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Old 09-08-2016, 09:04 AM
 
10,196 posts, read 9,849,639 times
Reputation: 24135

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt View Post

Many adults talk about flu hitting them like a truck; they can tell you exactly when they got symptoms.
I remember the last time I got the flu. I was 20. OMG...yes, like a truck. One minute I felt fine, the next I could hardly stand. Even my skin hurt.

P.S. The Mayo Clinic is pretty old school so it doesn't surprise me some of their website is out of date. They have a really hard time modernizing in some ways. Not that they don't have world class care in many departments (not all), but they work hard to maintain their "culture" and that is pretty old school. Just a year ago they stopped requiring women employees in skirts to not also wear panty hose! But doctors (called "consultants") still have to wear a full suit, unless they are doing procedures.

 
Old 09-08-2016, 09:29 AM
 
3,254 posts, read 3,748,615 times
Reputation: 4480
Pretty mindblowing to me that so many people don't get the flu shot. If you have an allergic reaction, okay, I guess... but tens of millions of preventable cases of illness costing hundreds of millions of work hours, and billions of dollars. All because you can't be bothered with a shot.

Pathetic.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 09:39 AM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,283,321 times
Reputation: 50370
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnywhereElse View Post
That has been our experience. Despite their claims that you can't get it from the vaccine, evidence all around me always indicated otherwise. This is really a money maker for big pharma.
How is that? What does big Pharma get from those who have the flu? Are they invested in kleenex stock? It's still pretty uncommon for people to get Tamiflu...they just go home and treat the symptoms with OTC stuff.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:13 AM
 
Location: Eugene, Oregon
11,119 posts, read 5,562,262 times
Reputation: 16596
For 20 years, I never had any bad reaction to flu shots. But for two years now, I've gotten the high-dosage type and felt crappy for three weeks. The regular dose worked fine for me and I never had the flu when I took it. So it's back to the regular dose for me this year.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:16 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
How is that? What does big Pharma get from those who have the flu? Are they invested in kleenex stock? It's still pretty uncommon for people to get Tamiflu...they just go home and treat the symptoms with OTC stuff.
Anti-viral medications are fairly common, especially among high risk patients and small children, e.g. Tamiflu, Relenza, Preamivir, for starts.
Tamiflu is the most commonly used drug-cost ~$100 for a 5 day course.
Should I take Tamiflu to treat the flu? Price check - Consumer Reports

Flu shots tend to be under $40. Where to Get Free or the Cheapest Flu Shots (updated 2016)

If a person is hospitalized, there may be many other medications given. If they get pneumonia from the flu, there are expensive antibiotics to be given.

See this: Cecilia’s Story | Shot By Shot
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:41 AM
 
Location: Georgia, USA
37,029 posts, read 41,087,048 times
Reputation: 44970
Quote:
Originally Posted by coschristi View Post
With the exception of a few anti-virals (such as Tamiflu) there is not much money to be made from an epidemic.

With a virus you are basically treating a symptom whereas a bacterial infection can be treated with antibiotics.

Even if you sell chicken soup & humidifiers it's not going to be the big ticket item that a vaccine is.
Often free, flu shots can save billions for consumers, businesses

"An estimated $10.4 billion is spent annually on direct costs for hospitalizations and outpatient visits for adults who get the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And lost earnings account for an additional $16.3 billion each year."

What's a few billion, eh? And that's just the adults. What about kids?

CDC Study: Treating Children’s Flu Illness Costly | Spotlights (Flu) | CDC

"The study examined the experience of 282 children under the age of 5 in 3 U.S. cities, and found that parents had medical expenses ranging from under $300 to about $4,000 and missed between 11 and 73 hours of work, depending on whether their child was able to recover at home or was hospitalized."

" ... parents of children hospitalized with flu [spent] a whopping average of $3,990 in medical costs, while those with children treated in emergency rooms spent around $730."

"Caregivers of hospitalized patients, emergency room patients and outpatients lost an average of $1,456, $383 and $222 respectively, mainly due to time spent away from work."

In addition, there were out of pocket expenses for families, too.

Vaccines are cost effective, which is the reason health insurance companies encourage their use.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:45 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920
^^Exactly! I forgot about the lost time from work. A typical course of flu lasts at least 4-5 days.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:45 AM
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
11,495 posts, read 26,801,420 times
Reputation: 28031
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird View Post
I remember the last time I got the flu. I was 20. OMG...yes, like a truck. One minute I felt fine, the next I could hardly stand. Even my skin hurt.
I got it when I was 20 and that's how it was for me too. I couldn't even stand up, kept waking up on the bathroom floor. It was good that my mom got worried and came to check on me and dragged me to the doctor. I had the swine flu the year that it was going around and that was like nothing compared to my other bout with flu.

I wish I could still get the flu shot but after last time when my throat and face swelled up, they told me I can't get it anymore.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:46 AM
 
Location: Central IL
20,726 posts, read 16,283,321 times
Reputation: 50370
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird View Post
Flu related complications fill up the hospital wards. Flu related deaths get the funeral homes business.
That is only a tiny proportion of those who get the flu - those would be the very young or the very old.

So you look at the small percentage who are supposedly getting the flu from the vaccine (done purposefully by Big Pharma), then take the tiny percentage requiring hospitalization...and then the percentage of that related to the specific drugs and services Big Pharma provides. I'm just not that much of a conspiracy theorist - yes, I get my flu shot every year and have never had an issue.
 
Old 09-08-2016, 10:55 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by reneeh63 View Post
That is only a tiny proportion of those who get the flu - those would be the very young or the very old.

So you look at the small percentage who are supposedly getting the flu from the vaccine (done purposefully by Big Pharma), then take the tiny percentage requiring hospitalization...and then the percentage of that related to the specific drugs and services Big Pharma provides. I'm just not that much of a conspiracy theorist - yes, I get my flu shot every year and have never had an issue.
Biggest misconception of all time. Adults 18-64 account for about 60% of flu hospitalizations.
CDC Flu Infographic
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