Welcome to Debate Club! Please be aware that this is a space for respectful debate, and that your ideas will be challenged here. Please remember to critique the argument, not the author.
Flu shots? For them or against ?
Replies
-
Guillain-barré is pretty rare with standard flu shots although it was a somewhat bigger risk with H1N1 and with the vaccine for swine flu in the 1970s. It was a bigger story then because they were unfamiliar with it, and were not as successful treating people for it. It's also a more significant risk with Zika.
Getting the flu on the other hand can lead to pneumonia and worse. as others have indicated, the flu is horrible and takes even healthy people weeks to recover from. I've been getting a flu shot every year for most of my adult life. I started getting them when I had no health insurance to reduce my risks whatever way I could. Then I became a nurse and I decided that if the hospital was giving them out free I would get one each year.
Around the time of H1N1 NYS got serious about hospital nurses and flu shots. First they tried mandating it by law, which went over like a lead balloon. (rightly so) Now they say that you get your flu shot or you can wear a mask while you are at work during flu season. Yeah, no, I'll take the shot, thanks!
Some people do feel a little crappy with flu shots, that just means the body is reacting properly to it by mounting an immune response. If you catch a cold right around then don't blame the flu shot, it was a coincidence. Lots of people feel like somebody slugged them in the arm, have them put it in your non dominant arm and take some tylenol.
2 -
For it! I have friends who are immunosuppresed (one friend has cystic fibrosis, other friends are diabetic, others have heart problems), as well as my father (Crohn's Disease) and I would hate to be the reason they get severely sick.2
-
After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.16
-
After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
Humans come by this flaw honestly.
well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/wrong-about-risk-blame-your-brain/?_r=04 -
I am 31 years old and I don't believe I've had the flu shot since I was 22 or so. *knock on wood* I have never gotten the flu.1
-
I'm immunosuppresed,suffer from a chronic disease and am also asthmatic. So I get the shot each year. It's never actually made me ill (it's not a live vaccine) but I have consistently noticed it makes my chronic condition flare up. I figure this could be because it stimulates my immune system but this could be nonsense and in any case, a dose of flu would be worse.4
-
After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
0 -
billglitch wrote: »After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
While a relatively small percentage of people actually contract the flu, the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risk of getting the shot. The flu can be deadly, even in young, healthy individuals. The shot is not, unless one were allergic. In that case, the risk of the shot would be vastly greater than the risk of getting the flu.
For the rest of the population, the risks that come with flu for those who contract it are much less higher than the risks of getting vaccinated.
People who don't understand this are bad at risk analysis, which I believe is what @tomteboda was getting at.
*Edit: I can't words today.6 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »billglitch wrote: »After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
While a relatively small percentage of people actually contract the flu, the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risk of getting the shot. The flu can be deadly, even in young, healthy individuals. The shot is not, unless one were allergic. In that case, the risk of the shot would be vastly greater than the risk of getting the flu.
For the rest of the population, the risks that come with flu for those who contract it are much less than the risks of getting vaccinated.
People who don't understand this are bad at risk analysis, which I believe is what @tomteboda was getting at.
I think you mean that for the rest of the population (if you mean those who aren't allergic), the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risks of getting vaccinated.2 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »billglitch wrote: »After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
While a relatively small percentage of people actually contract the flu, the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risk of getting the shot. The flu can be deadly, even in young, healthy individuals. The shot is not, unless one were allergic. In that case, the risk of the shot would be vastly greater than the risk of getting the flu.
For the rest of the population, the risks that come with flu for those who contract it are much less than the risks of getting vaccinated.
People who don't understand this are bad at risk analysis, which I believe is what @tomteboda was getting at.
I think you mean that for the rest of the population (if you mean those who aren't allergic), the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risks of getting vaccinated.
Thanks! I fixed it.
And yes, that's exactly what I meant1 -
Not for me I don't want the toxic heavy metals injected into my body5
-
Michaelxo444 wrote: »Not for me I don't want the toxic heavy metals injected into my body
If you're referring to thimerosal (which is used as a preservative), you can always request a single-use vial (or pre-filled syringe). They typically don't need preservatives. Or are you referring to something else?2 -
Never had the flu.. or the shot.2
-
Michaelxo444 wrote: »Not for me I don't want the toxic heavy metals injected into my body
That's good, but irrelevant. Thimerosal is not toxic. It does not have the same properties as elemental or methyl mercury, any more than water has the same properties as hydrogen or oxygen.9 -
Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »billglitch wrote: »After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
While a relatively small percentage of people actually contract the flu, the risks that come with the flu are higher than the risk of getting the shot. The flu can be deadly, even in young, healthy individuals. The shot is not, unless one were allergic. In that case, the risk of the shot would be vastly greater than the risk of getting the flu.
For the rest of the population, the risks that come with flu for those who contract it are much less higher than the risks of getting vaccinated.
People who don't understand this are bad at risk analysis, which I believe is what @tomteboda was getting at.
*Edit: I can't words today.
thats fine, my point was that the risk of getting the flu is fairly low. obviously everyone has to decide for themselves1 -
Got my flu shot yesterday and, yes, my arm is sore. Not only do I not want to get the flu but my boss has a daughter who very recently had a kidney transplant and catches about everything that goes around. We try hard not to expose the boss to germs/illness (which I know can't be totally avoided but, hey, do what we can).5
-
billglitch wrote: »After reading this entire thread, and re-reading several portions of it, I'm pretty certain a large percentage of the population simply is awful at risk analysis.
I just checked and from what i could find between 5 and 20% of americans will get the flu. That means that 80 - 95 % will not get it. Is not getting the flu shot a big risk? depends on how you look at it. Another source says 30,000,000 americans will get the flu. Thats roughly 10%...so 1 out of 10 will get it or 9 out of 10 wont
Information on overall incidence of flu is meaningless for determining the risk of not getting the vaccine. You need to know the percentage of vaccinated population & unvaccinated population that gets the flu.
If 80% of the population is getting vaccinated, and the 10% of the overall population that gets the flu are all from the 20% that aren't getting vaccinated, then your risk of getting the flu if you don't get the vaccine is 50%.
If only 50% of the population is getting vaccinated, and 50% of those who get the flu are vaccinated, then not getting the flu shot doesn't present any risk at all, because your odds are the same whether or not you get the vaccine.
If 90% of the population is getting vaccinated, and the 10% of the overall that gets the flue are all from the 10% that aren't getting vaccinated, then your risk of getting the flu if you don't get the vaccine is 100%.
Please note, I'm not saying that the risk is 50%, or 100%, or 0%. I'm just saying that the datum you're offering, in isolation, cannot support the argument you're making.6 -
Haven't read all the comments but from the CDC itself effectiveness is about 19%...
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/news/updated-vaccine-effectiveness-2014-15.htm
Not saying I'm for or against just bringing up some data to discuss.
ETA - CDC also not recommending the "live" nasal drops for 2017...
http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/s0622-laiv-flu.html0 -
I'm in. I work in early childhood and there's always some kind of crud being passed around. I figure I have nothing to lose. Get the poke, swim for an hour, and boom--all fixed up2
-
From your link : The updated VE estimate against influenza A H3N2 viruses was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6%-29%).This result is similar to the VE point estimate of 23%, which was reported in a January 16 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and confirms reduced protection against H3N2 viruses this season.
That was the 2014 season and is how effective it was against that strain - not against all strains the vaccine covered.
It also says 'reduced protection this season' - so that was a low season effective-wise against that strain only, compared to other seasons.
This does NOT mean the effectiveness of the vaccine against all strains all seasons is 19% - you have taken the least effective strain in its least effective year and presented that as the total or average of the vaccines effectiveness against all strains all seasons.
Which it obviously is not and is not what your own link says.
6
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 415 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions