Flu vaccination

[Muse]

I came down with something almost a week ago (I'm in Berkeley, CA). I had a fever between 98.7 and 100.2 (averaging maybe 99.5) for about a day and felt nasty. I was very sensitive to light, headachey, weak, very runny nose. For around two days I would sleep a couple of hours, be awake for three hours, then sleep for maybe two more hours. I'm almost OK now.

Researching I see it said that fever rarely attends a cold. I figure therefore I had a strain of the flu. I got a flu shot in October. Is it possible that the shot lessened the severity of the attack? Or is it just the case that I got a strain that wasn't accounted for in the manufacture of the vaccine?

Edit: Some people who get the vaccine will still get the flu, but they will usually get a milder case than people who aren't vaccinated.

The above from page on preventing the flu at Familydoctor.org

It goes on:


If I get the flu vaccine, can I still get the flu?

Yes. Even with a flu vaccine, you aren't 100% protected. Each year, the flu vaccine contains 3 different strains (kinds) of the virus. The strains chosen are those that scientists believe are most likely to show up in the United States that year. If the choice is right, the vaccine is 70% to 90% effective in preventing the flu in healthy people under 65 years of age. If you're older than 65, the vaccine is less likely to prevent the flu. Even if you get the flu after being vaccinated, your flu symptoms should be milder than if you didn't get the vaccine. You'll also be less likely to get complications from the flu.

 

[irishScott]

I'm no expert, but from what I know there are several strains that are likely to be prominent in the given flu season. However production capacity limits the vaccine to one of the possible strains (assuming they want to vaccinate everyone). So they pick one. At best it can completely prevent the specific strain, at worst it lessens the effect of the other strains (which are generally closely related) and/or prevents them.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: irishScott
I'm no expert, but from what I know there are several strains that are likely to be prominent in the given flu season. However production capacity limits the vaccine to one of the possible strains (assuming they want to vaccinate everyone). So they pick one. At best it can completely prevent the specific strain, at worst it lessens the effect of the other strains (which are generally closely related) and/or prevents them.

I read info at a site last night that said they pick 3 target strains.

I'm sure now I had the flu. I guess it could have been a lot worse. I wasn't even sure it wasn't just a cold until I researched this stuff some. It was way way worse than the typical cold. But I'm close to functional now and it's been less than a week. Baring a setback, I will probably be pretty OK this coming week. I always get a flu shot.

 

[rezinn]

I never get a flu shot. I have had flu-like symptoms for maybe five days in the past 3 years and those were probably all food poisoning. It's really only important to get a flu shot if your immune system is compromised or you expect to be in contact with it. Young children, the elderly, and kids in school should probably all get flu shots but your average adult needn't.

 

[conorvansmack]

I work for a health care company and they highly encourage all their employees, especially those in patient care environments to get a flu shot. They give it to us for free. I came down with something like a flu, but only had symptoms for 2 or 3 days. I'd say it worked. Normally when I get sick, it hangs around for a week or two and sometimes becomes a sinus infection.

+1 for flu shots

 

[irishScott]

All I know is that I've never gotten the flu with or without the vaccine, and that taking the vaccine does nothing but half-kill me out for 3 days. Stopped me from going to a concert with my friends once. :| For me at least, flu vaccine has done more harm than good. Unless there's some lethal form of flu going around, screw it. At worst I'll catch it, endure it for a few days, and have lifetime immunity to that particular strain.