People that don't get vaccinated...

[CottonRabbit]

Originally Posted by SparkyJJO

Yeah, no chance of you getting the flu from the flu shot.

...Which is why every year while my brother was in the Navy they'd get the flu shot (mandatory) and within a few days half the ship was sick with the flu

There are 2 kinds of flu vaccine. It is impossible to get the real flu from the kind that is administered as a shot.

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally Posted by raildogg

People lived and faced conditions and therefore built themselves up. If we artificially protect ourselves from the elements, humanity in the long run will suffer if the drugs ever run out. All I'm saying is we are too dependent on drugs.

They also kicked the can in their 40's

[Howard]

Originally Posted by raildogg

LOL, you guys are funny. Well, I just think we should avoid any type of medication or vaccination unless it is absolutely necessary.

And I suppose to you only death warrants necessity?

[SparkyJJO]

Originally Posted by CottonRabbit

There are 2 kinds of flu vaccine. It is impossible to get the real flu from the kind that is administered as a shot.

I'd rather go with the raw hard data from a sample of a few thousand people vs theoretical data that you just repeat

[StrangerGuy]

"are people who don't get vaccinated just chicken shit afraid of needles?"

It's called stupid. Duh.

[BUTCH1]

Originally Posted by SparkyJJO

Some vaccines make sense. Others (like the flu shot) are pretty worthless.

And I have no problem saying I hate needles also

Exactly why do you (and others in this thread) think it's "worthless", please educate us humble unknowing masses why it doesn't help, we're waiting...

[OverVolt]

Biggest modern advancement in preventing disease is actually just sanitation.

[JimmiG]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_f...and_and_Sweden

[brainhulk]

just an fyi for those that remain confused about the flu shot

symptoms commonly associated with an infection such as fever, chills, runny nose, cough, and congestion are a manifestation of your immune system responding to antigen. antigen is anything identified foreign in you body which can be anything from pollen, virus, vaccine, bacteria, parasite, etc. the response will vary widely depending on the antigen

the split virus vaccine flu shot consists of chopped up viral parts (antigen) that will hopefully illicit an immunologic memory "response" that will confer immunity (your immune system will be able to eliminate the flu virus before it has a chance to replicate to a significant amount) if you are later exposed to actual flu virus.

I put response in quotations so as to refer back to the first paragraph so people don't confuse the vaccine response to having an actual infection (no viral replication). the flu shot does not contain any whole virus, there is no viral replication involved. It is designed to confer immunity but have a mild response.

Just as you do not have an infection when you get seasonal allergies, you do not have an infection when your body reacts to the flu shot, it is just your body getting in some practice before the big game

[gorcorps]

The real question is why does anybody care? I swear, people who are on the flu shot trip are worse than pushy religious zealots. I've been asked "did you get your flu shot" more recently than anything else, and it's asked in the same judgemental tone as some who asks "have you found Jesus". Why do you care? Get off your high horse and leave me the fuck alone. It's not your life or your problem.

[Slammy1]

Any medical procedure comes with some level of risk. My sister went to nursing school with someone who was drummed out because she paralyzed a guy with a shot. But flu shots aren't given on the backside, more to the point. The purpose of the flu shots is not to inoculate everyone, just a critical mass so that if a flu appears it doesn't run away in the population.

EDIT: Let's say you have 4 people that only interact with each other and 3 are inoculated then the 4th probably has a low very probability of contracting any particular strain. So these are designed around statistics to inoculate a certain number of people so that it doesn't become a major event.

[Kreon]

I hate needles. With a passion. Giving blood makes me pass out.

But I still get vaccinated (though I missed flu vaccine last year). I still donate blood too.

[Brainonska511]

The ignorance in this thread is astounding.

[Gibsons]

Originally Posted by JimmiG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_f...and_and_Sweden

http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2011/august/narcolepsy.html

[Linflas]

Originally Posted by Rockinacoustic

They also kicked the can in their 40's

No. If you made it through childhood you had a decent chance to live into your 60's or even 70's.