Temat: Influenza shots

Tatiana S.:
A friend of mine is an immunologist and never advises her family to take them.

Exactly, my friend got her Phd in micro biology and bacteriology and in her words - "these are a waste of your time."

Temat: Influenza shots

Rafal W.:
Well, here is the thing, one of the side effects that sometimes comes up after the influenza vaccine is haha.. flu like symptoms about one to two weeks after the vaccination. So you may not get the flu, but you will feel like you got it shortly after the shot. On top of that, you may still get the virus, because there are no guarantees that the vaccine works to begin with.

Rafał, I got that part... I know how vaccines are supposed to work, I studied Biology (erm for 6 years, not a good student, hehe)

But what I'm trying to tell is... we don't feel like biting people and salivating after getting a rabies shot, you know what I mean...
If this sucky flu vaccine causes me to have some symptoms (even in a light sense), I need to redefine the term "vaccine" in my head.
Since when it has changed, I don't know.

Temat: Influenza shots

ilter K.:

Rafal W.:
Well, here is the thing, one of the side effects that sometimes comes up after the influenza vaccine is haha.. flu like symptoms about one to two weeks after the vaccination. So you may not get the flu, but you will feel like you got it shortly after the shot. On top of that, you may still get the virus, because there are no guarantees that the vaccine works to begin with.

Rafał, I got that part... I know how vaccines are supposed to work, I studied Biology (erm for 6 years, not a good student, hehe)

But what I'm trying to tell is... we don't feel like biting people and salivating after getting a rabies shot, you know what I mean...
If this sucky flu vaccine causes me to have some symptoms (even in a light sense), I need to redefine the term "vaccine" in my head.
Since when it has changed, I don't know.

I couldn't tell you that either, but these are not very common side effects. Also, a friend of mine who is in the Army received some sort of vaccination that she actually had to sign a release form prior of getting it. That was two years ago, she hasn't had a cold since, nor any other sickness for that matter.

Temat: Influenza shots

Well, here is the thing, one of the side effects that

sometimes comes up after the influenza vaccine is haha.. flu like symptoms about one to two weeks after the vaccination. So you may not get the flu, but you will feel like you got it shortly after the shot.

Yes. My pediatrician told me that my kids will get a fever, a sore throat, maybe a cough for a few days, but it won't be severe. !!!

Plus there is no way we would even know if we contracted the flu because they NEVER do cultures anymore!! It could be the Para virus or some other flu-like thing and we would never know. There's no vaccines for those, but we should just assume that the flu shot is working because it MUST be something else. What the hell is the point? Sick is sick is sick.

Temat: Influenza shots

Kari Wolk:

Well, I'm no scientist, but the last time I checked, detergents and formaldehyde are poisonous and anything that seems as though it will NOT protect my children from getting sick is not worth the risk.

It is all risk assessment - it is up to you to weigh the risk of potential and undocumented harm done by thiomersol vs. potential and documented harm from contracting e.g. Hep B.

>My pediatrician asked me if I wanted to give my daughter and

son the vaccine and stressed that they may still get the flu.

Obviously, because a flu shot doesn't guarantee that you don't get a flu. It only lowers the probability or morbidity which always will be non-zero.

>This

is coming from an office that offered a nasal steroid to relieve sinus irritation that will eventually go away by itself.

That's a different story. Many GPs prescribe drugs which are not optimal like in your example above. E.g. antibiotics for common cold. Having said that, many patients armed with their internet-based "in-depth" medical knowledge insist on them so GPs think "ok, screw this, why should I waste my time explaining" and say "ok, here is your amoxicilin, take twice a day"

My children's immunizations are up to date, but I won't, however, give them the chicken pox vaccine because it's optional - and I see flu shots as being optional as well.

And that's fine by me, Kari. I would and indeed will give them to my kids when time is due, you will not.

If there's no evidence to support their effectiveness, why mess around with it?

If there is not sufficient evidence to disprove their lack of effectiveness, why not to have them?

Temat: Influenza shots

Rafal W.:

Marcin B.:

However, I would not subscribe to that point of view given very circumstantial data and lack of corroborating evidence and studies as pointed out by CDC and IOM.

Well, given that there is no data supporting otherwise, I'd rather not take something that may or may not be good for me, then take it. It's a game of Russian roulette.

Maybe, maybe not. You probably suffer more from carbon monoxide in your car than from derivatives of thiomersol in your blood. Like I said - I take my risk and unless proven beyond doubt that vaccines preservatives cause disease A or B I will still use them..

Temat: Influenza shots

when so many people get vaccinated what's the point of getting the shots? The flu doesn't exist anymore!

Temat: Influenza shots

Alicja Efejska:
when so many people get vaccinated what's the point of getting the shots? The flu doesn't exist anymore!

Right... moving right along, what's next on the agenda? Oh yes! Cancer!

Temat: Influenza shots

Rafal W.:

Right... moving right along, what's next on the agenda? Oh yes! Cancer!

You and your horoscopes.

Temat: Influenza shots

Dave Andrew:

Rafal W.:

Right... moving right along, what's next on the agenda? Oh yes! Cancer!

You and your horoscopes.

Yes, well how do you expect me to go through the day not knowing what my next step should be... thank Jah for the interwebs.

Temat: Influenza shots

Alicja Efejska:
when so many people get vaccinated what's the point of getting the shots? The flu doesn't exist anymore!

Except that, as you're probably aware, we only get vaccines with the last season's variation. It ain't like smallpox, you know.

Temat: Influenza shots

Oddly enough, my friend sent me this today - http://www.google.org/flutrends/ To find out more how they do it check out the "How does it work?" link on the left.

Temat: Influenza shots

I've heard that having them year on year gradually builds up immunity and if/when the great pandemic comes, yearly vaccinations could make the difference.