So wait... all those flu vaccinations actually are bad for you?

[Gibsons]

Heh, my last year in the USAF, I was out of town during the week they distributed flu shots en mass on base. I returned a few days after the majority had gotten their shots, and were just getting sick. I became sick after a few days from this exposure, as I said earlier, there's no sick time in the military. I spent about a week with flu-like symptoms, then it improved and I was fine. Unfortunately, by then they had tabulated the numbers from the shot distribution, and determined that I hadn't gotten it. So, I was sent to get it. Predictably enough, about 3 days after getting the inoculation, I was sick with the flu again. Double whammy, got infected from every who'd gotten their flu shots while I was away, then got it again after I got mine.

I should mention that the USAF only does the nasal sprays unless there's a medical reason you cannot get the nasal spray. Hay fever and allergies are not an acceptable reason, no matter how much it makes your nose itch and burn, FYI.

I am comparing it to the flu illnesses I use to get when I much younger, pre-HS days, before any flu shots were routinely given. They are comparable, and yes, the symptoms can be severe. I'm just more tolerant today.

You all can get the hastily prepared flu shots of dubious effectiveness and deal with the 'mild reaction', I'll pass it on by and enjoy my healthy life style. While you're sick at home, I'll be out enjoying a brisk run. 🙂

If by dubious, you mean about 70% or more, for most people most years, then yeah.

The rest of what you said makes little to no sense if you understand anything about influenza pathogenesis, vaccines and immunology. Hint: there are other viruses known to cause flu like symptoms.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Heh, my last year in the USAF, I was out of town during the week they distributed flu shots en mass on base. I returned a few days after the majority had gotten their shots, and were just getting sick. I became sick after a few days from this exposure, as I said earlier, there's no sick time in the military.

So you think that the flu shot immune response is contagious? Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and not try to reason with you anymore. Wow.

 

[xSauronx]

Every year I was in the USAF, we had mandatory flu shots. And every year, I got the flu within a few days of getting the shot. No downtime though, you still go to work as normal with the flu.

Once I got out, I stopped getting the flu shots, haven't had the flu since. Got a stuffy, runny nose at work when the swine flu panic was in full swing and coworkers allegedly had the swine flu, but that was it.

Everyone I know who got the flu shots, got the flu and regretted getting the shot.

I work at a hospital and 5 or 6 guys on my team refuse to get the shot because of this

the hospital wants an 85% shot rate with employees but isnt even close. theyve started to send doctors and nurses around to departments so its as convenient as possible...almost

i told him id take a shot if they brought a bed. for whatever reason, i pass out about 50% of the time I get a shot, so I dont get one laying down anymore.

they didnt have a bed *shrug* ive already had my cold, im not really worried at this point

 

[jersiq]

Like I said, USAF. There's no such thing as sick time off. Unless you're actually admitted to the hospital, you go to work as normal. You guys seem to miss this every time I state it.

That's bullshit and you know it. Myself, or anyone else who has served in the military can attest to the fact that there are classifications of sickness in the military.

Light duty, limited duty, no duty/bed rest.

If you had the flu, you would have been on bed rest.

 

[DrPizza]

That's bullshit and you know it. Myself, or anyone else who has served in the military can attest to the fact that there are classifications of sickness in the military.

Light duty, limited duty, no duty/bed rest.

If you had the flu, you would have been on bed rest.

(Put in more simpler terms, yourself, or anyone else, can attest to the fact that 90% of what he's stated in this thread is bullshit. i.e. catching the flu from coworkers who had just taken the flu vaccine.)

 

[Amused]

This is somewhat disturbing.

Keep getting those seasonal flu shots folks... I wouldn't mind a few less people in the world. :twisted:

Um, I don't think the article means what you think it means.

The article in no way, shape or form blames vaccinations for the deaths.

"an antibody repertoire shaped by seasonal infections" is NOT vaccinations alone. In fact, it is tens of thousands of viral infections NOT related to vaccines.

 

[GoSharks]

Heh, my last year in the USAF, I was out of town during the week they distributed flu shots en mass on base. I returned a few days after the majority had gotten their shots, and were just getting sick. I became sick after a few days from this exposure, as I said earlier, there's no sick time in the military. I spent about a week with flu-like symptoms, then it improved and I was fine. Unfortunately, by then they had tabulated the numbers from the shot distribution, and determined that I hadn't gotten it. So, I was sent to get it. Predictably enough, about 3 days after getting the inoculation, I was sick with the flu again. Double whammy, got infected from every who'd gotten their flu shots while I was away, then got it again after I got mine.

Um no. That's not how viral immunity works.

 

[Amused]

i don't get the flu shot because i think it's bullshit. does it protect you against strains of flu? yes. does it protect you against the strains of flu for the year you're getting the shot? almost certainly no. does it drastically decrease the number of deaths per year from the flu? no.

i'm better off dosing up on vitamin d3 (6,000-90,000 iu) and making sure i wash my hands many times per day.

A person can almost certainly be assured that any medical advice you give will be the exact opposite of what they should do.

You really need to stop posting. The shit you post is almost without fail pulled straight out of your malpracticing ass.

 

[HeXen]

I dunno. I've never had the flu and I've never gotten a flu shot. If I start getting the flu I might think about getting the shot.

probably too late by that time.

 

[Amused]

Um no. That's not how viral immunity works.

Bateluer is a dumbass who thinks every cold is "the flu." Thus any time he gets a cold near flu season, it's because he, or someone he knows got the flu/flu shot.

He is also completely full of shit when he says the military puts you on duty with the flu. Um, no. ANY illness with a fever is no/duty bed rest. Period.

The flu has, as it's PRIMARY symptom. fever. If you are sick with a respiratory illness with no fever, aches and chills, you have a cold. And since you got full duty while sick, I'm betting no fever = cold, not flu.

The fact that he thinks he was forced to work with the flu only shows that he thinks colds are flus.

 

[Gibsons]

i don't get the flu shot because i think it's bullshit. does it protect you against strains of flu? yes. does it protect you against the strains of flu for the year you're getting the shot? almost certainly no. does it drastically decrease the number of deaths per year from the flu? no.

i'm better off dosing up on vitamin d3 (6,000-90,000 iu) and making sure i wash my hands many times per day.

Haven't you been humiliated enough?

It's like the goddam retarded inbred cocker spaniel that won't get housebroken. Just when you think it might have learned something, it dumps a big steamer right in the middle of the living room.

 

[HeXen]

i had the stomach flu before and had to keep working, they just gave me a plastic bag to puke in

 

[Amused]

Haven't you been humiliated enough?

It's like the goddam retarded inbred cocker spaniel that won't get housebroken. Just when you think it might have learned something, it dumps a big steamer right in the middle of the living room.

Proof he's full of shit:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/podcast/transcript041910.html

In the study, children (ages 36 months to 15 years old) in 49 Hutterite farming colonies in Western Canada received a seasonal flu vaccine starting in late December 2008. The study ended in late June 2009 before the H1N1 flu virus became a public health concern in Western Canada.

About 83 percent of the children in 24 Hutterite colonies received a flu vaccine while 79 percent of the kids in 25 other colonies received a hepatitis A vaccine (which was the placebo.) A total of 1773 persons participated in communities where children received the seasonal flu vaccine and 1500 persons participated in communities where kids received the hepatitis A vaccine. No adults and seniors in all communities were vaccinated for either the seasonal flu or hepatitis A.

The authors report there were no adverse events among the children who were vaccinated – regardless of whether they received a vaccine for the seasonal flu or hepatitis A.

An independent laboratory confirmed the overall flu rate was between four and five percent within the communities where children were immunized and was a little more than 10 percent (or significantly higher) in areas where kids received the placebo.

Among the persons who were not vaccinated, 7.6 percent were diagnosed with seasonal flu in communities where children received the hepatitis A vaccine. About 3 percent were diagnosed with seasonal flu in communities where children received the seasonal flu vaccine. These differences are statistically significant, or could not have occurred by chance.

The study's 14 authors noted there was a 61 percent 'protective effect' for unprotected (or unvaccinated) persons when local children received a seasonal flu shot.

In other words, the findings reinforce what the authors call 'herd immunity,' or the idea that population health improves if a key group (in this case children ages 3-15) receive a preventative vaccine.

 

[Amused]

i had the stomach flu before and had to keep working, they just gave me a plastic bag to puke in

The stomach flu has nothing to do with influenza.

And any CO/doctor who kept you working with a stomach virus is an idiot.

 

[BudAshes]

I kind of like getting the flu every few years. Makes me really appreciate being healthy.

 

[arcenite]

For the past 3 or 4 years I've gotten the flu shot (they provide them at work for free). I've yet to get sick from it.

 

[Amused]

i'm better off dosing up on vitamin d3 (6,000-90,000 iu) and making sure i wash my hands many times per day.

Well, you're 0 for 3 dumbass:

In healthy adults, sustained intake of 1250 micrograms/day (50,000 IU) can produce overt toxicity after several months;[81] those with certain medical conditions are far more sensitive to vitamin D and develop hypercalcaemia in response to any increase in vitamin D nutrition, while maternal hypercalcaemia during pregnancy may increase fetal sensitivity to effects of vitamin D and lead to a syndrome of mental retardation and facial deformities.[82][83] Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult a doctor before taking a vitamin D supplement. For infants (birth to 12 months) the tolerable Upper Limit (maximum amount that can be tolerated without harm) is set at 25 micrograms/day (1000 IU). 1000 micrograms/day (40,000 IU) in infants has produced toxicity within 1 month.[84] The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake Tolerable Upper Intake Level (upper limit) of vitamin D for children and adults is set at 50 micrograms/day (2,000 IU). Vitamin D overdose causes hypercalcemia and the main symptoms of vitamin D overdose are those of hypercalcemia: anorexia, nausea, and vomiting can occur, frequently followed by polyuria, polydipsia, weakness, nervousness, pruritus, and ultimately renal failure. Proteinuria, urinary casts, azotemia, and metastatic calcification (especially in the kidneys) may develop.[85] Vitamin D toxicity is treated by discontinuing vitamin D supplementation and restricting calcium intake. Kidney damage may be irreversible.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Vaccinations are not meant to be shots of rainbows and sunshine...

 

[eits]

Well, you're 0 for 3 dumbass:

In healthy adults, sustained intake of 1250 micrograms/day (50,000 IU) can produce overt toxicity after several months;[81] those with certain medical conditions are far more sensitive to vitamin D and develop hypercalcaemia in response to any increase in vitamin D nutrition, while maternal hypercalcaemia during pregnancy may increase fetal sensitivity to effects of vitamin D and lead to a syndrome of mental retardation and facial deformities.[82][83] Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consult a doctor before taking a vitamin D supplement. For infants (birth to 12 months) the tolerable Upper Limit (maximum amount that can be tolerated without harm) is set at 25 micrograms/day (1000 IU). 1000 micrograms/day (40,000 IU) in infants has produced toxicity within 1 month.[84] The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake Tolerable Upper Intake Level (upper limit) of vitamin D for children and adults is set at 50 micrograms/day (2,000 IU). Vitamin D overdose causes hypercalcemia and the main symptoms of vitamin D overdose are those of hypercalcemia: anorexia, nausea, and vomiting can occur, frequently followed by polyuria, polydipsia, weakness, nervousness, pruritus, and ultimately renal failure. Proteinuria, urinary casts, azotemia, and metastatic calcification (especially in the kidneys) may develop.[85] Vitamin D toxicity is treated by discontinuing vitamin D supplementation and restricting calcium intake. Kidney damage may be irreversible.

90,000 was a typo. i meant 9,000. i must have accidentally hit the "0" as i hit the "9" when trying to type 9,000.

"6,000 to 9,000 iu" is what it should have said.

you know, it really is funny how people can, in fact, communicate and express their points of view without insulting one another. you might want to give it a shot sometime. nicer people live longer.

 

[Gibsons]

90,000 was a typo. i meant 9,000. i must have accidentally hit the "0" as i hit the "9" when trying to type 9,000.

"6,000 to 9,000 iu" is what it should have said.

you know, it really is funny how people can, in fact, communicate and express their points of view without insulting one another. you might want to give it a shot sometime. nicer people live longer.

Why do people say things are funny when no one's laughing?

Clearly, you're just a shill for the evil corporate vitamin supplement industry.

Anandtech should be embarrassed that you claim to represent the site.

 

[eits]

Haven't you been humiliated enough?

It's like the goddam retarded inbred cocker spaniel that won't get housebroken. Just when you think it might have learned something, it dumps a big steamer right in the middle of the living room.

? how so? you seriously think that every year the flu shot is administered that the it is effective? it's not exactly common for it to be effective against the flu. not because it doesn't protect against the flu, but because it doesn't protect against the strains that are infecting people by the time people are getting inoculated for a different strain.

again, i'm going to post this graph showing that in the elderly population, it basically does nothing. one can infer that the seasonal flu statistics can be applied to those with healthier immune systems than the elderly:

here are some more graphical representations showing that, statistically, there doesn't seem to be very much benefit to getting a flu shot these days.

http://www.healthsentinel.com/jooml...&catid=56:us-deaths-from-tb-and-flu&Itemid=55

the point is that, like i said, yes, the flu shot protects against the strains of flu that it was designed to protect against... but does that mean that you're protected against the seasonal flu going around for a certain year? no.

i don't have a fear of the flu shot or think that the flu shot will kill me or give me autism or anything. i just would rather not deal with the side effects. too many people fall in the habit of getting a flu shot and then being careless about their health because they think they're protected against the flu. i'd rather protect myself against the flu and then some by boosting my immune system with vitamin d and having a couple humidifiers at home. why do you think the fall and winter months are cold and flu season? one of the major factors is because there's not as much sunlight to provide vitamin d so our bodies can fight it off without a hitch. another is because of the dryness of the air, it's easier to transmit. the virus doesn't do so well in moist air.

 

[eits]

Why do people say things are funny when no one's laughing?

Clearly, you're just a shill for the evil corporate vitamin supplement industry.

Anandtech should be embarrassed that you claim to represent the site.

clearly.

🙄

 

[SolidSnake42]

I had the H1N1 live virus vaccine and I was sick for 2 days. Still went to all my classes, even though I felt like shit.

 

[Eli]

Heh, my last year in the USAF, I was out of town during the week they distributed flu shots en mass on base. I returned a few days after the majority had gotten their shots, and were just getting sick. I became sick after a few days from this exposure, as I said earlier, there's no sick time in the military. I spent about a week with flu-like symptoms, then it improved and I was fine. Unfortunately, by then they had tabulated the numbers from the shot distribution, and determined that I hadn't gotten it. So, I was sent to get it. Predictably enough, about 3 days after getting the inoculation, I was sick with the flu again. Double whammy, got infected from every who'd gotten their flu shots while I was away, then got it again after I got mine.

I should mention that the USAF only does the nasal sprays unless there's a medical reason you cannot get the nasal spray. Hay fever and allergies are not an acceptable reason, no matter how much it makes your nose itch and burn, FYI.



I am comparing it to the flu illnesses I use to get when I much younger, pre-HS days, before any flu shots were routinely given. They are comparable, and yes, the symptoms can be severe. I'm just more tolerant today.

You all can get the hastily prepared flu shots of dubious effectiveness and deal with the 'mild reaction', I'll pass it on by and enjoy my healthy life style. While you're sick at home, I'll be out enjoying a brisk run. 🙂

LOL.. Sorry man, but you really just have no clue. That isn't at all how things work. Quite frankly, you have no idea what you're talking about. I understand that may be the way things played out, but you're attributing it to the wrong things.

And again, it sounds like you have never had the flu. You don't work with the flu... It would be pretty much impossible.

 

[ShawnD1]

Man fuck flu shots. I'm not going to wait for some asshole doctor to show up 3 hours late to give me a shot.
I can't remember any specific times I've had "the flu" but I remember a few times my throat would get viral raped to the point where it was painful to swallow. I pretty much live on milk and advil for a few days until it gets better.

In healthy adults, sustained intake of 1250 micrograms/day (of vitamins) (50,000 IU) can produce overt toxicity

Tru dat. People really need to be careful with vitamins. Things like Vitamin C can't really overdose since they are water soluble. If you eat a hand full of vitamin C, you'll get the shits then you're fine. It's actually a good way to clean the system out if you're uh having trouble there. Fat soluble vitamins like B and D are dangerous because you can't purge them from your system by going to the bathroom. Taking a vitamin pill is nice, but taking the whole bottle is definitely bad.