Does the flu shot really work?

[danzn16]

When I was a child my bother and I got our MMR shots (Measles, Mumps,, Rubella). within 2 weeks he had the measles and I had the mumps. Dr said it was the worst cases of the mumps he'd ever seen.

So, I dont get flu shots....

It takes 2 weeks for your immune system to ramp up immunity for the injection you are receiving. If you get the infection within this two week time span, you got it because you were exposed to the virus before your body could become immune to the virus thanks to the injection. It wasn't the injections fault. If injections didn't work then how in the heck did we eradicate smallpox and polio? Why spend millions in research and administration? Because the health care field wants to all load us down with needless things and give all children autism? (Injections don't cause autism by the way!!!!) If you would have gotten the shot and your immunity built up in 2 weeks before you were exposed to the virus, you wouldn't have gotten MMR, simple as that. There's a reason why we aren't seeing these infections anymore in the US, a reason why are children aren't dying needlessly. Because injections work. But wait, we are starting to see an emergence of diseases we haven't seen in decades??? Because people believe spokespersons like Jenny McCarthy that don't know a damn thing about what injections are and what autism is and aren't vaccinating their children anymore, thus the resurgence of disease. And then they find out McCarthys child never even had autism in the first place, yet she claims she "cured" him of autism. But people still blindly believe people with agendas and who can't tell you the difference between a virus and a bacteria instead of people who have devoted their lives to the study of immunizations, disease, and health care. :banghead:

(Just jumping off post. I'll get off my soapbox now).

Influenza is different though. It mutates like crazy making it hard to estimate what strains should be put in a vaccine for the future flu season. It's like an educated guess/crystal ball. If you get sick from the injection like some of you have posted that lasts 48 hours or so, it's your own body's immune system working to ramp up immunity. You feel bad because your immune system is working overtime to protect you in the future and it's not the flu because if you've ever had the flu you know the flu lasts much longer than 2 days. If you get the flu within two weeks of your injection, your body didn't have enough time to become immune to the virus. Not the injections fault. That's why you're supposed to get your shot before flu season starts, not during. The flu shot doesn't start working for 2 weeks after the injection! If it takes you 2 weeks to build a home for shelter from a storm before storm season, but the storm comes before you've built it, no one blames the half built house for being the reason nature had a storm. It's the same principle. If your immunity hasn't developed from the flu shot yet and you get exposed to the virus during the time, you're blaming the half built immune systems reaction to the shot, when it was the virus. It just doesn't make sense.

If you get the flu during flu season with the vaccine, then you got a flu virus that has mutated from the previous virus that you were immunized for. It's a new strain now. That's what sucks about the flu and colds, the viruses mutate often so we can't have a vaccine that irradiates them like we can for smallpox, polio, MMR, rotavirus, etc. Some health care professionals believe that having your flu shot and being immune to those specific influenza viruses makes if you get infected with a mutated new virus a less severe and shorter flu illness because the strain is similar and you're body has some fighter cells that can recognize the similarities. I haven't researched whether this possibility is a proven fact so I will just state it as a belief until I spend time doing so. But I've had many physicians tell me this.

Personally I just believe if you don't believe in immunizations than you are ignoring science that has caused our life span to increase and has eradicated multiple life threatening diseases that caused rampant epidemics and deaths in the past. All my opinion, I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm stating my belief with lots of medical education behind it and something I've researched extensively.


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[elmomom]

Very respectfully snipped by me

Jenny McCarthy
(Just jumping off post. I'll get off my soapbox now).

She is the devil incarnate, and has caused me more aggravation than I could explain. And the loss of friendships. I hope she dies a horrible death from a preventable illness, which is awful to say, but she has singlehandedly caused more harm than most could imagine.

 

[danzn16]

I've never received a flu shot and never intend to. It's all about money. When Walgreens, CVS, and your local grocery store advertise year round for flu and shinlges shots you know it's more about money than effectiveness. Walgreen's alone adminstered nearly 6 million shots last year. Quite the cash cow.

Doctors advice for it and they lose money giving vaccines. It's not because of money for them. I can't say anything about pharmacies because I don't work in one and know nothing about it. Usually insurance payment is less than why the immunization costs to get in the doctors office so I have no idea if it's the same for pharmacies.


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[danzn16]

Maybe not, but then it doesn't prevent all flu viruses, so you could still get very sick-my brother and I, two states apart, both got the flu several days (maybe 3) after getting the shot. And there have been lots of cases of Guillain Barre following the flu vaccine. I wouldn't forgo certain vaccinations (smallpox, etc) but I won't get another flu shot unless a doctor told me that getting the flu would likely kill me.

Most cases of Guillain Barre are caused by virus infections, not vaccines. The immune reaction to a vaccination can cause it, yes.
But most cases are from viruses like influenza. It's also rare 1 in 100,000. So just wanted to point out that skipping a vaccine doesn't decrease your possibility of getting this rare disease.


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[BetteDavisEyes]

These are normal symptoms after having had the flu vaccine. Typically last for up to 72 hours. It's the immune system firing up and building antibodies. It's actually a positive sign.

I understand that, but there was nothing positive about the experience.

 

[danzn16]

Interesting fun fact, the flu doesn't kill, your reaction to it does. That pneumonia some get, and the aches and pains? It's your immune system going to war against the virus. Powerful chemicals are released yo your immune system, and your body, as the fighting grounds, is what suffers the toll.

There are two types of flu seasons. The first, the more common, is what everyone thinks of. Many people get the flu, and really only infants, the immune compromised, and the elderly are at risk of severe complications, like dying. Those are the years that the flu virus is similar on a molecular level to previous flu viruses, so normal, healthy people have a preprogrammed immune response from having "seen" a similar virus in the past.

The other type of flu season is the type that you want to make darn sure you do get the flu shot for. That is when the circulating virus that year has changed substantially on a molecular level from any previous flu virus. This type of flu, especially if it is a particularly robust strain, will most commonly kill the people posting here that say, I am fit, I eat well, I'm healthy and I never get sick, or when I do, my immune system takes care of it. Well, the type of flu that is new and novel, kills those people with alarming frequency. Because your body is so fit and your immune system is so strong, when it goes to war with this flu virus, your immune system itself causes your lungs considerable damage. You have such a violent response, that the chemokines (chemical messengers of the immune system) that cause fever and aches can cause you to actually kill brain cells and muscle tissue.

I generally keep my mouth shut, but I do get really pained when I read people's beliefs on forums and on internet comments. I am a virologist, I research vaccines and antiviral drugs for a living and I have heard it all. I don't try to convince anyone of anything. But I would like to just say that the flu kills, and it kills way more people in this country than any other virus, bar none. It is not hype and it is not a conspiracy for pharmacies to make money. It is a serious illness that is not taken seriously at all. I hope this helps someone.

THIS!!!! There are flu seasons that have some mutations of the virus and that's what people think of the flu. And then there are flu seasons where the flu virus mutates so drastically that our immune system has no immunity to it and kills rampantly. Research the flu epidemic of 1912 where 3-5% of the entire worlds population was killed from it.

I'm in medical school and we've had a speaker who is a chief medical officer at the US dept of homeland security. He said there is a new strain H5N7 that is currently still only in animals but they are observing it for the possibility that it could jump to humans. It has a higher death rate than any previous flu epidemic. Hopefully it will not mutate to humans. Hearing this from an expert that works for the federal government and getting a warning about it is scary!!!


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[danzn16]

Very respectfully snipped by me









She is the devil incarnate, and has caused me more aggravation than I could explain. And the loss of friendships. I hope she dies a horrible death from a preventable illness, which is awful to say, but she has singlehandedly caused more harm than most could imagine.

She really is. I could barely watch the New Year's Eve show she was the host of this year!


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[ginestra]

I think the flu shot actually increases more virulent strains to develop. Similar to the overuse of antibiotics. I personally am not getting the shot.

 

[Herat]

I think the flu shot actually increases more virulent strains to develop. Similar to the overuse of antibiotics. I personally am not getting the shot.

And you have some validated scientific proof that the CDC doesn't have access to?

 

[trenchmouth]

Can't trust CDC folks

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[trenchmouth]

It is true that if your own immune system fights off the flu on its own in future you will be less susceptible to other strains, there is much research available on this

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[elmomom]

It is true that if your own immune system fights off the flu on its own in future you will be less susceptible to other strains, there is much research available on this

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Yes, and if your own immune system "fights off" or mounts a response to the vaccine you are also less susceptible to other strains.
So, your point is? Better to risk illness to become immune than a vaccine with a highly proven safety profile?

 

[elmomom]

Can't trust CDC folks

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:floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh:
Shouldn't you be wearing a tin hat to say this?

Sort of like... West va shouldn't have trusted the EPA. Oh, wait, they didn't. Thirsty anyone?

 

[LinasK]

Can't trust CDC folks

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I trust the CDC any day over Dr. Mercola!!!

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Um, with all due respect, I emphasized that although this did happen to me, it was a mild case- not the full-blown flu, and I still highly recommend getting the shot! I've also had the mild reactions within 24-48 hours of getting the shot, and I know that's not the flu either...

I, too, indicated that I had unpleasant flu-like symptoms following the flu shot and knew that it was a normal reaction. That said, the lump and itchy red rash at the site of the injection was an atypical allergic reaction. When the rash was still bothering me three days after I'd had the shot, I went to the allergist to have her look at it. She gave me samples of cortisone cream and told me to come back if the rash wasn't gone in the next couple of days.

 

[danzn16]

I, too, indicated that I had unpleasant flu-like symptoms following the flu shot and knew that it was a normal reaction. That said, the lump and itchy red rash at the site of the injection was an atypical allergic reaction. When the rash was still bothering me three days after I'd had the shot, I went to the allergist to have her look at it. She gave me samples of cortisone cream and told me to come back if the rash wasn't gone in the next couple of days.

An allergy to the vaccine is definitely different. Sorry you had such a reaction!


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[Tawny]

I came across this:

 

[sayd]

Yes, last year (2012) both my husband and I got the flu shot in November. In January 2013, we both came down with the flu and could barely get out of bed for 3 weeks.

I posted this up-thread. For the record, we researched and talked about it, and decided we were still better off getting the vaccine this year and we did. I would never ever want to get it again; it was really bad. I remember reading that last year's flu wasn't as effective with older people (we are old) as it was with younger people. I sure hope they were able to "fix" that this year. Have to admit I do not fully understand it all.

Elmomom if you could explain it better, I would be really happy.

 

[danzn16]

I came across this:

Where did you find this? Because if you look up fluvalal there is no statement like this and it has sections of its clinical trials. Actually under that same section it has that it is for prevention of influenza, not that statement


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[Tawny]

Find it on tumblr. Maybe it's just a legal statement on their packaging inserts to protect them from lawsuits? Don't know.

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