Monday, September 30, 2013

Do You Get the Flu Vaccination?

Flu season is approaching, and each year we're urged to get vaccinated.


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We're told that each year somewhere around 36,000 people in America die from the flu.

I get my vaccination each year. It seems to make sense. And it's been years since I've had flu.

However, I know many people are “afraid” to take it for various reasons.

How about you? Do you get the vaccination? Why or why not? Is there a big push where you live to get vaccinated?

Here are a few facts:

The flu shot is continually updated, because influenza is a rare type of virus that is constantly changing. There are three types of the flu — Influenza A, B and C — each one with its own viral strain that replicates and changes independently from the other types. 

Seasonal strains of human influenza change constantly, which is why people can catch the flu multiple times.

But there many other subtypes of influenza to which humans are immune. They reside mostly in birds, although every once in a while a strain will suddenly develop the ability to infect people. "A virus like that gives people no time to develop protection or immunity, so almost everyone is susceptible," says Dr. Carolyn Bridges, an influenza expert at the CDC. "When that happens, we have a pandemic."

The following is from Time magazine:

“Influenza is a disease of modernity: the faster people travel around the world, the easier it is for the virus to spread. There was no evidence of influenza among Native Americans until after Europeans visited North America. Pandemic outbreaks occur about once every hundred years, although it's hard track outbreaks that occurred before the 18th century due to incomplete medical records.

“The disease hits big cities first — because that's where people generally travel — and then spreads to surrounding areas. The last major pandemic occurred in 1918 when an Influenza A strain jumped from birds to humans and killed an estimated 20-40 million people (3% of the world's population). 

The pandemic struck during World War I and warring nations worried that the enemy might use the virus to its advantage, so most news reports of the outbreak were censored. Spain remained neutral during the war, and its accounts of the virus's horrific symptoms caused the illness to be nicknamed the "Spanish flu," even though scientists now believe it originated in the United States.

"This wasn't like normal flu," says Frank Snowden, Yale University's chair of the history of science and medicine department. "Physicians were horrified by what they saw. People's lungs filled with this terrible frothy fluid. They were literally choking to death. It was ghastly." Symptoms appeared so suddenly that victims sometimes died within just one day. The flu hit World War I soldiers especially hard; some historians believe more soldiers died from the flu than from the war.

The influenza virus was discovered in the early 1930s, and scientists developed a working vaccine by the 1940s, when it was first used on soldiers during World War II. 


In 1976, an errant outbreak of swine flu at Fort Dix, New Jersey, caused scientists to worry about a possible pandemic, so President Gerald Ford announced that the federal government would vaccinate the entire U.S. population. Unfortunately, several hundred people developed Guillain-BarrĂ© syndrome, an illness characterized by nerve damage and paralysis, after receiving the vaccination. The Ford family tried to alleviate fears by televising their flu shots, and in the end 40 million Americans were vaccinated for a strand of influenza that only had a handful of documented cases of human infection. 

17 comments:

  1. Absolutely, Sanda, I get my vaccination as soon as they are released each year and have done for many years, When I was younger I used to suffer from several long bouts of flu every year, missing time at work. The flu shot has been a real life-changer and helped my immune system a lot. The only flu I have had in many years was last Christmas when a friend returned with flu caught in Europe and I got it from her (I didn't know she was in that 'moist' stage beforehand, or I would have discouraged the visit) - obviously it was a different strain, probably one which went into the next Australian vaccination.

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    1. I, too, have been getting the vaccination for years. Last winter I didn't even have a cold, but of course, flu is a different thing altogether. I attribute not having a cold last winter to my retirement; the workplace, schools, etc. are breeding grounds for cold/flu germs.

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  2. H and I had ours this afternoon - do you have to pay for them in USA?

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    1. Most insurance policies pay for the cost of the flu shot. If a person isn't covered by insurance or Medicare, I think they cost around $15.

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  3. i don't get the flu vaccine. i'm not in a high-risk group, and i haven't had a seriously bad case of the flu since the '60s. i don't have strong feelings about it, though, and would get it if i saw a need.

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    1. The Center for Disease Control recommends that everyone get a flu shot and I do so because I figure it can't hurt!

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  4. Yes, I'm scheduled to have the flu shot. I get them from my regular physician although there are many places (drugstores and such) where you can get them.

    Darla

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    1. Same here; many drugstores and even Walmart offers flu shots. I haven't had mine yet but will do so in next week or so.

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  5. Hello Sanda,
    First, let me thank you for your kind kind comments on the passing of my little companion lady. She is rested now.

    Yes, I have the flue injection. I dont like having it, as It makes me ill for a few days. Afterwards however, i am fine. Flu is a taboo subject for me. I do not like it at all, when i go to the village or town and some people are sneezing around you. i get angry..as they should stay at home.
    living here in the middle of nowhere.. i am less likey to get it..but its when i go into town.
    I enjoyed reading your post about the influenza.. very interesting.
    Portugal was also neutral during the ll world war.
    happy 1st october.. Sanda.
    xx val

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    1. Val, hoping that each passing day makes it easier to bear the loss of your beloved dog. Such a difficult time I know. There have been years when I've experienced mild flu symptoms following the injection; not unusual, as one is getting injected with a small amount of the virus to raise immunity levels. I feel the same way about people going out in public when they are sick; they need to be at home!

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  6. I have not had a flue injection ever, if I remember correctly. I don´t belong to the age/ risk group, who get it at the health center free.
    This year, now that we have a grandchild, maybe we grandparents should have it taken privately on our own expense.
    I am not against vaccinations by any means.

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    1. It's true that the groups at highest risk are the very young, the old and people with impaired health. But I get the injection anyway (although I may very well be in the "old" group by now! But my health is very good. A good point - grandparents and those around babies need to get the shot. It's actually mandatory for health care workers here.

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  7. Never had the flu vaccine,no high risk,would re-consider if with age I felt it necessary....it is offered here free from GP's surgeries,or privately £15.

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    1. If you've never had flu you have been very lucky! The government here really promotes everyone getting vaccinated. Just heard yesterday that due to the current "government shutdown" the CDC will not be tracking the flu this year. Let us hope, for many larger reasons, that this stupid shutdown ends soon. My HB is one of many government employees furloughed and won't be receiving a salary for as long as the shutdown lasts.

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  8. Thanks for the reminder. I've always found it strange that my GP never sends one. As a person with asthma, I'm on the list of people who are recommended to have the flu vaccine, but I must admit I'm quite careless about it since retiring. I think I had influenza once when I was about 19. I spent about 10 days in bed with little memory of any of those even back then. I was either delirious or asleep; I know I had a very high fever and I lost a lot of weight. I generally have one bad cold per year, but I don't call these influenza, which seems to be the popular thing these days - everything is labelled flu. Anyhow, I really ought to go get vaccinated. Will add this to my to do list...

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    1. Yes, you definitely need the injection due to your asthma. It's true that some refer to every winter cold as "flu," which is so different and so much worse. If one has ever had it they'll never again think the two are one and same.

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  9. I regularly have my flu shot. Some people are afraid because of the follies spreading all over the internet about its dangers. There are certain side effects, which don’t even occur to everyone, but they’re only mild reactions. If they would only be wiser to go directly to a doctor to ease their doubts. Alejandra@USHealthWorks.com/Tacoma-Center.html

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