2020-21 Flu Vaccine

[TopManFL (imported)]

Question for TopMan. You seem pretty knowledgeable. I believed in vaccines for years. If you were a kid in the 50s a nightmare was polio and living in an iron lung. The polio vaccine pretty much ended that nightmare. I have gotten vaccines for some of the wonderful things like yellow fever before working in iffy countries and everything always went as predicted and never got diseases. But I do have to admit that the last couple of years the flu vaccine didn't seem to work that well. I would get sick after injection. It could be from age except I would see it happening to people in their 30s and 40s. Last flu season I got sick after the shot and then 3 or 4 times afterwards. In your opinion, is that because flu viri mutate quickly and somebody has to make a stab at what vaccine to manufacture in time for the season and some times that stab does not match flu mutations? The next question then is that polio, yellow fever, etc. don't mutate? Final question is if Covid mutates. My guess is that it does. Any comments.

I think you are correct. They have to make the decision in the spring as to what goes in the flu shot in the fall. Sometimes they get it wrong.

[TopManFL (imported)]

I never get a flu shot. I had the swine flu that went around in '77, I think it was. Had it for a month. Really high fevers, vomiting, the whole nine yards. Got over it, felt OK for like 2 or 3 days, then went right back into it. Me and "G", another boy in my class, were the hardest hit. Turns out, "G" was the grandson of my grandpa's cousin. We were like 10 or 11 at the time. Noticed in Freshman year, I think it was, that every time the flu went around, we never got it. Or if we did get symptoms, they didn't last long. The same for "J", who was "G's" aunt. (she was a late baby-surprise).

I know of several people who had bad reactions to the flu shots over the years. During the last swine flu scare, one of the local factories here required all workers to get the shot. They ended up nearly shut down for several weeks, due to everyone reacting to the shot. One guy even died of side effects.

Drug companies know this when vaccines, drugs, etc., are put to market. It's going to happen. This has probably been happening since Jenner first noticed that milkmaids and stable boys didn't get smallpox, as they'd already been exposed to cow pox. There will always be side effects for some. It's only logical. Not everyone's body is the same.

What is a real shame is that we have a society, and not only in the USA, where SO MANY distrust the government, the CDC, and other agencies (wherever they are) that they refuse to have anything to do with modern vaccines and/or drugs. And it seems as if this problem is only getting worse. Add to that, that so many now believe that the mainstream media is lying, or has its own agenda, or is even a tool of "some faction of government".

It will certainly be interesting to see what comes of the vaccine for COVID-19, when and if it comes out.

The swine flu vaccine was not a good example of medical science. It had multiple problems - including guillain-barre syndrome which they admit killed about 500 in the United States. It most likely killed more than that.

[Paolo]

TopManFL, that's exactly what he died of.

[rogerwpbfl (imported)]

Hey all,

I know some people do not get flu vaccines for any number of reasons and I respect that.

However, if you are like me and try to get a flu shot every year, just a reminder that the 2020-21 flu vaccines are available. I got mine yesterday and there was no waiting at CVS. Also, my health insurance covered it.

I say that I "try" to get one every year and I do try. Sometimes, I get busy and just don't get around to it. I figured that this year would be a good year to make sure I got the vaccine.

Stay safe and stay healthy. Try to eat right and remember that chocolate is one of the most important food groups.

TMFL

I've hated shots ever since the nurse told me I was going to feel a little prick.

[kristoff]

I was going to feel a little prick.

Was the little prick cute?

[rogerwpbfl (imported)]

Was the little prick cute?

I was 8. I didn’t know what she was talking about.

[cutnbulls2ox (imported)]

I was 8. I didn’t know what she was talking about.

Obviously you were wearing pants when she gave you that shot. Even when you were 8 years old, she would never have said you had a little prick if she saw you naked ! You probably made your dr jealous from seeing you hung so big as a kid.