Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
But if the vaccine does not do what is intended, than I personally see no point in getting one every year. There are too many strains, and it is near impossible to predict.
I don't know why people always seek an instant cure for everything, instead of just eating/living right and building up their immune system naturally.
this too is addressed in the article. If everyone got the flu shot. . you would likely at least cut the deaths in half (save at least 25,000 lives a year. ..MORE if you think about the impact of herd immunity). You might save your grandfather or infant . .people you love.
eating right and living right is an excellent thing to do. Yet that has nothing to do with the FLU. Nothing at all. It may improve your odds of not dying. . .but does not eliminate it.
The bottom line is the FLU is free (healthcare reform)
0 risk to you
reduces the risk of FLU by 60% or more (depends on year)
reduces the risk of you giving it to someone who may die (even if that isn't you)
Flu Vaccines contain dead viruses. Your body reacts to the dead virus and builds anti-bodies to combat that virus. .without an actual live virus to invade your cell. When the body comes into contact with future virus. .it already has the "know how" to defeat it.
This is no different than if you fought the flu yourself, without the risk of getting sick, making others sick, and risking loved ones and your own death/health damage. . .
Vaccinations have never been linked to any sort of auto-immune disease response (at least any more than the risk of getting a full born virus)
From the article: Why don't more people get flu shots. . .the fact is "Influenza and pneumonia, which the Centers for Disease Control groups together, have long been among the top-ten annual killers in the U.S. In 2010 (the most recent year for which there is final data), the count was an estimated 53,826 Americans — more than six times the number of worldwide deaths from Ebola last year."
Walking away from the conspiracy theorists, the main reason Flu Vaccine's aren't more popular (and they really should be) is human critical thinking. . .
" And so that means, the more salient, or more vivid something is, the easier it is for us to recall. … For instance, if we see an earthquake happening in the news, then somehow, because that’s very vivid, we tend to overestimate the probability of an earthquake occurring. … And so, I think the problem with vaccination in the end comes down to this: When it’s working, it’s not very memorable. … It’s more newsworthy when we see things not working. But when a vaccine is working, nobody wants to talk about it."
Noten a side note for the tin foil crowd, the CIA is directly responsible for growing polio rates in Pakistan. "Vaccine skeptics will hardly be comforted by the bizarre true story of how the CIA used a Pakistani vaccine campaign as cover during the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. You’ll hear all about it from Mark Mazzetti, a Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter who chronicles the saga in his book"
I get a flu shot every year since I had a case of the flu ten years ago that incapacitated me for two weeks. It was miserable.
This year, however, I am currently sick with the flu in spite of my flu vaccine. I won't be put off them by this though; they're never 100%.
I didn't say it was from the flu shot-although I disagree that it is impossible. But if the vaccine does not do what is intended, than I personally see no point in getting one every year. There are too many strains, and it is near impossible to predict.
I don't know why people always seek an instant cure for everything, instead of just eating/living right and building up their immune system naturally.
Re:the bold-what ChrisFromChicago said. This is not an issue of "is red prettier than blue?" It's not a matter of debate, or belief. It's science!
Re-the rest of this post: It's not a total crapshoot to predict which flus will be in circulation. Yes, there've been some surprises, like H1N1 in 2009, and the mutation that happened this year after the vaccine went into production. But we benefit from the fact that flu that is dominant in the southern hemisphere in their winter (our summer) is usually dominant here in our winter. The process is not one of mere guessing. Selecting the Viruses in the Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccine | Health Professionals | Seasonal Influenza (Flu)
The only way to build up your immune system for the flu virus is to get a flu vaccination or get the flu itself, which can at a minimum, put you out of circulation for a week or so,and can cause many complications and even death.
From the article: Why don't more people get flu shots. . .the fact is "Influenza and pneumonia, which the Centers for Disease Control groups together, have long been among the top-ten annual killers in the U.S. In 2010 (the most recent year for which there is final data), the count was an estimated 53,826 Americans — more than six times the number of worldwide deaths from Ebola last year."
Walking away from the conspiracy theorists, the main reason Flu Vaccine's aren't more popular (and they really should be) is human critical thinking. . .
" And so that means, the more salient, or more vivid something is, the easier it is for us to recall. … For instance, if we see an earthquake happening in the news, then somehow, because that’s very vivid, we tend to overestimate the probability of an earthquake occurring. … And so, I think the problem with vaccination in the end comes down to this: When it’s working, it’s not very memorable. … It’s more newsworthy when we see things not working. But when a vaccine is working, nobody wants to talk about it."
Noten a side note for the tin foil crowd, the CIA is directly responsible for growing polio rates in Pakistan. "Vaccine skeptics will hardly be comforted by the bizarre true story of how the CIA used a Pakistani vaccine campaign as cover during the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. You’ll hear all about it from Mark Mazzetti, a Pulitzer-winning New York Times reporter who chronicles the saga in his book"
I have an autoimmune disease. I've never, in 52 years, had the flu. I'm in very good health, and while nothing is for sure, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to die from the flu if I did contract it. But that vaccine might screw with my immune system.
So you will NOT be sticking that needle in my arm.
I'm not sure why you say the vaccine should be more popular - this year's vaccine doesn't even protect against the strain of flu that's going around, for the most part.
Flu Vaccines contain dead viruses. Your body reacts to the dead virus and builds anti-bodies to combat that virus. .without an actual live virus to invade your cell. When the body comes into contact with future virus. .it already has the "know how" to defeat it.
This is no different than if you fought the flu yourself, without the risk of getting sick, making others sick, and risking loved ones and your own death/health damage. . .
Vaccinations have never been linked to any sort of auto-immune disease response (at least any more than the risk of getting a full born virus)
If my body is fighting the flu virus, then it's not doing its job to fight my autoimmune disease.
For the record, I've never gotten sick, made others sick, or risked anyone's health.
My own personal theory is that it makes it more likely it spreads more. The whole "I'm not sick. I've had my flu shot" thing. While they're spreading their germs far and wide.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
n a side note for the tin foil crowd, the CIA is directly responsible for growing polio rates in Pakistan.