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Do you get a flu shot?

My employer released a policy this year requiring flu shots, or if we didn't get the flu shot, we had to wear a surgical mask for all patient contacts during flu-season. This was supposed to be punishable by discipline, however on the eve of the policy taking effect, the government balked. They are still required, but they said that there would be no discipline.

Basically, I think the gov't lawyers knew that they would get their ass handed to them in a court challenge, which at least one union was getting ready to launch.

As for my opposition, I put a lot of care and attention into maintaining a healthy immune system. The science simply doesn't sway me with the flu shot. It's a crap shoot as to whether the strain in the vaccine matches the circulating strain, and they usually get it wrong. You don't know how many patients I see with illness-related symptoms who all received the flu shot in the previous 48 hours.
 
Tomax said:
My employer released a policy this year requiring flu shots, or if we didn't get the flu shot, we had to wear a surgical mask for all patient contacts during flu-season. This was supposed to be punishable by discipline, however on the eve of the policy taking effect, the government balked. They are still required, but they said that there would be no discipline.

Basically, I think the gov't lawyers knew that they would get their ass handed to them in a court challenge, which at least one union was getting ready to launch.

As for my opposition, I put a lot of care and attention into maintaining a healthy immune system. The science simply doesn't sway me with the flu shot. It's a crap shoot as to whether the strain in the vaccine matches the circulating strain, and they usually get it wrong. You don't know how many patients I see with illness-related symptoms who all received the flu shot in the previous 48 hours.
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You're an EMT, right? You get emergency calls from flu shots? That's one reason I would only get one done at a medical center, and not at a pharmacy or grocery store. I mean, are the people giving them there capable of dealing with a serious reaction? Do they have epinephrine for example and know how to use it? You have a bad reaction and you could only have like 10 minutes to live and you better hope the ambulance has epinephrine too because it's not mandated for ambulances in all states. Which I think is ridiculous.
 
JonesBones said:
Well, every time I've gotten a cold this year has come after a weekend of heavy drinking. Every fuckin time. Anytime I get drunk I catch a cold now about 2 days later. This just started this year. Before this year, I got maybe one cold every 2 years.

And I don't think the the shots are bullshit, but they are effective and they do admit they can make you feel bad for a little while.
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It's pretty well documented that heavy drinking drops your immune system into the toilet. But any of those six "colds" you mentioned could still have been caused by an influenza strain and not a rhinovirus strain. Or they could have been all rhinovirus. But if you have a history of recurring upper respiratory infections related to immuno suppressant binge drinking, it's still highly unlikely that none of those infections were influenza EVER.


Tomax said:
As for my opposition, I put a lot of care and attention into maintaining a healthy immune system. The science simply doesn't sway me with the flu shot. It's a crap shoot as to whether the strain in the vaccine matches the circulating strain, and they usually get it wrong. You don't know how many patients I see with illness-related symptoms who all received the flu shot in the previous 48 hours.
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My thoughts exactly. My patient base is general practice, my wife works in the ICU, and both of us see plenty of people every year with flulike s/s that received the shot earlier in the year.

The probability that it will help is vastly overstated and it's not like you're guranteed to get influenza without the shot either.


I'm not one of those anti vaccine Nazis, but you should do your research on any vaccine.

When my 4 year old was 2 we brought her to her pediatrician for the two year check up and the NP asks us if we are going to be giving her the Hep B vaccine.

I say, she is at no risk of contracting Hep B. I state when she's older if she begins contact sports or another activity which would expose her to blood we'll get the Hep B vaccine at that time.

The NP just looks at us and says, but... it's on the schedule to do it at the two year check up.

I reiterate, she's not a medical proffessional, she is not in contact sports, she is never exposed to other people's blood. There's no rational reason to give a normal two year old a Hep B vaccine.

But it's on the vaccination schedule for the two year checkup..........


/facepalm
 
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had the shot once like 2-3 years ago and i got the flu for the only time in my life that year. i guess i've never known anyone that had actually had the flu before because i always hear people say "i have the flu", but they miss like a day of work and pretty much just have the sniffles. the real flu though is no joke. i literally couldn't get out of bed for three days and had 105 fever for like 5 straight days. cold sweats, totally soaking my bed. it was horrible.
 
shunyata said:
It's pretty well documented that heavy drinking drops your immune system into the toilet. But any of those six "colds" you mentioned could still have been caused by an influenza strain and not a rhinovirus strain. Or they could have been all rhinovirus. But if you have a history of recurring upper respiratory infections related to immuno suppressant binge drinking, it's still highly unlikely that none of those infections were influenza EVER.




My thoughts exactly.
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Yeah, but why am I getting a cold every time I drink now? I'm sick for at least a week. This happens to none of my friends who I drink with, and it just started this year. My immune system just seemed to turn to shit over the past year. Like I said, before I would maybe catch a cold every 2 years. This year I got 2 or 3 in summer when it was like 90 degrees out and sunny.
 
JonesBones said:
You're an EMT, right? You get emergency calls from flu shots? That's one reason I would only get one done at a medical center, and not at a pharmacy or grocery store. I mean, are the people giving them there capable of dealing with a serious reaction? Do they have epinephrine for example and know how to use it? You have a bad reaction and you could only have like 10 minutes to live and you better hope the ambulance has epinephrine too because it's not mandated for ambulances in all states. Which I think is ridiculous.
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I would say 98% of our ambulances have epi, only the most rural stations might have staff at the EMR level without anaphylaxis protocols.

But the calls we're getting aren't that acute. It's more like elderly patients or patients without any way of getting themselves to hospital, and sick/illness NYD symptoms, with the common theme being a recent flu shot.
 
JonesBones said:
Yeah, but why am I getting a cold every time I drink now? I'm sick for at least a week. This happens to none of my friends who I drink with, and it just started this year. My immune system just seemed to turn to shit over the past year. Like I said, before I would maybe catch a cold every 2 years. This year I got 2 or 3 in summer when it was like 90 degrees out and sunny.
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Could just be that you're getting old and the drinking is catching up with you.

Or, it might be a situation where you have an underlying long term viral infection like EBV and every time you suppress your immune system it flares up.

Ever have a test for epstein barr?
 
shunyata said:
Could just be that you're getting old and the drinking is catching up with you.

Or, it might be a situation where you have an underlying long term viral infection like EBV and every time you suppress your immune system it flares up.

Ever have a test for epstein barr?
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No, I haven't had that test, but I was thinking it was something like that. That it's something that is always there and just waiting to manifest itself when my immune system is weakened. My next check up is in February and I'll bring it up to my doctor.
 
JonesBones said:
No, I haven't had that test, but I was thinking it was something like that. That it's something that is always there and just waiting to manifest itself when my immune system is weakened. My next check up is in February and I'll bring it up to my doctor.
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Definately worth a look. EBV is a common culprit in these situations and the s/s of a flare from latent EBV can resemble vague respiratory infection s/s.
 
I've gotten one every year for about 20 years and I haven't had the flu but I don't spend much time in large groups of people.
 
I had the flu, and I wish I had gotten the shot. It's so fking terrible.
 
hell no. I hardly ever get sick. When I do, it is only for a day or two at the most. It has prolly been 8 or 9 years since I last got sick.
 
absolutely not. I've never had the flu and I've heard too many cases of people getting the flu after getting the shot
 
I never get one and I think I've had the flu once in the last 20 years or so. I've got a pretty stellar immune system. I think people get sick at higher rates these days because everyone walks around with a bottle of friggin Purell in tehir pocket and freak out at the prospect of a little dirt on their hands. They never get their immune system up to par.
 
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