed to pick up a cold while waiting for your shot.
As many have pointed out already (and this is what I tell
patients), there is quite a difference between a bad cold &
the flu. Patients tell me all the time they don't plan on
getting the flu this season. I reply by telling them that I
don't plan on getting in a car accident on the way home from
work, but it could happen anyway. By getting a flu shot, you
protect both yourself & those around you. If you get the flu,
you can most certainly give it to others before you develop
symptoms. Get yours while it's still early in the season.
by: Anonymous [reply 52], 10/13/2011 @ 10:45PM
==============
[R50], in the USA, nothing is free. I'm surprised the Repubs
haven't instituted a way for the little people to have to pay
for sunshine.
by: Anonymous [reply 53], 10/13/2011 @ 10:46PM
===========
Not only do I not get the flu since starting flu shots, my
sinus infections have lessened considerably. I used to be
good for 3-5 really bad infections a year and I'm down to
maybe 1 & not nearly as bad. Maybe everyone is different but
for me, they have been a godsend.
by: Anonymous [reply 54], 10/13/2011 @ 10:51PM
=============
[R47]: if you have a chronic lung condition like asthma or
COPD/emphysema or are considered immunosuppressed (you have
diabetes, are taking long term corticosteroids, or have HIV
disease, for instance), then you should get pneumovax no
matter what. Your doctor was likely following U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force recommendations, which if memory serves
me correctly, if you don't have the aforementioned conditions,
Pneumovax is indicated for those 55 & over & a second dose
at age 65.
by: R52 [reply 55], 10/13/2011 @ 10:52PM
===========
Ask the Republicans about the uninsured, [R44].
Like many on this thread, I get the flu shot every year --
ever since I got the real flu in college & was sick as a dog
for a week. I don't mean achey & feverish & deciding to stay
in bed. I mean in agony. Pain all the time. fevers. chills.
Misery. Now I get flu shots & never get sick. Never have a
reaction either. It's a complete no-brainer to me. I can't
imagine why anyone would not get one. Even for most with egg
allergies, there is a safe way to get the vaccine.
by: Anonymous [reply 56], 10/13/2011 @ 10:53PM
=============
I just had a physical & the doc said it was up to me whether
to get it. If you're in good health it sucks but it won't
kill you. If you're elderly, diabetic, HIV+, or have any other
reason why your immune system is weakened, flu can kill you.
For those people it's a must. For the people who had the
3 weeks in bed, hallucinating kind of flu, do you have any of
these other conditions? I've had the flu & it was like a cold
with a fever & aches. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't so awful.
And flu vaccines, like any vaccines, are not without risks.
The risks are small, and the benefits outweigh them overall,
but a small number of people do have bad reactions.
by: Anonymous [reply 57], 10/13/2011 @ 10:55PM
===============
This discussion is sort of amusing in a way. Here we have a
community of gay guys who will suck a stranger's cock and
(some) let themselves be topped deep & long. Yet these people
are worried about a flu shot?
by: Anonymous [reply 58], 10/13/2011 @ 10:55PM
===============
""For the people who had the 3 weeks in bed, hallucinating
kind of flu, do you have any of these other conditions?""
No, I was a heavy smoker back in those days, but had no
underlying conditions, I was super healthy & in my late 20's.
I'm sure every strain of flu is different, & this one was just
an extra bad one. But also, I flew while having it & I'm sure
the air pressure changes pushed all kinds of opportunistic
bacteria deep into my ears, sinuses and bronchal tubes that
were already swollen and inflamed with the flu virus. And I'm
sure I probably infected a lot of people on that plane with
my flu as well.... I didn't have a choice, I had to get home,
I had spent the previous 36 hours curled up on the floor of a
concourse and had nowhere to go or anyone there to take care
of me once my friends got on thier planes when the airport
reopened, but I feel bad to this day about spreading it.
by: R-40 [reply 59], 10/13/2011 @ 11:10PM
===============
I've had the flu & it was like a cold with a fever & aches.
It wasn't fun, but it wasn't so awful Most people who have
the flu have a much different experience.
by: Anonymous [reply 60], 10/13/2011 @ 11:11PM
=============
WEHT the days before flu shots?
by: They all died? [reply 61], 10/13/2011 @ 11:19PM
===========
Interesting, [R40]. My g-grandfather died from the 1918 flu
& my grandfather had Parkinson's...hmmmm...
by: Anonymous [reply 62], 10/13/2011 @ 11:23PM
===============
[R61], many did, especially children & the elderly. Google
the Spanish Flu. It was more virulent than normal & killed,
I believe, 18,000,000 worldwide.
by: Anonymous [reply 63], 10/13/2011 @ 11:27PM
===============
In the 1918-20 pandemic, between 3-6% of the population of
the planet died. That's what it was like before the flu shot.
by: Anonymous [reply 64], 10/13/2011 @ 11:31PM
===============
Most major cities that have Gay & Lesbian Community Centers
will give away flu shots as well.
by: Anonymous [reply 65], 10/13/2011 @ 11:31PM
=============
I also heard that the traveling baseball teams helped to
spread the flu. My g-granddad was a "huge" baseball fan.
Supposedly, he went into an ice house to cool off after a game
& then got the flu. "Spanish Flu" never made it down thru the
stories for some reason. I simply looked at the dates and put
it together. Then I saw something, I think it was a PBS show,
that talked about the traveling baseball teams spreading it
around the country.
by: Anonymous [reply 66], 10/13/2011 @ 11:38PM
=============
What a bunch of 98-lb weaklings you all must be! I never get
a flu shot, I rarely even get a cold, & since I've been on
Singulair, I never get sinus infections. But I'm a lesbian.
by: Anonymous [reply 67], 10/14/2011 @ 12:05AM
===============
I've never gotten the flu. I've also never gotten a flu shot.
I get a cold once a year sometimes, but that's it.
by: Anonymous [reply 68], 10/14/2011 @ 12:14A
==============
I'm 49 now & have had the flu exactly ONE time. And I think
I actually came close to dying from it. So all of you who
smugly state you never get shots & despite this never get
the flu are talking thru your ass. It's like people dismissing
wearing seat belts because they have never had a major car
crash. YET. Or continuing to smoke in bed because they have
never fallen asleep and set themselves on fire. YET. Those
things don't happen on a regular basis either asshats, but
when they do.......
by: Anonymous [reply 69], 10/14/2011 @ 12:36AM
==============
The flu used to be just the flu, not something so deadly &
so severe. It seems the definition of the flu & fear of the
flu has changed since the flu shots became popular. And I'm
talking about the flu from the 1940's thru about 2003.
Not talking about 1918.
by: Anonymous [reply 70], 10/14/2011 @ 12:40AM
============
Oh boy, opinions sure generate heat!
by: Anonymous [reply 71], 10/14/2011 @ 12:46AM
=============
Well, some of these posts are opinions, [R71], and some are
science. There's a difference.
by: Anonymous [reply 72], 10/14/2011 @ 12:52AM
==========
just sayin'
[see offsite link on globalresearch.ca]
by: Anonymous [reply 73], 10/14/2011 @ 01:01AM
==============
[R70], you got me curious. From 1930-36, the mortality rate
averaged between 30-40 per 100,000 people. Today it's about
5 per 100,000. Those seemed unusually high. The mortality
rate declines steadily from there & plummets after the war,
during which the first vaccine was introduced and became
increasingly wide spread.
[see offsite link on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
by: Anonymous [reply 74], 10/14/2011 @ 01:05AM
=============
...charlie...?
by: Anonymous [reply 75], 10/14/2011 @ 02:56AM
==============
When you feel sick after a flu shot, it's the aluminum and
mercury in the shot. It's aluminum & mercury poisoning,
folks. Pay the extra for the adjuvant-free shot. Pregnant
women get this.
by: Anonymous [reply 76], 10/14/2011 @ 03:16AM
===============
""It seems the definition of the flu & fear of the flu has
changed since the flu shots became popular. And I'm
talking about the flu from the 1940's thru about 2003.""
Yes, & that could in no way be related to our increased
understanding of virology and population biology.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 77], 10/14/2011 @ 03:34AM
==============
""I'm one of those people who never catches anything that's
going around. I get a cold once a year, but that's it.""
But I did catch the 'flu, 3 years ago. Coincidentally, that
was also the only year I opted to have a 'flu jab. I was in
off work for three weeks, I couldn't get out of bed for days,
it would take me hours to get up the strength to to go to the
bathroom. I have only been that sick and helpless once before
in my life. It took me about six weeks to recover.
Since then, I have decided not to fuck with my immune system...
by: Anonymous [reply 78], 10/14/2011 @ 04:29AM
===========
k
by: Anonymous [reply 79], 10/14/2011 @ 06:39AM
=============
Flu can be avoided (well partly) if everyone adopts good
hygiene. Consistently wash you hands & don't touch your face.
I remember reading that wearing face masks helped prevent the
flu, but it wasn't the fact that face masks stopped people
inhaling flu germs, but that the masks reminded people to
stop touching their faces.
by: Anonymous [reply 80]. 10/14/2011 @ 07:48AM
==============
CHARLIE!!!
by: Anonymous [reply 81], 10/14/2011 @ 08:52AM
=============
The flu used to be just the flu, not something so deadly &
so severe. The viruses mutate. Some years we get milder
strains than others. What scares me are the viruses that are
being created in factory farming settings & travelling from
livestock to humans.
by: Anonymous [reply 82], 10/14/2011 @ 09:15AM
==============
Need a job. A big ole pandemic would be OK.
If I get the flu and die, I won't need a job.
If job slots open up due to widespread pestilence, then I'm
in like Flynn.
by: Mr. Prag Matic [reply 83], 10/14/2011 @ 02:59PM
==============
Encephalitis epidemics appear after flu epidemics. Direct
correlation. Not as many cases of encephalitis as there are
of flu, but a spike in encephalitis occurs.
by: Anonymous [reply 84], 10/14/2011 @ 05:08PM
===============
Link to a modern encephalitis/flu correlation. My grandpa's
10 year old sister came down w/encephalitis as the Spanish
flu pandemic was winding down. She had been a normal child,
but was never the same after the encephalitis and lived her
adult life under the care of nuns in Ireland.
[see offsite link on cid.oxfordjournals.org]
by: Anonymous [reply 85], 10/14/2011 @ 05:14PM
===============
So with the exception of [R78], from this thread I conclude
that people who've never had the flu don't get flu shots, &
people who've had it get shots without hesitation.
by: Anonymous [reply 86], 10/14/2011 @ 05:20PM
==============
When I worked in a clinic, I was told, "Everybody comes in &
tells you they have the flu, or they are getting over flu.
Ask them, 'How many days did you spend in bed?' If it's less
than 3, they didn't have the flu, they had a cold. When people
have the flu, they can't get out of bed for 3 days. Anything
less is a cold." I found this to be true & could soon easily
spot a real flu sufferer.
by: Anonymous [reply 87], 10/14/2011 @ 06:18PM
===============
That's odd [R87], I was told by my doctor that if you're achy
& have a fever, it's usually the flu. But if you have runny
nose & cough (& maybe a slight fever)--it's a cold. I've never
been unable to get out of bed for 3 days but I've been told
I've had the flu. Never got a flu shot. I think it depends on
how strong your immune system is. It affects people differently.
by: Anonymous [reply 88], 10/14/2011 @ 06:30PM
===============
I just can't believe charlie didn't weigh in to this thread.
by: Anonymous [reply 89 ], 10/16/2011 @ 08:45AM
================
I've never had the flu, & I don't want to get the flu shot -
to me, it's introducing viruses that for whatever reason my
immune system seems to be able to fight off. I asked my doctor
& she said I was nuts, but that as I'm basically healthy she
was OK with me not getting the shot, because the flu will make
me sick & miss work but I wouldn't be hospitalized or anything.
She said that if I were to get sick next week it wouldn't be
because of the shot but because this is the time of year that
people get sick, & that there have been enormous studies that
prove the flu shot is effective. I don't know - RiteAid gives
out a booklet of coupons if you get the flu shot there. It
still seems like a huge marketing scam to me.
by: Anonymous [reply 90], 10/16/2011 @ 09:11AM
================
I also find [R87]'s comment odd, because it's possible to get
knocked out by the flu for just 48 hours. In the UK, doctors
often use a money test. You have the flu if someone puts a
five pound note on a table (or on your lawn), but can't make
it out of bed to fetch it. (With inflation, this should
probably be the 'fifty pound note' test now).
by: Anonymous [reply 91], 10/16/2011 @ 09:17AM
===============
.
by: Anonymous [reply 92], 10/17/2011 @ 06:47PM
===============
I contracted bubonic plague off a flu jab. Not worth it.
by: Anonymous [reply 93], 10/17/2011 @ 06:54PM
==============
I'm a diabetic with asthma. The moment the CDC approves a
vaccine, I get it.
by: Anonymous [reply 94], 10/17/2011 @ 07:20PM
==============
Charlie might be sick w/flu & can't respond to this thread.
by: Anonymous [reply 95], 10/17/2011 @ 07:38PM
===============
""I think it depends on how strong your immune system is. It
affects people differently""
In the 1918 pandemic, the people with the strongest immune
systems, i.e., the young and the healthy, died at a higher
rate due to a "cytokine storm." "The 1918 virus killed mostly
healthy adults between the ages of 15 & 45—-people with
generally robust immune systems. It is believed that it was
their robust immune systems that killed them. A cytokine is
a generic term for regulatory molecules (proteins or glyco-
proteins) produced by various immune cells in the course of
a response. A cytokine storm results from an excessive immune
system reaction that damages the body, causing failure of
multiple organ systems
[see offsite link on microbewiki.kenyon.edu]
by: Anonymous [reply 96], 10/17/2011 @ 07:48PM
================
This thread really drew out the crazies. The flu shouldn't
last 6 weeks if your immune system is normal.
by: Anonymous [reply 97], 10/17/2011 @ 07:51PM
================
[R97], my immune system is perfectly fine, but the flu
weakened my immune system and led to pneumonia. That's what
generally kills people. I had never been so sick in my life
nor have I been sick since. Don't under estimate how dangerous
the flu can be.
by: r1 [reply 98], 10/17/2011 @ 08:00PM
================
$10 or $25? Where do you live? CVS in DC is charging $40 for
the shot - I paid $30 last year. It's very irresponsible not
to get the flu shot. You can pass it on even if you don't get
a bad case personally. I would think that at a gay site that
we are more mindful of those with weakened immune systems who
might not survive a bout of flu than we are of ridiculous tin
hat conspiracies. Get your fucking flu shot.
by: Anonymous [reply 99], 10/18/2011 @ 01:03AM
================
Costco in Los Angeles. $20. No insurance necessary.
Getting it through my health plan was five bucks more.
by: Anonymous [reply 100], 10/18/2011 @ 01:07AM
===============
I haven't had the flu as an adult, but I'm down with a cold
right now. I find flu shots suspect because I find our
government suspect.
by: Anonymous [reply 101], 10/18/2011 @ 01:10AM
================
I agree with the poster who said it seems like a scam.
by: Anonymous [reply 102], 10/18/2011 @ 01:17AM
==============
ANDERSON COOPER = GAY SHAME!!!
by: Anonymous [reply 103], 10/18/2011 @ 01:20AM
===============
""CVS in DC is charging $40 for the shot.""
Odd... that a national chain would sell it at different
prices. I got mine yesterday at a CVS in NYC. It cost me
$29.99.
by: no tax [reply 104], 10/18/2011 @ 01:22AM
** Are flu shots worth it? **
I have never, ever had one & I think I've only had a real flu
bug once or twice in my life but recovered fairly quickly
without going to a doctor but I'm constantly worried about
some super flu type thing like the ones you hear about killing
hundreds of thousands of people every century or so. I've also
heard some people can get the flu from them. What's the deal?
by: Anonymous [replies 104], 10/13/2011 @ 02:50PM
==========
I had the flu once & was sick for 6 weeks. I missed a solid
week of work, & for 3 days I could barely tell if it was
day or night. I slept most of the time, crawled to the
bathroom every once in a while & made my way to the kitchen.
I've never been so sick in my life - and now know that every
other cold & bug I ever previously had was nothing close to
the flu. Since then, I get a shot every year. I did have a
weird reaction to this year's shot but more of a discomfort
than anything else. You cannot get the flu from a flu shot.
If you get the flu after it, you were already exposed. It
takes two weeks to kick in.
by: Anonymous [reply 1], 10/13/2011 @ 03:14PM
==========
Every time I've had a flu shot, I've gotten a reaction that
was probably as bad as having the flu anyway. And I don't buy
that old "you were already incubating the flu!" excuse either.
PLUS - you are only being vaccinated against strains that've
been around for a while, not strains that are mutating in
real time. I think flu shots are essentially worthless for
normally healthy people, and taking consistent precautions
will probably serve you just as well. I last had a flu shot
in 2002, immediately had a reaction that lasted about 2 weeks,
& have never had another one - & haven't gotten flu, either.
by: Anonymous [reply 2], 10/13/2011 @ 03:15PM
==========
I used to think they were a waste of time. Then 5 years ago
I got the flu in mid-January. I never really recovered until
the end of April. I went to the Dr almost every week & took
Tamiflu twice. The Dr said I was getting new flu bugs & it
wasn't the same bug but regardless I was in a living hell
almost the entire winter. The next year I got a flu shot &
then each autumn afterwards. Not even a cold (knock wood)
has befalled me. I swear by them.
by: Anonymous [reply 3], 10/13/2011 @ 03:21PM
===========
""Every time I've had a flu shot, I've gotten a reaction
that was probably as bad as having the flu anyway""
No it wasn't. I had real influenza when I was fifteen. It was
bad enough that I wasn't able to get in & out of bed on my own.
I'd never, ever want to go thru that, or wish it on anyone else.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 4], 10/13/2011 @ 03:23PM
===========
The flu shot is concocted with inactive (i.e. pulverized)
viral material from the top 3 flus that are circulating at
the time the vaccine is developed. This year we have the exact
same 3 as last year - this is very rare. You can't get the
flu from the flu shot but you're not going to believe me so
ask your doctor and/or nurse. The purpose of the flu shot is
to alert your immune system to identify & annihilate that
motherfucker the instant you are exposed to it. I work with
the homeless & mistakenly thought I had the flu several times
in my life. My experience was like [R2] however it did not
last weeks. I was shocked at the fatigue & the aches. It was
impossible to work, drive or do anything except moan & bitch &
sleep for at least 3 days. It hit me like a mack truck. I had
the flu one other year when there was a shortage of vaccine.
Maybe I need it more than you because of my risk of exposure
but I'm voting a big FUCK YEA to getting that flu vaccine
& I'll get mine at my 4:15P appt next Thurs.
by: Anonymous [reply 5], 10/13/2011 @ 03:27PM
============
VOTN, do you ever wonder if there's a relationship between
that bad flu and your arthritis?
by: Anonymous [reply 6], 10/13/2011 @ 03:30PM
============
""VOTN, do you ever wonder if there's a relationship between
that bad flu and your arthritis?""
Yes, actually. I don't know that it's actually likely from
what I've learned in Biochemistry, but it's something I've
considered.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 7], 10/13/2011 @ 03:39PM
==========
Are free ones available for silver fox types?
by: Silver Fox Type [reply 8], 10/13/2011 @ 03:44PM
=========
NO, I've never had one & probably won't ever. The health care
industry & pharma corporate greed is posturing to make us all
dependent on their poisons.
by: Anonymous [reply 9], 10/13/2011 @ 03:46PM
=========
VOTN, it seems to be something a lot of us arthritis sufferers
have in common, a memorable bout of flu. I had a physio-
therapist who was convinced there was a connection though she
had no real evidence. Physicians won't go there. When asked,
my doctor said he was more interested in the massive doses of
prednisone I had as a child.
by: Anonymous [reply 10], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
===========
[R9] that's another reason I've always been reluctant plus
the fear that the gov't would pull some experiment on us.
That may sound crazy but I don't trust them at all.
by: OP [reply 11], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
==========
I've never had one & have never gotten the flu. I see no
need to get a shot if you have a good immune system.
by: Anonymous [reply 12], 10/13/2011 @ 03:50PM
===========
this is a thread where i would very much value charlie's
opinion. charlie, do YOU get a shot every year?
by: Anonymous [reply 13], 10/13/2011 @ 03:53PM
==========
I said I had a REACTION, which was PROBABLY as bad as having
the flu. I did not say I have never had the flu, did not say
I didn't know what the flu feels like, and did not mention any
symptoms that would allow you to compare your own symptoms (at
the age of 15) with mine. So stop ASSuming, VOTN. Go get your
flu shot. And then shut up.
by: R2 [reply 14], 10/13/2011 @ 03:54PM
===========
yes. Get the pneumonia shot as well. Lasts 5 years & it is
the best. I used to get pneumonia once a year, but for 6 years
now, no pneumonia. (Got another this year)
by: Anonymous [reply 15], 10/13/2011 @ 03:55PM
===========
One of my teachers died from the Swine Flu vaccine in the 70s.
It was great because she was a heinous bitch.
by: Anonymous [reply 16], 10/13/2011 @ 03:57PM
==========
OP, I haven't had a flu shot in years, and haven't been sick
in years, either.
by: Anonymous [reply 17], 10/13/2011 @ 04:04PM
==========
Op, Seriously, my aunt died from a flu shot at 63. It's a
propagated bunch of crap by the health industry, methinks.
None for me thanks, I have enough physical dependencies, I'll
pass on this one.
by: Anonymous [reply 18[, 10/13/2011 @ 04:20PM
===========
As you get older, whether you get a flu shot or not pretty
much depends on how you feel about dying.
by: Anonymous [reply 19], 10/13/2011 @ 04:24PM
===========
The shot is free at my HMO & I've never had a reaction other
than sometimes very minor itching &/or swelling &/or redness
at the site for a couple days. I've had the flu twice & don't
want it again (104 degree fever last time) -- no guarantees
with the shot, but I see no reason not to take advantage of
whatever protection it offers. I know someone who says that
her grandma died from getting a flu shot, but there's no med
evidence to support that. She may have been allergic & not
known it, or she may have caught the flu before the shot, or
she may have caught something else. As a general proposition,
vaccines don't kill people.
by: Anonymous [reply 20], 10/13/2011 @ 04:35PM
===========
I'm like [R1]. For years, I never bothered to get a flu shot
until I got sick. I literally woke up in the morning feeling
fine and by 1pm could barely get home on the subway because
I was so feverish & sick. I ended up in bed for a week & it
took me another week at home to recover my strength. After
that, I got a flu shot every year (for the last 15 years).
Never had a reaction more than a sore arm & I never got the
severe flu again. But everyone has a different opinion.
by: Anonymous [reply 21], 10/13/2011 @ 04:57PM
=============
Does the flu jab now have the swine flu jab mixed in with it?
by: Anonymous [reply 22], 10/13/2011 @ 05:05PM
==========
For the US, yes. There are two strains of Influenza A & one
of Influenza B, one of which is based on H1N1.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 23], 10/13/2011 @ 05:15PM
===========
Everyone should get a flu shot. And no, no one is allergic or
going to get sick from a flu shot. It's all in your head.
Get your flu shot, goddammit.
by: Anonymous [reply 24], 10/13/2011 @ 05:31PM
===========
Am I so paranoid that I'm the only one who thinks flu shots,
promoted like hell by the US govt, are intended to make us
ill & decrease population faster? I wouldn't get near one.
by: Anonymous [reply 25], 10/13/2011 @ 05:32PM
===========
""And no, no one is allergic or going to get sick
from a flu shot.""
If you're allergic to eggs or feathers, then you can get sick
from the vaccine.
by: Anonymous [reply 26], 10/13/2011 @ 05:34PM
=============
I think [R25]'s tinfoil hat is on a bit too tight.
by: Anonymous [reply 27], 10/13/2011 @ 05:35PM
=============
""Am I so paranoid that I'm the only one who thinks
flu shots, promoted like hell by the US govt, are
intended to make us ill & decrease population faster?
I wouldn't get near one.""
As there are currently 312 million Americans with an
additional one added every 8 seconds, I'd say they're not
doing a very good job.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 28], 10/13/2011 @ 05:56PM
===========
I never got the flu shot. I got the flu in 1999. I've never
been so ill in my life. I got out of bed only to use the
bathroom for a week. I prayed for death. My teeth hurt.
I get the shot annually now.
by: Anonymous [reply 29], 10/13/2011 @ 08:43PM
==========
I always get them. No problems so far. Got one 2 days ago.
by: Anonymous [reply 30], 10/13/2011 @ 08:47PM
===========
charlie???
by: Anonymous [reply 31], 10/13/2011 @ 08:48PM
===========
The U.S. govt gave poisonous shots to soldiers going into
the Gulf wars, and the shots causes extensive nerve damage
rather than protecting the soldiers.
by: Anonymous [reply 32], 10/13/2011 @ 08:52PM
=============
Maybe charlie died from the flu, or from his flu shot?
by: Anonymous [reply 33], 10/13/2011 @ 08:53PM
============
Well, in any case, I had mine a few days ago. I had my normal
sore throat that I always seem to get from it, & it actually
seemed worse than normal, but it cleared up.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 34], 10/13/2011 @ 09:06PM
===========
I've had the flu twice & it was horrible. If you have insurance
it should be covered. If not, it is pretty cheap at a big name
pharmacy. Why suffer when you can prevent it?
by: Anonymous [reply 35], 10/13/2011 @ 09:12PM
===========
I don't get sick days at work, I just get a general vacation
fund that I have to use for sick days and I'll be goddamned
if I'm taking one of those precious days for the goddamned
flu, so I'll take all the flu shots they are handing out.
Been getting them for years and haven't had the flu.
by: Anonymous [reply 36], 10/13/2011 @ 09:28PM
=============
[R36], I bet you got along just fine before the U.S. govt &
U.S. pharma companies started pushing these flu shots upon
everyone.
by: Anonymous [reply 37], 10/13/2011 @ 09:35PM
===========
It's govt mind control. My shot turned me into a republican!
by: Anonymous [reply 38], 10/13/2011 @ 09:46PM
=========
They're now covered when you get 'em at your Dr's office.
Obama's health plan requires this of all medical insurance.
I got one today & when I asked how much, the nurse said these
preventative shots are covered by insurance thanks to Obama's
health care plan. Of course if the Rethugs get this overturned
in the courts, we'll have to pay next year.
by: Anonymous [reply 39], 10/13/2011 @ 09:49PM
===========
As I understand it, there seemed to be a connection between
Parkinson's disease & the Flu pandemic of 1918. A very high
## of Parkinson's victims in nursing homes had survived the
flu. So my guess is a number of chronic diseases typically
afflicting the elderly may actually be after effects of one
flu or another. And yes, anyone who says they get the flu
from the vaccine is likely to have gotten a cold, think it's
the flu & make these proclamations. I had the real flu only
once in my life & I literally thought I was going to die, &
while going thru the worst of it, didn't really care if I did
or not. I started getting sick while on a sking vacation, on
the 3rd day, I got snowed in the airport for 36 hours as it
got worse. By the time I got home, I had a fever of 105,
hallucinations while the fever raged, fainting when I got up
out of bed, joint aches so bad I kept dreaming I'd been in an
auto accident, severe, bed soaking night sweats that lasted
for months & then it all ended up turning into pneumonia after
a month & half. So when people have a case of the sniffles &
say they have the "flu" I think "fuck you candyass". I never
miss getting a vaccination again.
by: Anonymous [reply 40], 10/13/2011 @ 09:52PM
===========
YESSSSSSSSSSS!
by: Anonymous [reply 41], 10/13/2011 @ 09:52PM
===========
I had the "I think I'm gonna die" flu 5 years ago, & it took
weeks to recover. I get a flu shot every year. If you can't
afford them I think you can go to the local health dept & get
it for free or $10. I don't recall ever seeing so many places
to get your shot. They're advertsing it everywhere. The other
thing to consider is your work/living habits. If you're in
contact with the public, or work in an office with a lot of
other people, if you're around kids, or work in a hospital, or
nursing home, or around the elderly, you need to get a shot.
If you eat out a lot you need to get a flu shot. My partner &
I have some lifestyle changes we apply during flu season. We
don't eat out as much. We don't go to the movies or the mall
as much, and we try to avoid crowds. Also, wash your hands.
Sometimes people go to the supermarket and come home, put the
groceries away, and then eat. They never wash their hands!
Buy some of those Lysol anti-bacteria wipes for your bathroom
& kitchen counters. Use it for the phones in your office, too.
If you do get sick get rid of your toothbrush as soon as you
are past your crisis. In fact, brush your teeth a lot, & keep
your hands away from your face. Bacteria and germs get into
your blood stream from your teeth. I've been well for 5 years,
& I never want to get sick like that again. It was scary.
by: Anonymous [reply 42], 10/13/2011 @ 09:53PM
===========
Flu shots aren't a big moneymaker for the pharma companies.
by: Anonymous [reply 43], 10/13/2011 @ 09:54PM
===========
[R39]--what about the uninsured -- are they supposed to die?
by: Anonymous [reply 44], 10/13/2011 @ 09:55PM
===========
The uninsured are the ones who need it most. Spend $10 or $25
now & avoid being rushed to the hospital with pneumonia. Or
worse. As I said, check with local health dept offices to see
if they offer them for free. Everyone should get one. Oh. I
forgot one other thing. Travel. Air travel is a really bad
prospect in flu season. Many of us will travel. Be careful
about hygiene. I carry a pack of anti-bacterial wipes in my
pocket. I rarely eat on the plane & I drink a lot of bottled
water once I get off the plane.
by: R42 [reply 45], 10/13/2011 @ 10:08PM
==============
Most pharmacies give the vaccine for about $25 if you're not
covered. Compared to the cost of being out of work and not
covered it's a bargain. People who've had the flu get a flu
shot. They never want to be that sick again. I don't have
time to get sick. If my business slows down I will go under
so I have to be healthy.
by: Anonymous [reply 46], 10/13/2011 @ 10:08PM
===========
[R15], I asked about a pneumonia shot, but was told you have
to be (everyone take a deep breath) at least 65 or older. So
needless to say, I did not get a pneumonia shot, but I get a
flu shot every year after having the flu so bad that I was
sick for 2 months and my husband barely recognized me. I felt
like one of the living dead. Since taking the shot, I've not
even had a cold.
by: Anonymous [reply 47], 10/13/2011 @ 10:18PM
=============
[R47], you need a new doctor. Anyone who asks their physician
should be able to get the PPV vaccine. You don't need to be
65 or older. If anyone is a smoker, they should definitely
get it. And if you do ever get a severe form of flu, the PPV
vaccine can protect you from dying of complications or being
admitted to a hospital.
by: Anonymous [reply 48], 10/13/2011 @ 10:23PM
=============
I missed my flu shot about 10 years ago, & of course I got it.
Never again. My Christmas vacation was ruined I remember that
I couldn't even watch TV because the light of the screen hurt
my eyes too much.
by: Anonymous [reply 49], 10/13/2011 @ 10:26PM
=============
If you live in Ontario then the flu shots are free to all.
They've been doing this for perhaps the last 10 years to see
if they can lessen the demand in emergency rooms during Jan &
Feb when the flu hits hard. Free clinics are set up thruout
the province for everyone who wants to get a shot, can. Also
primary health care providers have them for their patients.
by: Freeley McFreerson [reply 50], 10/13/2011 @ 10:38PM
===========
Wow, a good number of you are completely sold on getting
flu shots. How do you suppose you survived before you started
getting flu shots?
by: Anonymous [reply 51], 10/13/2011 @ 10:42PM
==============
Anybody that claims a "reaction" or a flu-like illness that
lasts a few days immediately after getting the flu shot is
mistaken. When you get a shot, you're usually in a clinic or
pharmacy i.e. places where sick people usually congregate.
You managed to pick up a cold while waiting for your shot.
As many have pointed out already (and this is what I tell
patients), there is quite a difference between a bad cold &
the flu. Patients tell me all the time they don't plan on
getting the flu this season. I reply by telling them that I
don't plan on getting in a car accident on the way home from
work, but it could happen anyway. By getting a flu shot, you
protect both yourself & those around you. If you get the flu,
you can most certainly give it to others before you develop
symptoms. Get yours while it's still early in the season.
by: Anonymous [reply 52], 10/13/2011 @ 10:45PM
==============
[R50], in the USA, nothing is free. I'm surprised the Repubs
haven't instituted a way for the little people to have to pay
for sunshine.
by: Anonymous [reply 53], 10/13/2011 @ 10:46PM
===========
Not only do I not get the flu since starting flu shots, my
sinus infections have lessened considerably. I used to be
good for 3-5 really bad infections a year and I'm down to
maybe 1 & not nearly as bad. Maybe everyone is different but
for me, they have been a godsend.
by: Anonymous [reply 54], 10/13/2011 @ 10:51PM
=============
[R47]: if you have a chronic lung condition like asthma or
COPD/emphysema or are considered immunosuppressed (you have
diabetes, are taking long term corticosteroids, or have HIV
disease, for instance), then you should get pneumovax no
matter what. Your doctor was likely following U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force recommendations, which if memory serves
me correctly, if you don't have the aforementioned conditions,
Pneumovax is indicated for those 55 & over & a second dose
at age 65.
by: R52 [reply 55], 10/13/2011 @ 10:52PM
===========
Ask the Republicans about the uninsured, [R44].
Like many on this thread, I get the flu shot every year --
ever since I got the real flu in college & was sick as a dog
for a week. I don't mean achey & feverish & deciding to stay
in bed. I mean in agony. Pain all the time. fevers. chills.
Misery. Now I get flu shots & never get sick. Never have a
reaction either. It's a complete no-brainer to me. I can't
imagine why anyone would not get one. Even for most with egg
allergies, there is a safe way to get the vaccine.
by: Anonymous [reply 56], 10/13/2011 @ 10:53PM
=============
I just had a physical & the doc said it was up to me whether
to get it. If you're in good health it sucks but it won't
kill you. If you're elderly, diabetic, HIV+, or have any other
reason why your immune system is weakened, flu can kill you.
For those people it's a must. For the people who had the
3 weeks in bed, hallucinating kind of flu, do you have any of
these other conditions? I've had the flu & it was like a cold
with a fever & aches. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't so awful.
And flu vaccines, like any vaccines, are not without risks.
The risks are small, and the benefits outweigh them overall,
but a small number of people do have bad reactions.
by: Anonymous [reply 57], 10/13/2011 @ 10:55PM
===============
This discussion is sort of amusing in a way. Here we have a
community of gay guys who will suck a stranger's cock and
(some) let themselves be topped deep & long. Yet these people
are worried about a flu shot?
by: Anonymous [reply 58], 10/13/2011 @ 10:55PM
===============
""For the people who had the 3 weeks in bed, hallucinating
kind of flu, do you have any of these other conditions?""
No, I was a heavy smoker back in those days, but had no
underlying conditions, I was super healthy & in my late 20's.
I'm sure every strain of flu is different, & this one was just
an extra bad one. But also, I flew while having it & I'm sure
the air pressure changes pushed all kinds of opportunistic
bacteria deep into my ears, sinuses and bronchal tubes that
were already swollen and inflamed with the flu virus. And I'm
sure I probably infected a lot of people on that plane with
my flu as well.... I didn't have a choice, I had to get home,
I had spent the previous 36 hours curled up on the floor of a
concourse and had nowhere to go or anyone there to take care
of me once my friends got on thier planes when the airport
reopened, but I feel bad to this day about spreading it.
by: R-40 [reply 59], 10/13/2011 @ 11:10PM
===============
I've had the flu & it was like a cold with a fever & aches.
It wasn't fun, but it wasn't so awful Most people who have
the flu have a much different experience.
by: Anonymous [reply 60], 10/13/2011 @ 11:11PM
=============
WEHT the days before flu shots?
by: They all died? [reply 61], 10/13/2011 @ 11:19PM
===========
Interesting, [R40]. My g-grandfather died from the 1918 flu
& my grandfather had Parkinson's...hmmmm...
by: Anonymous [reply 62], 10/13/2011 @ 11:23PM
===============
[R61], many did, especially children & the elderly. Google
the Spanish Flu. It was more virulent than normal & killed,
I believe, 18,000,000 worldwide.
by: Anonymous [reply 63], 10/13/2011 @ 11:27PM
===============
In the 1918-20 pandemic, between 3-6% of the population of
the planet died. That's what it was like before the flu shot.
by: Anonymous [reply 64], 10/13/2011 @ 11:31PM
===============
Most major cities that have Gay & Lesbian Community Centers
will give away flu shots as well.
by: Anonymous [reply 65], 10/13/2011 @ 11:31PM
=============
I also heard that the traveling baseball teams helped to
spread the flu. My g-granddad was a "huge" baseball fan.
Supposedly, he went into an ice house to cool off after a game
& then got the flu. "Spanish Flu" never made it down thru the
stories for some reason. I simply looked at the dates and put
it together. Then I saw something, I think it was a PBS show,
that talked about the traveling baseball teams spreading it
around the country.
by: Anonymous [reply 66], 10/13/2011 @ 11:38PM
=============
What a bunch of 98-lb weaklings you all must be! I never get
a flu shot, I rarely even get a cold, & since I've been on
Singulair, I never get sinus infections. But I'm a lesbian.
by: Anonymous [reply 67], 10/14/2011 @ 12:05AM
===============
I've never gotten the flu. I've also never gotten a flu shot.
I get a cold once a year sometimes, but that's it.
by: Anonymous [reply 68], 10/14/2011 @ 12:14A
==============
I'm 49 now & have had the flu exactly ONE time. And I think
I actually came close to dying from it. So all of you who
smugly state you never get shots & despite this never get
the flu are talking thru your ass. It's like people dismissing
wearing seat belts because they have never had a major car
crash. YET. Or continuing to smoke in bed because they have
never fallen asleep and set themselves on fire. YET. Those
things don't happen on a regular basis either asshats, but
when they do.......
by: Anonymous [reply 69], 10/14/2011 @ 12:36AM
==============
The flu used to be just the flu, not something so deadly &
so severe. It seems the definition of the flu & fear of the
flu has changed since the flu shots became popular. And I'm
talking about the flu from the 1940's thru about 2003.
Not talking about 1918.
by: Anonymous [reply 70], 10/14/2011 @ 12:40AM
============
Oh boy, opinions sure generate heat!
by: Anonymous [reply 71], 10/14/2011 @ 12:46AM
=============
Well, some of these posts are opinions, [R71], and some are
science. There's a difference.
by: Anonymous [reply 72], 10/14/2011 @ 12:52AM
==========
just sayin'
[see offsite link on globalresearch.ca]
by: Anonymous [reply 73], 10/14/2011 @ 01:01AM
==============
[R70], you got me curious. From 1930-36, the mortality rate
averaged between 30-40 per 100,000 people. Today it's about
5 per 100,000. Those seemed unusually high. The mortality
rate declines steadily from there & plummets after the war,
during which the first vaccine was introduced and became
increasingly wide spread.
[see offsite link on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
by: Anonymous [reply 74], 10/14/2011 @ 01:05AM
=============
...charlie...?
by: Anonymous [reply 75], 10/14/2011 @ 02:56AM
==============
When you feel sick after a flu shot, it's the aluminum and
mercury in the shot. It's aluminum & mercury poisoning,
folks. Pay the extra for the adjuvant-free shot. Pregnant
women get this.
by: Anonymous [reply 76], 10/14/2011 @ 03:16AM
===============
""It seems the definition of the flu & fear of the flu has
changed since the flu shots became popular. And I'm
talking about the flu from the 1940's thru about 2003.""
Yes, & that could in no way be related to our increased
understanding of virology and population biology.
by: The Voice of the Night [reply 77], 10/14/2011 @ 03:34AM
==============
""I'm one of those people who never catches anything that's
going around. I get a cold once a year, but that's it.""
But I did catch the 'flu, 3 years ago. Coincidentally, that
was also the only year I opted to have a 'flu jab. I was in
off work for three weeks, I couldn't get out of bed for days,
it would take me hours to get up the strength to to go to the
bathroom. I have only been that sick and helpless once before
in my life. It took me about six weeks to recover.
Since then, I have decided not to fuck with my immune system...
by: Anonymous [reply 78], 10/14/2011 @ 04:29AM
===========
k
by: Anonymous [reply 79], 10/14/2011 @ 06:39AM
=============
Flu can be avoided (well partly) if everyone adopts good
hygiene. Consistently wash you hands & don't touch your face.
I remember reading that wearing face masks helped prevent the
flu, but it wasn't the fact that face masks stopped people
inhaling flu germs, but that the masks reminded people to
stop touching their faces.
by: Anonymous [reply 80]. 10/14/2011 @ 07:48AM
==============
CHARLIE!!!
by: Anonymous [reply 81], 10/14/2011 @ 08:52AM
=============
The flu used to be just the flu, not something so deadly &
so severe. The viruses mutate. Some years we get milder
strains than others. What scares me are the viruses that are
being created in factory farming settings & travelling from
livestock to humans.
by: Anonymous [reply 82], 10/14/2011 @ 09:15AM
==============
Need a job. A big ole pandemic would be OK.
If I get the flu and die, I won't need a job.
If job slots open up due to widespread pestilence, then I'm
in like Flynn.
by: Mr. Prag Matic [reply 83], 10/14/2011 @ 02:59PM
==============
Encephalitis epidemics appear after flu epidemics. Direct
correlation. Not as many cases of encephalitis as there are
of flu, but a spike in encephalitis occurs.
by: Anonymous [reply 84], 10/14/2011 @ 05:08PM
===============
Link to a modern encephalitis/flu correlation. My grandpa's
10 year old sister came down w/encephalitis as the Spanish
flu pandemic was winding down. She had been a normal child,
but was never the same after the encephalitis and lived her
adult life under the care of nuns in Ireland.
[see offsite link on cid.oxfordjournals.org]
by: Anonymous [reply 85], 10/14/2011 @ 05:14PM
===============
So with the exception of [R78], from this thread I conclude
that people who've never had the flu don't get flu shots, &
people who've had it get shots without hesitation.
by: Anonymous [reply 86], 10/14/2011 @ 05:20PM
==============
When I worked in a clinic, I was told, "Everybody comes in &
tells you they have the flu, or they are getting over flu.
Ask them, 'How many days did you spend in bed?' If it's less
than 3, they didn't have the flu, they had a cold. When people
have the flu, they can't get out of bed for 3 days. Anything
less is a cold." I found this to be true & could soon easily
spot a real flu sufferer.
by: Anonymous [reply 87], 10/14/2011 @ 06:18PM
===============
That's odd [R87], I was told by my doctor that if you're achy
& have a fever, it's usually the flu. But if you have runny
nose & cough (& maybe a slight fever)--it's a cold. I've never
been unable to get out of bed for 3 days but I've been told
I've had the flu. Never got a flu shot. I think it depends on
how strong your immune system is. It affects people differently.
by: Anonymous [reply 88], 10/14/2011 @ 06:30PM
===============
I just can't believe charlie didn't weigh in to this thread.
by: Anonymous [reply 89 ], 10/16/2011 @ 08:45AM
================
I've never had the flu, & I don't want to get the flu shot -
to me, it's introducing viruses that for whatever reason my
immune system seems to be able to fight off. I asked my doctor
& she said I was nuts, but that as I'm basically healthy she
was OK with me not getting the shot, because the flu will make
me sick & miss work but I wouldn't be hospitalized or anything.
She said that if I were to get sick next week it wouldn't be
because of the shot but because this is the time of year that
people get sick, & that there have been enormous studies that
prove the flu shot is effective. I don't know - RiteAid gives
out a booklet of coupons if you get the flu shot there. It
still seems like a huge marketing scam to me.
by: Anonymous [reply 90], 10/16/2011 @ 09:11AM
================
I also find [R87]'s comment odd, because it's possible to get
knocked out by the flu for just 48 hours. In the UK, doctors
often use a money test. You have the flu if someone puts a
five pound note on a table (or on your lawn), but can't make
it out of bed to fetch it. (With inflation, this should
probably be the 'fifty pound note' test now).
by: Anonymous [reply 91], 10/16/2011 @ 09:17AM
===============
.
by: Anonymous [reply 92], 10/17/2011 @ 06:47PM
===============
I contracted bubonic plague off a flu jab. Not worth it.
by: Anonymous [reply 93], 10/17/2011 @ 06:54PM
==============
I'm a diabetic with asthma. The moment the CDC approves a
vaccine, I get it.
by: Anonymous [reply 94], 10/17/2011 @ 07:20PM
==============
Charlie might be sick w/flu & can't respond to this thread.
by: Anonymous [reply 95], 10/17/2011 @ 07:38PM
===============
""I think it depends on how strong your immune system is. It
affects people differently""
In the 1918 pandemic, the people with the strongest immune
systems, i.e., the young and the healthy, died at a higher
rate due to a "cytokine storm." "The 1918 virus killed mostly
healthy adults between the ages of 15 & 45—-people with
generally robust immune systems. It is believed that it was
their robust immune systems that killed them. A cytokine is
a generic term for regulatory molecules (proteins or glyco-
proteins) produced by various immune cells in the course of
a response. A cytokine storm results from an excessive immune
system reaction that damages the body, causing failure of
multiple organ systems
[see offsite link on microbewiki.kenyon.edu]
by: Anonymous [reply 96], 10/17/2011 @ 07:48PM
================
This thread really drew out the crazies. The flu shouldn't
last 6 weeks if your immune system is normal.
by: Anonymous [reply 97], 10/17/2011 @ 07:51PM
================
[R97], my immune system is perfectly fine, but the flu
weakened my immune system and led to pneumonia. That's what
generally kills people. I had never been so sick in my life
nor have I been sick since. Don't under estimate how dangerous
the flu can be.
by: r1 [reply 98], 10/17/2011 @ 08:00PM
================
$10 or $25? Where do you live? CVS in DC is charging $40 for
the shot - I paid $30 last year. It's very irresponsible not
to get the flu shot. You can pass it on even if you don't get
a bad case personally. I would think that at a gay site that
we are more mindful of those with weakened immune systems who
might not survive a bout of flu than we are of ridiculous tin
hat conspiracies. Get your fucking flu shot.
by: Anonymous [reply 99], 10/18/2011 @ 01:03AM
================
Costco in Los Angeles. $20. No insurance necessary.
Getting it through my health plan was five bucks more.
by: Anonymous [reply 100], 10/18/2011 @ 01:07AM
===============
I haven't had the flu as an adult, but I'm down with a cold
right now. I find flu shots suspect because I find our
government suspect.
by: Anonymous [reply 101], 10/18/2011 @ 01:10AM
================
I agree with the poster who said it seems like a scam.
by: Anonymous [reply 102], 10/18/2011 @ 01:17AM
==============
ANDERSON COOPER = GAY SHAME!!!
by: Anonymous [reply 103], 10/18/2011 @ 01:20AM
===============
""CVS in DC is charging $40 for the shot.""
Odd... that a national chain would sell it at different
prices. I got mine yesterday at a CVS in NYC. It cost me
$29.99.
by: no tax [reply 104], 10/18/2011 @ 01:22AM
Ken Johnson
Nov 15, 2012, 8:04:26 AM11/15/12
to
I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't died of flue. So it works.
Ken Johnson
Ken Johnson
Nikolai Kingsley
Nov 15, 2012, 8:43:38 AM11/15/12
to
>> ** Are flue shots worth it? **
>
> I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't died of flue. So it works.
i got a flue shot last year.
> I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't died of flue. So it works.
a few months after that, i got the flue. the kind that almost kills you.
obviously, i need Scottish flue shots, 'cause the australian ones are CRAP.
--
no chimbley jokes pls.
Stephen Oakes
Nov 16, 2012, 5:15:18 AM11/16/12
to
On 16/11/12 12:04 AM, Ken Johnson wrote:
>> ** Are flu shots worth it? **
>
> I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't died of flue. So it works.
Queue Eee Dee
>> ** Are flu shots worth it? **
>
> I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't died of flue. So it works.
- soakes
Lord Infomouse
Nov 16, 2012, 9:45:04 AM11/16/12
to
--
Prick your finger it is done
The moon has now eclipsed the sun
The angel has spread its wings
The time has come for bigger things
Nikolai Kingsley
Nov 16, 2012, 10:47:05 AM11/16/12
to
>> I get mine free on the Scottish National Health Service and I haven't
>> died of flue. So it works.
>
> Queue Eee Dee
elsie
Nov 18, 2012, 12:12:24 PM11/18/12
to
The hospital made me get one on account of I go and play soothing lascivious lute music in chemotherapy every week. There they all are, there in chemo, getting all infused, many of whom must be having bad days, some with completely destroyed immune systems; and here I am tickling my lute so to soothe patients and staff ..
The director asked me, 'Ever have a flu shot?'
I shook my head.
He led me to an office, past offices, more offices, and into a little tiny corner office where I was well and truly poink'd by someone with lots and lots of poinking experience.
They're gonna expand the program, I hear. More players, more days. Woot.
love,
Elsie
in my tree
The director asked me, 'Ever have a flu shot?'
I shook my head.
He led me to an office, past offices, more offices, and into a little tiny corner office where I was well and truly poink'd by someone with lots and lots of poinking experience.
They're gonna expand the program, I hear. More players, more days. Woot.
love,
Elsie
in my tree
Nikolai Kingsley
Nov 18, 2012, 7:17:08 PM11/18/12
to
> They're gonna expand the program, I hear. More players, more days. Woot.
>
Scott Dorsey
Nov 20, 2012, 1:10:36 PM11/20/12
to
elsie <elsib...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>He led me to an office, past offices, more offices, and into a little tiny =
>corner office where I was well and truly poink'd by someone with lots and l=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL56LHN04YM
There is a story behind this video. I don't know what it is, but I
am sure it is fascinating. It seems to be factually correct which is
possibly the most disturbing part.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
>
>He led me to an office, past offices, more offices, and into a little tiny =
>corner office where I was well and truly poink'd by someone with lots and l=
>ots of poinking experience.
>
>They're gonna expand the program, I hear. More players, more days. Woot.
When I read many posts about hospitals, I think of this:
>
>They're gonna expand the program, I hear. More players, more days. Woot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL56LHN04YM
There is a story behind this video. I don't know what it is, but I
am sure it is fascinating. It seems to be factually correct which is
possibly the most disturbing part.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
GaryD
Nov 25, 2012, 6:23:13 PM11/25/12
to
1982, off the coast of Iran, 5000+ sailors and civilians on the Eisenhower were ordered to take flu shots.
5000+ got the flu. It was a sick ship. We ran out of toilet paper. Ship left operational (GONZO) station and hunkered down near Diego Garcia (KERMIT) station for two weeks.
Haven't had the flu since, no shots needed.
GaryD
-glowing in the dark not withstanding
5000+ got the flu. It was a sick ship. We ran out of toilet paper. Ship left operational (GONZO) station and hunkered down near Diego Garcia (KERMIT) station for two weeks.
Haven't had the flu since, no shots needed.
GaryD
-glowing in the dark not withstanding
0 new messages