I've never seen the "flu shot" pushed harder, and now we have an "epidemic"

[ScubaStevo]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/31/health...html?hpt=hp_c2

(CNN) -- The United States has officially surpassed the "epidemic" threshold with this season's flu virus, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older, for as long as the flu virus is circulating. The agency has warned, however, that this year's flu strain has mutated in ways that make the vaccine less effective than experts initially hoped.

---------------

BRB Get your flu shot or you will die!!!

BRB LOL JK it doesn't work, the flu adapted - but inject this sh*( in your body anyway!

[jimbob007]

Isn't the idea of flu shots that they are for the very elderly & those with certain health issues putting them in a high risk category? Doctors have been over prescribing for decades & organisms are becoming more & more resistant to things like antibiotics. Just like bugs/insects were becoming resistant to DDT long before it was banned as a pesticide.

[wings_unhinged]

Isn't the idea of flu shots that they are for the very elderly & those with certain health issues putting them in a high risk category? Doctors have been over prescribing for decades & organisms are becoming more & more resistant to things like antibiotics. Just like bugs/insects were becoming resistant to DDT long before it was banned as a pesticide.

Last I heard, the flu shot was recommended for everybody, especially those with poor or developing immune systems.

[ScubaStevo]

Last I heard, the flu shot was recommended for everybody, especially those with poor or developing immune systems.

Yep, everybody should take one.

That way, we won't have an epidemic on our hands.

Oh, wait.

LMFAO

I'm not a doctor, but what's the deal here?

[Aesthetical]

brb the flu shot will combat the strain most likely to be the worst this year
brb take another one because it mutated
brb im a mindless drone injecting chit in my body because the government says so

[wings_unhinged]

Yep, everybody should take one.

That way, we won't have an epidemic on our hands.

Oh, wait.

LMFAO

I'm not a doctor, but what's the deal here?

We do our best?

[ScubaStevo]

We do our best?

Why not market good hygiene instead?

[ZenBowman]

Isn't the idea of flu shots that they are for the very elderly & those with certain health issues putting them in a high risk category? Doctors have been over prescribing for decades & organisms are becoming more & more resistant to things like antibiotics. Just like bugs/insects were becoming resistant to DDT long before it was banned as a pesticide.

The flu shot is the opposite of an antibiotic, it is used to make you immune to the flu. There is no question of it becoming ineffective like an antibiotic.

An antibiotic is a static mixture of chemicals, and resistance involves bacteria mutating to becoming resistant to it.

The flu shot is generally this years strain of the flu, delivered inert and in a low-dose, so that your immune system can become resistant to the bacteria. Your body then figures out how to kill this latest strain of the flu virus.

Think of it like resistance training for your immune system. The development of resistance within your body is exactly the point of the flu shot.

[Postmort3m]

My wife and I both had to get flu shots in November because we work in a hospital. Guess what she's had since Sunday....THE GODDAMN FLU!

[Heisman2]

Isn't the idea of flu shots that they are for the very elderly & those with certain health issues putting them in a high risk category? Doctors have been over prescribing for decades & organisms are becoming more & more resistant to things like antibiotics. Just like bugs/insects were becoming resistant to DDT long before it was banned as a pesticide.

Last I heard, the flu shot was recommended for everybody, especially those with poor or developing immune systems.

Flu shots are recommended 6 months and older. First time you receive one you need to get two shots to develop immunity. After that it is one shot per year. The shot itself is a killed vaccine while the nasal spray is a live virus, so as you said the shot is the way to go for weaker immune systems.

The flu shot is the opposite of an antibiotic, it is used to make you immune to the flu. There is no question of it becoming ineffective like an antibiotic.

An antibiotic is a static mixture of chemicals, and resistance involves bacteria mutating to becoming resistant to it.

The flu shot is generally this years strain of the flu, delivered inert and in a low-dose, so that your immune system can become resistant to the bacteria. Your body then figures out how to kill this latest strain of the flu virus.

Think of it like resistance training for your immune system. The development of resistance within your body is exactly the point of the flu shot.

Change "bacteria" to "virus" in the in third point and this is all good.

Here's a good link with basic facts: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm . Those of you who are against flu vaccines, please read that link and then post any further questions/arguments you have. I'd like to try to address them. I'm a 3rd year medical student so not a doctor yet but I'll do the best I can.

[camerondex]

Flu shots are recommended 6 months and older. First time you receive one you need to get two shots to develop immunity. After that it is one shot per year. The shot itself is a killed vaccine while the nasal spray is a live virus, so as you said the shot is the way to go for weaker immune systems.



Change "bacteria" to "virus" in the in third point and this is all good.

Here's a good link with basic facts: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm . Those of you who are against flu vaccines, please read that link and then post any further questions/arguments you have. I'd like to try to address them. I'm a 3rd year medical student so not a doctor yet but I'll do the best I can.

Maybe not everyone trusts organizations like the cdc. I don't trust them or any government agency for that matter.

[Heisman2]

Maybe not everyone trusts organizations like the cdc. I don't trust them or any government agency for that matter.

Alright, what would you trust? Scientific papers/review articles or something else? I can link some if desired and at least the abstracts would be available to you and others (the full paper probably wouldn't). Any specific questions about the flu vaccine you or others would like me to try to address?

[DuFerme]

My wife and I both had to get flu shots in November because we work in a hospital. Guess what she's had since Sunday....THE GODDAMN FLU!

Lol.. flu shots causes the flu, brah.

[HumptyBrah]

Never had a flu shot crew
Never had the flu crew

Your move, virus

[ScubaStevo]

The flu shot is the opposite of an antibiotic, it is used to make you immune to the flu. There is no question of it becoming ineffective like an antibiotic.

An antibiotic is a static mixture of chemicals, and resistance involves bacteria mutating to becoming resistant to it.

The flu shot is generally this years strain of the flu, delivered inert and in a low-dose, so that your immune system can become resistant to the bacteria. Your body then figures out how to kill this latest strain of the flu virus.

Think of it like resistance training for your immune system. The development of resistance within your body is exactly the point of the flu shot.

Yep.

And how exactly does the flu shot prevent the flu from developing into a super-flu?

Think super-gonorrhea. People loading up on antibiotics, only making the gonorrhea more powerful.

[ScubaStevo]

Flu shots are recommended 6 months and older. First time you receive one you need to get two shots to develop immunity. After that it is one shot per year. The shot itself is a killed vaccine while the nasal spray is a live virus, so as you said the shot is the way to go for weaker immune systems.



Change "bacteria" to "virus" in the in third point and this is all good.

Here's a good link with basic facts: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm . Those of you who are against flu vaccines, please read that link and then post any further questions/arguments you have. I'd like to try to address them. I'm a 3rd year medical student so not a doctor yet but I'll do the best I can.

Stopped reading at "CDC".

[JoshSP1985]

I won't get a flu shot until I'm old and immune compromised and even then like clearly pointed out only prevents some of the many strains.

[Heisman2]

Yep.

And how exactly does the flu shot prevent the flu from developing into a super-flu?

Think super-gonorrhea. People loading up on antibiotics, only making the gonorrhea more powerful.

The flu shot can offer partial immunity if not full immunity; therefore with the shot you may develop a faster immune response and thus cut down on the time and severity of symptoms. That said, I haven't heard terms "super-flu" or "super-gonorrhea". Perhaps you mean antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea? That doesn't make the gonorrhea more "powerful" (meaning it doesn't make the gonorrhea act differently), rather it just makes it much harder to eradicate (obviously not good).

Stopped reading at "CDC".

I asked the other poster and I'll ask you too, what references will you trust? I can dig up others if you have specific questions you would like addressed.

[ZzBrahh]

brb the flu shot will combat the strain most likely to be the worst this year
brb take another one because it mutated
brb im a mindless drone injecting chit in my body because the government says so

lmfao

[kusok]

Should be mandatory, forced. A drone should fly inside ur house and inject you. If you resist a drone should shoot you. Maybe taze first. Then check your anus for drugs. Then search your house for guns, gold silver, and cash. And for long term food storage. Signs of terrorism in other words.

Obamacare should then charge you $700 for the flu shot.

If you don't like it, there is always ****lia, roads etc.

[Tuksonrider]

****** NEWS FLASH!!!! ******
EVERY goddam year the CDC says the flu is an epidemic. EVERY. GOD. DAMN. YEAR.

You know who is making bank off this?

[wings_unhinged]

Stopped reading at "CDC".

What's wrong with the CDC?

[ymer]

omfg stfu anti-vaxxers LMFAO!!!!

conspiracy tard, we all need the flu shot or we will all die.

[kusok]

What's wrong with the CDC?

[ZzBrahh]

Should be mandatory, forced. A drone should fly inside ur house and inject you. If you resist a drone should shoot you. Maybe taze first. Then check your anus for drugs. Then search your house for guns, gold silver, and cash. And for long term food storage. Signs of terrorism in other words.

Obamacare should then charge you $700 for the flu shot.

If you don't like it, there is always ****lia, roads etc.

my neighbor told me he didnt get his flu shot this year, i ended up snitching on him to local authorities, hes now facing 20years in prison an his kids were taken from him due to neglect of flu shot, i couldn't feel better, at first i hesitated cuz he seemed like nice guy but then i realized only domestic terrorist types would not take the flu shot

[ScubaStevo]

What's wrong with the CDC?

"The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older, for as long as the flu virus is circulating. The agency has warned, however, that this year's flu strain has mutated in ways that make the vaccine less effective than experts initially hoped."

[Heisman2]

"The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older, for as long as the flu virus is circulating. The agency has warned, however, that this year's flu strain has mutated in ways that make the vaccine less effective than experts initially hoped."

It is not effective against the main strain going around, but it is still thought to be effective against other strains. There is also the possibility that it will reduce the severity of the most common strain going around even though it doesn't confer complete protection (I haven't read anything on this one way or the other).

[wings_unhinged]

"The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older, for as long as the flu virus is circulating. The agency has warned, however, that this year's flu strain has mutated in ways that make the vaccine less effective than experts initially hoped."

I see nothing wrong with that statement. Did you think the shot was a one-time-only miracle cure or something like that?

[ymer]

It is not effective against the main strain going around, but it is still thought to be effective against other strains. There is also the possibility that it will reduce the severity of the most common strain going around even though it doesn't confer complete protection (I haven't read anything on this one way or the other).

It's all speculations, where's the study of vaccinated population vs unvaccinated population?

That's right, there isn't any. All they say is that they think their vaccine is awesome and that everyone should take it.

[ScubaStevo]

I see nothing wrong with that statement. Did you think the shot was a one-time-only miracle cure or something like that?

CDC says get flu shot

CDC admits that shot will not protect you from this strain of flu

hmmm