Do you get a flu shot?

[def1]

I understand what you're saying, but there's a bit of hair splitting of the term 'sick'. Your immune system responds, you display symptoms, it is what it is.

This is true, but their is a difference between mild symptoms of fever and malaise, and an actual infection that can kill you or severely debilitate you.

For the flu, its not really a big deal unless your in a high risk age group. But for diseases like smallpox, polio, tetanus, etc., the relatively mild side effects are greatly outweighed by the benefits.

Another important difference is that although your immune system is responding to the vaccine, the vaccine is not replicating or killing your cells, which means it is a controlled, limited response.

 

[m0353]

I've gotten the shot once in the past 4 years. However, this year I've been sick quite a few times. I had my 2 year old niece living with me, so that might be the cause of some of it.

But damn, I've been sick for a week and a day now

 

[Deadred2]

I eat pretty healthy and almost never get sick. I don't really see a need to get a flu shot, I've had a pretty healthy immune system even before I ate healthier.

 

[Rjay]

The two parts I've put in bold seem to contradict each other in the context of this discussion. I stated that the vaccination requires an immune response to be effective, and the immune system has finite capabilities. You said, no, that's not correct, the immune system can handle it. Then you go on to say that sometimes the immune system cannot handle it. Can you please clarify?

When you get sick your body launches an immune response. To influenza infection that immune response is not going to be enough to stop you getting sick, and indeed that response is part of the reason you feel crappy (ie fever, ext). When the virus evades your innate defense mechanisms and starts to replicate, it takes time for your immune system to kick in, the relevant cells to prime, replicate and move the the site of infection and kill the virus. If you didn't have that response, the flu would kill you. It just takes time, so you get sick before it's all gone.

When people don't respond the the flu vaccine, it's usually because their immune system isn't so good to begin with, ie the old and immunocompromised. These people are especially vulnerable to influenza, and these are the ones that need a flu shot the most. It's just unfortunate that the vaccine works by priming your immune system so it produces antibodies, when it sees the virus again the virus is swiftly neutralized and the immune cells can act quickly. If you're old, your immune system doesn't respond well to that priming, so when you see the virus next time around it also doesn't respond so well. Research on new vaccination strategies therefore has 2 focal points; trying to make the vaccine cross-protective ie against all influenza strains so we don't have to guess what next season's strains are going to be, and trying to make it so the immunocompromised are better protected.

 

[AgentOrange24]

I get it for free at school.

I think the super deadly stuff they put it will make me stronger.

 

[AgentOrange24]

Some people in this thread should take a biology course.

It would be funny if there weren't lives at risk.

 

[Cptn1NSAN0]

I suppose I probably should.

 

[Chernabog]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Never did get a swine flu shot.

 

[HuntersCreed]

I don't get one because Alex Jones says I shouldn't.

 

[Sum]

Nah. I can get a free one but never feel it necessary. If I get the flu I'll just take meds.

 

[SevenSamurai]

never

 

[Captain Davis]

I've had one or two in my lifetime, never noticed a difference. I've only had the flu a couple of times though, don't seem to be very susceptible to it.

 

[Thrawn33]

Active duty military, so I have to.

Before I enlisted I never got the flu, now I do so go figure.

 

[therealdope]

Nope. Funny thing is that most people i know who work at Large pharmas in drug discovery don't get them either.

 

[jyinvicta]

Yeah, it was free from my university and right across the street from my building, so I figured, why not.