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Flu shots for people who are not healthcare providers or elderly are much less common in other countries. There was an Aussie on here last year when this topic was discussed saying it's uncommon in Australia for people to get a flu shot.
That Aussie does not speak for all Australians. In any event, Australia recommended flu vaccine for more groups this year. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immuni...ccination.aspx "There has been unprecedented demand for influenza vaccine in Australia in 2018. . . Flu shots are available for free under the National Immunisation Program to members of the community who are pregnant, over 65 years of age, are Aboriginal or have medical conditions such as severe asthma, diabetes and heart problems.
The NSW Government this year purchased vaccines for children up to five years of age which we are providing for free this year, in addition to vaccines for all public health facility staff." (NSW = New South Wales)
Vaccine was available for everyone else for a fee.
https://beta.health.gov.au/services/...sation-service
Here's who they recommend get it: "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged between 6 months and 5 years, and 15 years and older, for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP)
people aged 6 months or over who have medical conditions that mean they have a higher risk of getting serious disease, for free under the NIP
pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, for free under the NIP
people aged 65 years or over, for free under the NIP all children over 6 months and all adults
women who are planning a pregnancy
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5 to 15 years
people who live or work in aged care homes or long-term facilities
homeless people, and the people who care for them
healthcare workers
people who live or work in the same household as someone who is at high risk of serious disease from the flu
people who work in early childhood education and care
people who work in the chicken or pig industries, if there is an outbreak of bird flu or swine flu
people who are travelling overseas."
It is all about fear. Fear of the unknown. I have had E.coli from tainted tomatoes. Know what that feels like. While my husband was afraid to eat the romaine lettuce already in our fridge, I did. Different people have different fears. His is of being sick. Mine isn't.
I was a very sickly child and young adult. Had the flu numerous times over all the those years. Certainly know what that feels like. Worst experience of my life as others say? Not pleasant, but I would say the same for every illness I have had from Scarlet Fever as a child to ruptured ectopic pregnancy to numerous Norovirus to as mundane as falling on concrete and smashing my knees.
Prevention is harder sell? That is also fear related. People may not want to know. My reason is not of hearing something bad, but that I have no intention of doing anything about it. There is no point in preventive care when you will say NO to whatever a doctor tells you you need to do.
My worst experience of my life was my husband losing his job, being unemployed for over a year, being homeless, and my then young children not having enough food to eat. For me that was far worse than any illness I ever had, or dying from any preventable illness with some vaccination.
I don't know how to say this diplomatically, so I won't try: It was foolish of you to eat that Romaine. E. coli can make you very sick, even kill you especially as you get older. And it's not a good way to go.
I never heard of prevention being considered "fear" before.
i am also one of those 40% saying no to flu vaccines. i was forced to get one in 1976 in order to attend school. the problem is i got the flu after getting the vaccine. so never again.
It is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine.
Quote:
Misconceptions about Flu Vaccines
Can a flu vaccine give you the flu?
No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and that therefore are not infectious, or b) using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection.
If you got the flu after a vaccination, you were already exposed to influenza when you got the shot
By not getting the shot, you risk exposing others to the flu which can be life threatening!
Your sister did not get the "wrong kind". The H3N2 flu virus is a particularly harsh virus and it's hard to make a good vaccine for it. Now it is possible that she got a strain that was not in the vaccine. Each vaccine has 3 or 4 strains.
I understand it perfectly.
According to all the fear mongers, if you don't get the flu vaccine, you die.
So was just following up on that. Where are all the obits?
Ironic how anti-vaccine people also want universal healthcare... if the standard of universal healthcare requires people to get vaccinated, what are they going to do?
Why would there be? Canada doesn't force people to get flu shots. Medicaid doesn't make recipients get them.
I never get the flu or even a cold, work out of my home with limited contact with the public at large and I am very healthy, low risk as to getting complications to the flu. No flu shot for me.
My grandmother almost died from a flu shot in the late 70's and never fully recovered. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Usually when people think to get vaccines, they take something that they believe is 90+% effective, and that lasts 10+ years (if not a life time). The flu shot is none of those, it's something like 30% effective and lasts 1 flu season.
With every vaccine there are risks - risks of an allergic reaction and in the case of vaccines made from 'inactive' viral particles - yes, risk of infection. Whoever said it's impossible is an idiot. Nothing man-made is 100% with certainty.
When someone knows the vaccine is 90+% effective and lasts 10+ years it makes sense to take those (small) risks associated with the vaccine. When it's something 30+% effective, and that lasts 1 season - I consider it almost medical malpractice it's pushed at all. Is this to make some drug companies money? Could be because taking the vaccine doesn't make much sense to me.
I always get a flu shot. It's free, only takes about 15 minutes of my time, and the worst result I've ever had form it is a sore arm. If it saves me from being on my off my feet just once, it's well worth it for me on my personal cost risk analysis.
Some people call every cold or bout of bronchitis "the flu." I have a friend who says he has "a flu" every time he gets the sniffles. The real flu is bad and will keep you out of work for a few weeks. I see it every year where I work. People get the full blown flu and are out of the office and when they come back they still look sickly. I don't have time for that nonsense. If other people don't want the shot and don't mind being sick for a few weeks with a high fever and body aches, that's their business.
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