[gmdealerguy]

7 People in my job have had the flu over the last 2 weeks. One of my direct employees had it last week. My wife is a pre-school teacher and kids are germ factories. I am a little nervous about this outbreak I will admit....I have been sick on and off but no flu......I have never had the flu shot in my life and I don't plan on getting it. We are in New Haven County which seems to have a lot of cases.

[parentologist]

Last time I had influenza was in 1993. Every year since then, I've had either the nose spray or the shot, and I've never gotten the flu since, even though I have intensive exposure throughout flu season. I somehow think that it's because I've had the shot for so many years, that I've been immunized against many strains of the virus - about 100 strains, over the years. But theoretically, the immunity should wane. And yet, 25 years of no flu, while being intensively exposed?

[LMPA]

I did not get the flu shot, and I have not gotten the flu. I think the last time I got the shot was 2 or 3 years ago?

My husband always get a flu shot, and has not gotten the flu.

We have managed to bypass any colds/stomach bugs as well.

I wash my hands the minute I get home from the outside world, and hope that it helps keep me healthy.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by LMPA

I did not get the flu shot, and I have not gotten the flu. I think the last time I got the shot was 2 or 3 years ago?

My husband always get a flu shot, and has not gotten the flu.

We have managed to bypass any colds/stomach bugs as well.

I wash my hands the minute I get home from the outside world, and hope that it helps keep me healthy.

You have to quit breathing to avoid exposure. Of course, good handwashing is beneficial. It just won't do much to keep you from getting the flu.

[Lalalally]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

No, the manufacturers don't just guess. Here is the process: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season...-selection.htm
It's a long article, here's a selection: "More than 100 national influenza centers in over 100 countries conduct year-round surveillance for influenza. This involves receiving and testing thousands of influenza virus samples from patients. The laboratories send representative viruses to five World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Influenza, which are located in the following places:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC);
London, United Kingdom (The Francis Crick Institute);
Melbourne, Australia (Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory);
Tokyo, Japan (National Institute for Infectious Diseases); and
Beijing, China (National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention).
Twice a year, the World Health Organization (WHO) organizes a consultation with the Directors of the WHO Collaborating Centers, essential regulatory laboratories and representatives of key national laboratories and academies. They review the results of surveillance, laboratory, and clinical studies, and the availability of vaccine viruses and make recommendations on the composition of the influenza vaccine. These meetings take place in February for selection of the upcoming Northern Hemisphere’s seasonal influenza vaccine and in September for the Southern Hemisphere’s vaccine. WHO recommends specific vaccine viruses for inclusion in influenza vaccines, but then each country makes their own decision about which viruses should be included in influenza vaccines licensed in their country.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes the final decision about vaccine viruses for influenza vaccines to be sold in the U.S."
(Mod: This is a govt. site so I can quote more than 3 sentences.)

As you can see, that's a little more than guessing.

Also, this year's main circulating strain is A-H3N2 and it is in the vaccine. It is thought to have mutated since the vaccine was made, plus it's thought to have mutated while being grown in the eggs.

Even so, the A-H3N2 has been found to be 25% effective overall, and higher for kids.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6706a2.htm

I was using that term loosely. It is an educated estimation based on research. Thanks for all the cites.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Lalalally

I was using that term loosely. It is an educated estimation based on research. Thanks for all the cites.

You're welcome. It just bugs me, as a health care provider with a public health background, to hear people saying the flu vaccine is a "guesstimate". In a way that's true, but it's way more than throwing darts at a target and saying "that's the flu vaccine for this year", or even "I guess it's going to be the year for "XYZ" flu to predominate.

[KH02]

None of us get the flu shot and none of us got the flu (knock on wood).

I have my kids wash their hands as soon as they come home from school and have my husband do the same when he comes from work. We have had a few colds that were pretty mild but so far so good.

We have a friend with a family of 6 and they all got flu shots and then were all hit by the flu months later...I felt bad for them.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by BPt111

Nearly 100 as died as result of flu so far this flu season and numbers are increasing every week ? Did you get sick this season ? It deadliest flu deaths since 2009 Fairfield County is leading the state followed by New Haven County.

Connecticut flu deaths rise again with 97 now dead | WTNH Connecticut News

There's no escape.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm

[CTartist]

Japan Just Approved a New Drug That Can Kill the Flu Virus In Just One Day.

Japan Approves Tamiflu Rival That Kills Flu Virus In One Day | Fortune

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by CTartist

Japan Just Approved a New Drug That Can Kill the Flu Virus In Just One Day.

Japan Approves Tamiflu Rival That Kills Flu Virus In One Day | Fortune

That article seems a bit hyperbolic. How does it ‘kill’ a virus (not alive to begin with).