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Flu vaccines are a guessing game - they try to guess what strain of flu is going to hit the US each winter and crank out that vaccine. But the influenza virus mutates very fast so often the vaccine is not the right one anyway.
Good point. But I think they are correct most of the time, though I've never seen any statistics on that.
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Is it possible that the flu shot focuses your immune system on certain strains of flu, causing it to ignore other strains, thereby making you more vulnerable to those other strains?
Is it possible that a person who is almost immune to a certain strain of flu, but catches that strain, might get some symptoms for 24 hours before the immune system gets rid of the virus? And that might cause the flu to become a 24 hour virus?
The above speculation is based only on logic, not on knowledge or educated guessing. I'm hoping people who know more might help speculate better.
Oh I can recall in my long life, a 24 hr flu like condition.
And I am 99.99% sure it was not flu as caused by the influenza virus, but another "Influenza-like illness". Many viruses cause very similar symptoms, particularly fever, headache and body aches.
And I am 99.99% sure it was not flu as caused by the influenza virus, but another "Influenza-like illness". Many viruses cause very similar symptoms, particularly fever, headache and body aches.
I don't care what kind it was, it was a 24 hr unwell flu feeling.
I get it some years, other years not. It seems to make no difference in whether I get the flu or not, but the Dr. claims it does, so I will take his word for it. Some years I do get the flu shot and do not get the flu, other times I do. Some years I do not get the flu shot and do not get the flu, other times I do.
It was funny this year, when the nurse gave me the shot she said I would get flu like symptoms - a mild fever etc, and if it lasted longer than 3 days I should come back in. I told her I never get symptoms form the flu shot. She said, "this year you will." I did. Is there something about this year's shot that give people symptoms more than other years?
Is it possible that the flu shot focuses your immune system on certain strains of flu, causing it to ignore other strains, thereby making you more vulnerable to those other strains?
Is it possible that a person who is almost immune to a certain strain of flu, but catches that strain, might get some symptoms for 24 hours before the immune system gets rid of the virus? And that might cause the flu to become a 24 hour virus?
The above speculation is based only on logic, not on knowledge or educated guessing. I'm hoping people who know more might help speculate better.
Your first question concerns the possibility of the vaccine selecting out other strains. There was a study in Canada that suggested that having had the regular seasonal flu vaccine the year before increased the risk of getting the H1N1 strain the next year, but when they looked for that effect they could not find it in other countries.
People who get the flu after vaccination do tend to have milder disease. I have heard one infectious disease expert say that people who are vaccinated do not end up in his ICU. That may be hyperbole, but the vaccine is useful even though it is less effective than other vaccines.
I don't care what kind it was, it was a 24 hr unwell flu feeling.
Come on - what does "unwell flu feeling" mean? If we're going to be THAT imprecise let's lump all viruses and infections together (cold-like, flu-like, fever-like, stomach-like, intestine-like, anything-like) and say you've got the "smuk"! There's no point trying to talk and disagree with each other when we include every ill known to man.
Last edited by Katarina Witt; 10-18-2016 at 02:33 PM..
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