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Nice fear-mongering with the reference to "The Plague".
At this point we still have freedom of choice as far as what goes into our bodies. Those who are "at risk" or those whom live/work in conditions such as to increase their chances of getting the flu, should exercise their choices appropriately. Those who are not at risk and do not expose themselves to ill people or germ factories should not be chastized for their decision to opt out of the immunization. You sound like a baaaaaaaaa-ing sheep upset because some don't follow the herd mentality.
Fear-mongering? I would think it was a rather reasonable comparison.
The Spanish Flu infected 30 % of mankind and killed 3 % of the human species. 50 million people. The Black Death outbreak killed about 20 % of mankind, about 125 million people. While the Black Death was undoubtedly the worse one, they were in the same class.
Also, "Plague" is a synonym for pandemic, something the Spanish Flu certainly was. A plague.
Also, the "herd" comparison is interesting. You are familiar with the concept of" herd immunity"? The more people in a group are disease-immune, the less opportunity the disease has for spreading. The Herd Immunity Treshold for measels, for example, is between 83-94%. Once that many in a population is immune, the disease hits the wall. It can't spread.
Once less people than that are immune, the disease can spread, and will. Occasionally hitting someone very vulnerable.
That brings up the point that if you catch a disease, you also spread it. Even if you feel you are healthy and tough, and can survive easily. Even before you come down with the symptoms, you'll be spreading the disease.
In the office, in the shop, on the street, on the subway...lots of the people you come into contact with are going to be old, newborn, or sick.
Being a Thyphoid Mary to show how tough you are is not cool.
Fear-mongering? I would think it was a rather reasonable comparison.
The Spanish Flu infected 30 % of mankind and killed 3 % of the human species. 50 million people. The Black Death outbreak killed about 20 % of mankind, about 125 million people. While the Black Death was undoubtedly the worse one, they were in the same class.
Also, "Plague" is a synonym for pandemic, something the Spanish Flu certainly was. A plague.
Also, the "herd" comparison is interesting. You are familiar with the concept of" herd immunity"? The more people in a group are disease-immune, the less opportunity the disease has for spreading. The Herd Immunity Threshold for measles, for example, is between 83-94%. Once that many in a population is immune, the disease hits the wall. It can't spread.
Once less people than that are immune, the disease can spread, and will. Occasionally hitting someone very vulnerable.
That brings up the point that if you catch a disease, you also spread it. Even if you feel you are healthy and tough, and can survive easily. Even before you come down with the symptoms, you'll be spreading the disease.
In the office, in the shop, on the street, on the subway...lots of the people you come into contact with are going to be old, newborn, or sick.
Being a Typhoid Mary to show how tough you are is not cool.
Excellent comments that make points not brought up before. I'd rep you but gotta spread it around first.
Due to a shortage of vaccines in our area last year we did not get a flu shot, and everyone in my family contracted swine flu (from school). My husband, son, and I had the usual flu symptoms, one week of feeling miserable, but my then 6 year-old was desperately ill for close to 4 eeks. People can minimize the flu all they want, but let's not forget that 25,000 people a year die from the flu.
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorthy
This is exactly how I feel about the flu shot. I am not in a high risk group. If I get the flu, I get the flu. I'm not going to worry about it.
Exactly my outlook. I've never had a flu shot and have contracted what I suspect to be an actual case of influenza (as opposed to a bad cold, which I think is what a lot of people call influenza) twice. It simply isn't that much of a concern for me. If I get it I'll be low for a week, and I've only spent two weeks low in my entire life.
Exactly my outlook. I've never had a flu shot and have contracted what I suspect to be an actual case of influenza (as opposed to a bad cold, which I think is what a lot of people call influenza) twice. It simply isn't that much of a concern for me. If I get it I'll be low for a week, and I've only spent two weeks low in my entire life.
Is it a concern for your family, friends and co workers....you know all those other people you will be infecting while you are "feeling low"?
Is it a concern for your family, friends and co workers....you know all those other people you will be infecting while you are "feeling low"?
Exactly. The neighbor with the newborn grandbaby. The co-worker on chemo, and on it goes. People are so incredibly selfish, they have no clue what the implications are regarding infectious diseases.
I'm much more worried about catching head lice from the boss's kid, after the boss brings her kid to work because of the risk of head lice in her elementary school. I am MUCH more worried about the boss coughing her brains out and getting me sick with a cold, all because her mama never made her cover her mouth when she coughs. I am FAR more worried about the lady at the fast food joint whose daughter is sitting there with pink-eye and smearing her french-fry-greasy fingers all over the counter where the cashier is about to put my take-out bag.
There are SO many more problems worth worrying about that are now, actual, really occurring, visible, in your face, and caused by morons who absolutely refuse to keep their *obviously* infected children and selves out of the public...that the very vague, incredibly low risk of catching the flu doesn't even make it to my top 10 list.
There's no vaccine for headlice, or pink-eye, or a seasonal cold, or pneumonia, or bacterial bronchitis. But instead of staying home, all these sick people and their sick children are running around infecting everyone with their nastiness. I'd worry about that more than the flu.
There is a pneumonia vaccine and it's been around for a while.
Yeah, but just for pneumococcal pneumonia, not all types of pneumonia.
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