Thread: 2020 flu season

Originally Posted by DVW

I can't tell you if she swabs positive for it or if they just diagnose her based on her symptoms. Needless to say, she is getting pretty tired of it. She is starting to suspect that the shots are actually giving her the flu, and is going to opt out of the vaccine this time around. Perhaps her body is more susceptible to it than most people and the vaccine is actually causing her to have symptoms. Most vaccines are not actually dead virus'. They are weakened forms of the virus. She may have a weaker immune system that can not fight off the virus, even in its weakened state. Taking a vaccine comes with a risk, and so does not taking it. This is why it is a personal choice.

The influenza vaccine is dead virus or just part of the virus. The spray/mist was live and attenuated but they have discontinued it. I can't have any live vaccines personally due to medical reasons.
Yeah I can imagine she ain't happy about it, sounds horrible getting sick every year.

Got my flu shot yesterday.

The flu vaccine we get in North America is a best guess at what flu viruses are likely to appear here based on what has happened in other places flu seasons before the season starts here. In Ontario the standard adult flu shot covers 4 possible viruses and the more powerful seniors one covers 3. They are said to be about 60% effective iirc.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

The flu vaccine we get in North America is a best guess at what flu viruses are likely to appear here based on what has happened in other places flu seasons before the season starts here. In Ontario the standard adult flu shot covers 4 possible viruses and the more powerful seniors one covers 3. They are said to be about 60% effective iirc.

Bob

60% is the best case scenario.

20% or so is not unusual.

Originally Posted by BobH

The flu vaccine we get in North America is a best guess at what flu viruses are likely to appear here based on what has happened in other places flu seasons before the season starts here. In Ontario the standard adult flu shot covers 4 possible viruses and the more powerful seniors one covers 3. They are said to be about 60% effective iirc.

Bob

I heard that they are studying whether the chicken egg manufacturing process is more effective with some strains than others. So, if a strain that does not do well with the chicken egg is the predominate strain that year, the effectiveness of the vaccine is reduced. This is way beyond my understanding, but here is a study put out in August. It'll be interesting to see if this can make more effective vaccines down the road.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...64410X20307945

All I know is I never used to get the flu shot and when I was 50 I got the flu and I was sick as a dog for 2 weeks. So, after that I get the shot every year and I haven't (knock on wood) gotten the flu since then.

Last year when I told my youngest daughter (an avid Anti Vaxer/neither of her young children have had any vaccinations) that I'd gotten my Flu Shot she exclaimed 'WHY?!?!?!?

I said; "Honey, I've had measles, mumps, chicken pox, numerous episodes with the flu and I've known misery that you've never known as you were vaccinated against many diseases that I've suffered through and I'm tired of enduring misery and that's why I take the flu shot and will continue to.

She immediately said: "But it's not 100% effective and there's all kinds of side effects". I told her that those percentages were on my side as 20-30% protection beat the hell out of 0%---and I didn't give a rat's ass about any side effects!

Needless to say we don't discuss vaccinations any more---

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Needless to say we don't discuss vaccinations any more---

Hard to believe.

Bob

I had Flu shots as a kid, I went to a boarding school and I wasn't given a choice although I assume my mum consented.

I also had Flu shots in the army, again i didn't get a choice.

Except for those periods i never got the shot and have never had the flu, a lot of people say they have the flu when it's just a bad cold. Those of you that have experienced the flu properly know that it is nothing like a bad cold. My father in law was hospitalized with it.

Anyway fast forward to 2018, I was in hospital and the nurse really nagged me to have a shot so the hospital had less chance of a flu epidemic, eventually I agreed and have done it every year since.

My attitude is that it doesn't hurt (I'm a chicken) and even if it doesn't stop me getting the flu it reduces the chances and possibly the severity. I haven't had any side effects, didn't know there were any actually.

I had a pneumonia shot recently and next time I go to the doctors I am going to talk about a shingles shot too.

I have recently decided that anything i can do to avoid the possibility of getting some of those really nasty illnesses is worth considering as i get older, especially as they're covered by OHIP.

Won't be getting a Covid Vaccination though for all the tea in China. Before I take or inject anything I want to know what will happen down the road, a 90 day test is not even nearly good enough for me.

I will be interested to see if there are adverts on TV in 2 years advising people that had a particular COVID shot to contact a number as they may be entitled to compensation, I'm sure we have all seen those kind of adverts for other drugs and those Covid ones have only been tested for 3 months. Christ, ladies makeup is tested for longer than that.

I had the flu about 10 years ago. My kid had it. I took him to Dr and he tested me and said I did also. Although I had zero symptoms. The entire family(5) had it they said as we were all tested.