Thread: 2020 flu season

We have to be aware that most large-scale studies on the effectiveness of flu vaccinations were conducted by Big Pharma, i.e. the makers of the vaccines. Would you trust a study sponsored by Big Tobacco that says smoking is not unhealthy? No, you wouldn't.
If you scroll down to the Key Issues of this study you will see it is unknown whether repeat flu jabs are effective: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full...4.2017.1334554

The other thing is: suffering an episode of flu every so often may be better for our immunity in general than preventing them by vaccination.

Just for the record: I am very much in favour of childhood vaccinations and other vaccinations that give life-long immunity and / or do really prevent potentially fatal diseases.

Originally Posted by Kees

The other thing is: suffering an episode of flu every so often may be better for our immunity in general than preventing them by vaccination.

It might be better for some people but it can be fatal for others.

Originally Posted by STF

It might be better for some people but it can be fatal for others.

In addition to that it can have other health repercussions. For example, it was about 6 months or less after the last episode of flu I had that I got the cancer in my kidney. Doctors have warned me since the nephrectomy to be cautious about NSAIDs because of their effects on my remaining kidney. There were likely a number of factors that caused the cancer and I don't, nor do my doctors believe that all the meds fighting fever caused the cancer but I believe it contributed. In addition, after the 2+ weeks of fever over 104° I got pneumonia which took 2 rounds of antibiotics to get rid of. The cough that lingered for months afterwards could also have contributed to my blood not holding the oxygen in ICU after I had the anaphylactic reaction in the post op which nearly killed me. So respectfully I will have to disagree with the assertion that a bout with flu makes our immunity stronger. It is like the quote credited to Nietzsche, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." Maybe sometimes that's true but I once knew a man who was bitten by a rattlesnake and he never lived another healthy day in his life. Although the bite did not kill him it certainly didn't make him stronger. My great Aunt Edna had scarlet fever as a little girl. She died on her 92 birthday after a lifetime of bad health. I don't discount the pharmaceutical companies vested interest. Also, as TC pointed out we could lob volleys at each other ad infinitum with facts and studies and we could both be thoroughly convinced (thank you internet and social media) but in the end I have to go with what my friend who has spent an entire career fighting disease tells me. Personally I am getting the vaccination. Each person has to do as they see fit.

I’m not saying that he doesn’t have the facts, what I,m trying to get across is, that another PHD will have facts also. That’s where it gets cloudy. Who to believe? What data do you believe? My wife was a nurse practitioner in the Gastro field for 34 years before she got sick, so in our house there was plenty of discussion about data research and facts. Some f the leading guys in the field, yet they couldn’t agree on each other’s data. So you can see where my thoughts lie. Who to trust? The CDC? WHO? Mayo Clinic? Politicians? Or the internet? All data and “facts” that you base your conclusions on do not come from your own knowledge. I’ve lived a long time not trusting. I respect your thoughts I just don’t agree with your source

Well TC I think we agree on a lot more than you might think. I'll grant basically everything you just said. In fact I have very fervent belief in the notion that what one person sees as fact someone else sees as fiction. You only have to look at the anti-vaxer movement to see that. I don't think the first one of those people thinks, "hey let's do something really stupid." In the end it all comes down to faith. Not to draw religion into this but simply to state a point philosophically, "Now, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The question has been asked many times, "What is truth?" Truth is what you put your faith in. It's worth repeating that each person has to do as they see fit.

Funny, I feel like I'm having deja vu. Don't we have this same discussion every year when flu season comes around?

Let me just say that I respect everyone's right to their viewpoint. I may not agree with it and sometimes I'm a little less than gracious in expressing it but we really do all have to find our own way. May everyonebe successful in finding the way that works for them.

All this making one's own mind up and having faith in it is well and good so long as it does not effect anyone else. With the numbers of people not getting immunised and getting their booster shots increasing there are diseases that were formerly thought eradicated now showing up again. Once herd immunity through immunisation drops below a certain percentage of the population being immunised that happens. There are times when people are just wrong, faith or no faith. It's not rocket science.

Bob

I bet when all is said and done, the CDC, WHO, and mayo clinic all recommend the flu vaccine. Whether the vaccines prevent infection, help herd immunity, or reduce severity; I'm assuming they'd say to get it. I'd bet the truth is that they do all the of those in some degree.

There's a podcast called Sawbones and the MD host once said "don't trust the internet for medical advice. I know you're r listening to me on the internet, but..."

Originally Posted by STF

...The shots are also covered by OHIP for everyone so there isn't really any reason not to get it and maybe protect someone vulnerable from a really bad time....

I'll do you one better than that.



So the shot is 100% covered by health insurance which my wife gets at work PLUS Publix pays you $10 to get it there.
... "Publix: where shopping is a pleasure."

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I'll do you one better than that.
So the shot is 100% covered by health insurance which my wife gets at work PLUS Publix pays you $10 to get it there.
... "Publix: where shopping is a pleasure."

The only way that makes sense is that the private insurance company that your wife's employer pays to provide her the "free" benefit pays a high enough amount that a pharmacy can give a $10.00 gift card to shop at their pharmacy. Just to keep you from getting the shot anywhere else. Seems like the cost of the shot is too high to begin with then.

Bob