5 myths about the flu shot

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/myths-about-the-flu-shot/article_7c65e3ac-7432-11e5-84ce-ffdc281bc4ff.html

Posted: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 12:45 am
By Lindsay Northam / livewellnebraska.com Dr. Northam is an internal medicine physician at Methodist Physicians Clinic in Omaha.

It's that time of year again...time to get your flu shot!

Between 15 and 62 million people get the flu each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it causes as many as 200,000 hospitalizations yearly.

The flu spreads when someone who is sick coughs, sneezes or talks and the droplets land on another person. It can also spread when those virus-filled droplets land on a surface, and then a person touches that surface and then their own mouth, eyes or nose.

Once infected, you can pass influenza to another person before you even know you are sick or develop symptoms. Healthy adults can spread the flu five to seven days after becoming sick, too.

FULL story at link.

[Human101948]

1. Myth 1: "I don't want to get the flu from the flu shot."

I want to beat them about the head when someone says this. You cannot change their minds with facts.

[LiberalArkie]

2. You can't vaccinate away the stupidity. I wish there was.

[beam me up scottie]

3. They wouldn't get that vaccination either, unfortunately.

[11 Bravo]

46. If such a vaccine was created it would mean the end of the Republican party.

[meow2u3]

21. The flu shot virus is dead

And you might be, too if you don't get one.

[Travis_0004]

4. I'm not sure If I've ever got the flu shot

Maybe once, but it was at least 10 years ago.

[phylny]

5. Three out of the last five times I've had a flu shot, which I always get on a Friday,

I've been knocked down all weekend by it.

I know, I know. I know. But I get chills, fever, and body aches.

Yes I get a shot anyway, because I work with kids who sneeze in your face and run their saliva-ridden hands all over you.

[Warpy]

7. You had 2 days of low grade fever and body aches

which Tylenol would have relieved very nicely. For that you exchanged a three week horror show from the flu and that's three weeks only if it doesn't move into your lungs and give you pneumonia.

It's an exchange I'm willing to make.

[phylny]

8. I agree! I mean, I said I get a flu shot every year.

My point is, despite naysayers here and elsewhere, some people do get a reaction.

[Warpy]

11. The reaction means your immune system is doing its job

and a bad reaction means you were unexposed to the components of that year's flu and would have been very sick with it had you not gotten the shot.

[phylny]

12. Yes, and again - people DO get reactions from flu shots :) n/t

[3catwoman3]

36. People can get a similar reaction...

...to ANY immunization. As explained above, it is your immune system recognizing that it has a job to do.

[RobinA]

48. The Symptoms

of the flu are your immune system recognizing it has a job to do. This is not a good argument.

[B Calm]

28. Are you allergic to eggs?

[RobinA]

47. No You Didn't

you just think you did. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN. Don't you read the propa...er, information?

[Ex Lurker]

6. Hijack: Be very wary of tamiflu

My mother was hospitalized with the flu last January (after having the flu shot, BTW. It wasn't as effective this year, and a lot of people got the flu.) They gave her tamiflu and it led to a violent psychotic episode. She has never had any kind of psychosis before or since, so it was definitely the tamiflu. I will not take it under any circumstances.

[Ilsa]

14. If she developed even the slightest, mildest UTI

from diarrhea (contamination) or other causes, that could have been the cause of her psychosis, not the Tamiflu.

Hospital psychosis is more prevalent in older women. It is thought that the toxins produced during a urinary tract infection cause the psychosis. From what I've seen, everyone works to keep the patient safe and help her get rest.

[Warpy]

15. It's the sleep deprivation

Between the constant interruptions during the day and the noise at night, few people get deep, sustained sleep in the hospital. I could feel myself getting a little goofy after 4 days of it last spring. I got home, I took a pain pill, and I slept for 16 hours. Then I was fine.

[Ilsa]

22. That, too, but even my dr

said the mildest UTI can bring it on, especially when hospitalized. My MIL went from being a mild-mannered LOL to being physically aggressive, screaming, paranoid, etc.

[REP]

29. They're also quite painful

I'm recovering from pyelonephritis right now, and while I was waiting for the culture results so I could start an antibiotic, I was in an enormous amount of pain. It made me a bit short-tempered.

[haikugal]

38. Pain will do that. Hope you're on the mend.

[Ilsa]

42. oh yes. I hope you are finally

Getting some relief, for your sake, mostly, but also for your loved ones.

[mhatrw]

9. The flu shot is least effective among the populations for whom the flu is most dangerous.

Multidose vials (which are very common) come with a completely unnecessary dose of mercury just to save distributors 15 cents per shot.

The Science Says Flu Vaccines Are Pretty Safe But Largely a Scam

The preventive effect of parenteral inactivated influenza vaccine on healthy adults is small: at least 40 people would need vaccination to avoid one ILI case (95% confidence interval (CI) 26 to 128) and 71 people would need vaccination to prevent one case of influenza (95% CI 64 to 80). Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation.

The protection against ILI that is given by the administration of inactivated influenza vaccine to pregnant women is uncertain or at least very limited; the effect on their newborns is not statistically significant. The effectiveness of live aerosol vaccines on healthy adults is similar to inactivated vaccines: 46 people (95% CI 29 to 115) would need immunisation to avoid one ILI case.

...

Quality of the evidence

The real impact of biases could not be determined for about 70% of the included studies (e.g. insufficient reporting details, very different scores among the items evaluated). About 20% of the included studies (mainly cohorts) had a high risk of bias. Just under 10% had good methodological quality.

Authors' conclusions:

Influenza vaccines have a very modest effect in reducing influenza symptoms and working days lost in the general population, including pregnant women. No evidence of association between influenza vaccination and serious adverse events was found in the comparative studies considered in the review. This review includes 90 studies, 24 of which (26.7%) were funded totally or partially by industry. Out of the 48 RCTs, 17 were industry-funded (35.4%).

[Warpy]

16. Nothing about that article says vaccines are a scam

and nothing in that article shows any concern at all for non bioavailable trace amounts of mercury.

[mhatrw]

39. The mercury preservative is unnecessary. Get a single vial dose to avoid it.

Last edited Wed Oct 21, 2015, 02:24 AM - Edit history (1)

If you are fine with getting an injection of unnecessary "non-bioavailable" mercury, then go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you or anyone else.

The primary scientist who authored the study clearly thinks flu vaccines are a waste of money.

Tom Jefferson, an author of the Cochrane reviews, said: “We have conducted four reviews since the late 1990s. We calculated that you need to vaccinate between 33 and 99 people to prevent one case of flu, depending on the match between the vaccine and the circulating strains of the virus. I want people held accountable for wasting taxpayer’s money on these vaccines. The reviews have been available for years and nothing has been done.”

YMMV

[Omaha Steve]

19. "a completely unnecessary dose of mercury"

Marta and I had our flu shots a week ago. We get them every year. Except that year there was a shortage when W was POTUS. We both got the flu that year.

I have a Thimerosal allergy. Marta suspects her troubles in the past were the same allergy. So we both get the single vial wide range shot every year.

Thimerosal is also used in common makeup. Calling it mercury is a little misleading.

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228#pres

Thimerosal as a Preservative

Thimerosal, which is approximately 50% mercury by weight, has been one of the most widely used preservatives in vaccines. It is metabolized or degraded to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Ethylmercury is an organomercurial that should be distinguished from methylmercury, a related substance that has been the focus of considerable study (see "Guidelines on Exposure to Organomercurials" and "Thimerosal Toxicity", below).

At concentrations found in vaccines, thimerosal meets the requirements for a preservative as set forth by the United States Pharmacopeia; that is, it kills the specified challenge organisms and is able to prevent the growth of the challenge fungi (U.S. Pharmacopeia 2004). Thimerosal in concentrations of 0.001% (1 part in 100,000) to 0.01% (1 part in 10,000) has been shown to be effective in clearing a broad spectrum of pathogens. A vaccine containing 0.01% thimerosal as a preservative contains 50 micrograms of thimerosal per 0.5 mL dose or approximately 25 micrograms of mercury per 0.5 mL dose.

Prior to its introduction in the 1930's, data were available in several animal species and humans providing evidence for its safety and effectiveness as a preservative (Powell and Jamieson 1931). Since then, thimerosal has been the subject of several studies (see Bibliography) and has a long record of safe and effective use preventing bacterial and fungal contamination of vaccines, with no ill effects established other than minor local reactions at the site of injection.

While the use of mercury-containing preservatives has declined in recent years with the development of new products formulated with alternative or no preservatives, thimerosal has been used in some immune globulin preparations, anti-venins, skin test antigens, and ophthalmic and nasal products, in addition to certain vaccines. Under the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, the FDA compiled a list of regulated products containing mercury, including those with thimerosal (Federal Register 1999). It is important to note that this list was compiled in 1999; some products listed are no longer manufactured and many products have been reformulated without thimerosal. Updated lists of vaccines and their thimerosal content can be found in Table 1 (routinely recommended pediatric vaccines) and Table 3 (expanded list of vaccines).

[RobinA]

49. Facts...

be gone. The time is still not ripe to introduce facts into the flu vaccine discussion. I give it another 5-10 years.

[Waldorf]

10. I've been getting the flu shot for years at work.

One year they put up some blue screens. Seems somebody fainted while getting the shot and I guess some other folks who have needle phobias got out of line and headed back to their offices.

[geomon666]

13. Got the shot last year, didn't get the flu.

Got the shot again a couple of weeks ago. I'm optimistic about not getting sick.

[Blue_In_AK]

17. I've never had a flu shot

and haven't had the flu since the Hong Kong flu in 1968. I think I'll pass.

[bettyellen]

24. I got that Swine one about six years ago- developed into pneumonia, took five weeks to recover...

and then I relapsed. I can't even remember November of that year. So awful. So, I have gotten shots every year since.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. I can understand that.

I think I may have picked up some immunity along the way because I'm never, ever sick. It probably helps that I'm retired, don't socialize a lot, and don't have kids around much.

[bettyellen]

27. To top it off, it was someone who was not welcome here, showed up at my door with family....

and they were very sick. I came down with it 3-4 days later. I was like great, another reason I don't want you around.
Jerk!

[REP]

31. I'm retired, avoid children and crowds but make sure to get my shot

I have a laundry list of crap wrong with me that weakens my immune system, and I'd just rather not take a chance. The places I go regularly are places everyone goes whether they're sick or not (like the grocery store).

[3catwoman3]

37. No probably about it.

You have to be around sick people to catch contagious illnesses. The tricky part of contagion is that many illnesses are contagious 24-48 hours before there are symptoms.

[Logical]

40. Ding ding! I predicted someone would post this! LOL, every year! Nt

[Logical]

41. And, you fell for Myth #2!

[Blue_In_AK]

43. Didn't read it.

It doesn't change my mind. I have a lot of faith in my immune system.

[Logical]

52. So do 1000s who die from the flu a year. Nt

[angryvet]

18. I've had a flu shot every year

since they've been offered and never had the flu. You CANNOT get flu from the flu shot. You came down with some other virus.

[Wounded Bear]

20. I get it every year from the VA...

I've been relatively free of influenza and/or bad colds since I started.

Will do so again this year.

[WinkyDink]

23. Got mine yesterday. (Is anyone else getting a Monty Python "Cheese Shop" vibe from our posts?!)

[gollygee]

26. I have the flu

I have not gotten the flu shot yet this year. My kids both had the flu mist. One came home from school one day very slightly ill, but felt better the next day. I caught this from her. She never got very sick, and I've felt horrible. I have developed bronchitis at this point.

I see the flu shot as a must. I wish I'd already gotten it.

[My Good Babushka]

51. I'm in exactly the same boat

I went to the doctor's a few weeks ago and they just ran out of flu shot, then I forgot about it. Now I'm kicking myself. My kids had colds and I thought I caught a cold from them, but I've been miserable since Friday. I have a relentless headache and sore throat; it hurts to breathe. I could have gone to any drugstore and gotten the shot! I'm glad my spouse got vaccinated at work. He hasn't caught it.
I hope you feel better soon, gollygee. Rest and fluids and all that!

[ms liberty]

30. I don't get the flu vaccine, i have an egg allergy

many years I don't get the flu, but last year mr liberty (who never misses his flu shot, and had already gotten it) got the flu, and passed it on to me. I pray to every diety known and unknown we are never both sick like that at the same time again!

[B Calm]

32. Did you check out myth 3?

[ms liberty]

34. LOL! Bad me...

Should have read it! I'm going to ask the PA at our clinic at work tomorrow.

[Bigmack]

33. Anybody who was in the military...

Remember the shots?

About a brazillion shots for everygoddamthing.

Reactions...? Sure, but who cares. You're just a grunt.

Li'l biddy old flu shots don't scare me.

Ya gotta play percentages... better some discomfort for a few hours now than taking a dirt nap later.

[winter is coming]

35. I got mine at Costco for $10. n/t

[HeiressofBickworth]

44. I rolled that dice once too often

Some of you may remember but others may not. Two years ago, I was hospitalized for complications due to massive kidney stones, six times over three months. One of those times was the H1N1 flu. The complications from that alone damned near killed me. High fever, vomiting, sure. But then it went into congestive heart failure (I had no such thing before or since) and renal failure. Thanks to lots of good doctoring/nursing and drugs, I survived. I got a flu shot before I left the hospital and one a year since. I just got one a week ago. I was somewhat worried last year when they said that the predominant flu strain wasn't covered by the flu shot. I can't afford to take the chance of catching the flu again -- I might not survive another encounter.

[ProfessorGAC]

45. Got Mine

They come to work to give people the injection. I've had MS for a long time, and many years ago, they were concerned about over activating the immune system so told me to avoid the shot.

After about 2 years (luckily didn't get the flu), my neuro told me the data now showed that there was no such concern. So, i've been getting the flu shot every year for around the last 15 years, probably more.

I got the flu once or twice, but a very mild case. Missed maybe a half day of work. No high fever, didn't turn into bronchitis or pneumonia, just a little wheezy for a couple days.

I'm sticking with it.

[LWolf]

50. I got mine yesterday.

To be honest, I haven't, for much of my life, bothered. I have an unusually strong immune system and I don't get sick very often. When I do, it's milder and shorter than what others are getting.

Since I've gotten older, though, and I can feel the wear and tear of the years, I get one. I work in an environment of coughing, sneezing, and talking...a public school. That's probably helped build my immune system, but it also means constant exposure.

So I get my flu shot, and I got mine yesterday.

I WAS heard to grumble, "Why is the mist only for those under 49?" as I stepped up to be stabbed.

[Vinca]

53. It seem everyone got it yesterday. Me, too.

I used to pooh pooh it until I caught the flu a few years back and thought I was going to die. Last year I had a little reaction to it - felt fluish for 24 hours - but generally it's no big deal.