The one year I forgot to get my flu shot, I got the flu, and I was very sick. I always get the flu shot now. It won't protect you from horrid colds, but the flu can be deadly especially to the very young and to senior citizens.
Yes you old uns need to be careful!! Ha ha - watch her face guys ...im for it now, right now she's reaching for those throwing knives!!
Still, what's the downside of getting one? Good questions, and I can't think of any answers for it.
The shot protects people from some strains but not all strains. In my opinion, it is still worthwhile. I had a dinner party at my home before Christmas, and two of our attendees were doctors. They both said that in some ways it is suicidal to not get a flu shot because they both had lost patients to the flu.
I've never bothered. I have always enjoyed good health and can't ever remember getting the flu. I catch a mild common cold every couple of years but nothing worse than that. Just lucky, I guess.
Still, what's the downside of getting one? Good questions, and I can't think of any answers for it.
The shot protects people from some strains but not all strains. In my opinion, it is still worthwhile. I had a dinner party at my home before Christmas, and two of our attendees were doctors. They both said that in some ways it is suicidal to not get a flu shot because they both had lost patients to the flu.
P.S. Bill, look up at the sky. Incoming missiles.
I do think age makes a difference along with the health of ones immune system. I need to take medication every day and it not only kills bad bacteria but good bacteria, which makes me more at risk of infections. Children especially should (Must!) get immunized.
I've never bothered. I have always enjoyed good health and can't ever remember getting the flu. I catch a mild common cold every couple of years but nothing worse than that. Just lucky, I guess.
I used to think that way too until somebody pointed out to me that if I DID catch the flu, although I'd survive, I could pass it on to somebody who may be too old or weak to be so lucky. Aren't a small minority of people, young kids too, allergic to flu shots, and thus can't get them?
Having said that, I haven't gone for mine yet. Maybe next year.
I attended a lecture not long ago by Dr. Anthony Fauci from the NIH. He explained that the effectiveness variability of current flu vaccines is a function of how well scientists were able to predict the flu strains that would be prevalent during a given year. Research is underway to develop flu vaccines that address molecular traits common to all flu strains. Such vaccines would in theory be 99+% effective. Let's hope these are introduced in the near future.
I read recently that on average people catch flu about once every 5 years. I'm surprised it's as high as that because I can think of only a few times in my life when I can say I definitely had flu (I'm over pension age, so that's many decades!). Obviously many illnesses which I put down to a cold or something similar must have been flu.
I know people who refuse to have a vaccination and I suppose they may be concerned about rare allergic reactions; a concern which is not helped by the news that cancer specialist Professor Martin Gore died this month after having had a routine yellow fever vaccination. An extremely rare event.
