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Flu Shots

Do you get flu shots?

  • Yes I do/No, but because I'm a pussy/lazy

    Votes: 75 68.8%

  • No, against my religion/unsafe/some other reason

    Votes: 34 31.2%
  • Total voters
    109
HeltonCreek said:
I've had it every year since I was in like 7th grade. Only had the flu once but it was horrible (prior to taking the shot). My employers have always provided them for free so I get one. The injection spot may be sore for a few days but I've never had any problems with them.
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TWSS?
 
Ok not to get too complicated. So flu shots for a long time were recommended for the elderly, young, and immune compromised. I would say that rule of thumb is still good. The notion that everyone should get a flu shot is something that is new and simply pushed without really any idea what the long term consequences as far as pandemic strains are concerned. The reason for this is a concept called antigenic sin.
So your body is constantly being exposed to pathogens that it fights off without even a thought by you. Usually exposure to pathogens results in a robust immune response because you have seen said pathogen before have immunological memory B and T cells and everything gets resolved before any symptoms appear. Vaccine illicit a same strategy in which they trick the body into believing that it is being infected, usually through the use of attenuated viruses, parts of the virus etc.. coupled to a adjuvant to elicit a danger signal and the immune system kicks in, you get your immune response and you are left with memory immunity. Memory immunity is where the concept of antigenic sin comes in.
In memory you have a robust immune response that responds to specific epitopes, the response to specific epitopes is great if the virus hasn't mutated resulting in antigenic shift. The virus is cleared like I pointed out before. If the virus has shifted, you now have no immunizing B and T cells dampening the naive B cells since memory response trumps initial response. So you essentially would have an immune response to epitopes that dont neutralize the virus while having a poorer immune response to epitopes that do, poorer than you would without the memory response. This could lead to a couple things such as prolonged infection and larger immune response (one of the the theories why the 1918 flu pandemic was so bad, immune pathology).
So with the flu shots there is an idea that if you get the shot your are constantly exposing yourself to certain epitopes that over time if there is a mutated non-vaccine strain (which would be the flu most people should be afraid of and and the vaccine you do get will do nothing for) then you will have a worse immune response for clearance and a worse virus. This stuff is all based on lab studies and theories like most science and really no way to prove it. However its pretty sound science and for a healthy person exposure to a non-pandemic flu strain shouldn't be a life or death infection.
 
HeltonCreek said:
I've had it every year since I was in like 7th grade. Only had the flu once but it was horrible (prior to taking the shot). My employers have always provided them for free so I get one. The injection spot may be sore for a few days but I've never had any problems with them.
Click to expand...

WRS said:
TWSS?
Click to expand...

I mean the place on my upper arm where I get stuck with the needle. Good one though.
 
ThinkingWithMyDeac said:
Ok not to get too complicated. So flu shots for a long time were recommended for the elderly, young, and immune compromised. I would say that rule of thumb is still good. The notion that everyone should get a flu shot is something that is new and simply pushed without really any idea what the long term consequences as far as pandemic strains are concerned. The reason for this is a concept called antigenic sin.
So your body is constantly being exposed to pathogens that it fights off without even a thought by you. Usually exposure to pathogens results in a robust immune response because you have seen said pathogen before have immunological memory B and T cells and everything gets resolved before any symptoms appear. Vaccine illicit a same strategy in which they trick the body into believing that it is being infected, usually through the use of attenuated viruses, parts of the virus etc.. coupled to a adjuvant to elicit a danger signal and the immune system kicks in, you get your immune response and you are left with memory immunity. Memory immunity is where the concept of antigenic sin comes in.
In memory you have a robust immune response that responds to specific epitopes, the response to specific epitopes is great if the virus hasn't mutated resulting in antigenic shift. The virus is cleared like I pointed out before. If the virus has shifted, you now have no immunizing B and T cells dampening the naive B cells since memory response trumps initial response. So you essentially would have an immune response to epitopes that dont neutralize the virus while having a poorer immune response to epitopes that do, poorer than you would without the memory response. This could lead to a couple things such as prolonged infection and larger immune response (one of the the theories why the 1918 flu pandemic was so bad, immune pathology).
So with the flu shots there is an idea that if you get the shot your are constantly exposing yourself to certain epitopes that over time if there is a mutated non-vaccine strain (which would be the flu most people should be afraid of and and the vaccine you do get will do nothing for) then you will have a worse immune response for clearance and a worse virus. This stuff is all based on lab studies and theories like most science and really no way to prove it. However its pretty sound science and for a healthy person exposure to a non-pandemic flu strain shouldn't be a life or death infection.
Click to expand...

2011%252C+08-23+%253D+%2527CONTAGION%2527+%253D+photo+of+helicopters+hovering+over+military+trucks+entering+Chicago.JPG
 
Ok well ill take my background in this stuff over the local small town doctor and the CVS minute clinic PA, that goes to the person with the neg rep for not knowing what Im talking about.
 
Never had one, and have never had the flu since free flu shots become in Vogue a few years back. I think they are Bull Shit.
 
yodeacsgo said:
1st flu shot I ever had made me high as a kite for about 2 hours. I was at work when it happened. It was awesome.
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Someone pulled a prank on you and shot you up with heroin.
 
I don't get them because my dad had one and soon after developed Guillain-Barre syndrome. Here's some info if anyone is interested. He was told by the doctors (somewhat contrary to the link) that it often occurred after a flu shot. And since much isn't known about the disease and it's causes, I will take my chances with the flu especially since I do not know if there are any genetic factors that predispose you to this disease. That being said, I don't usually get the flu and hopefully won't this year either!
 
Before every medical decision I make, I ask myself, "what would Jenny McCarthy do?"
 
RollTheQuad06 said:
It's just coincidence, but I've gotten the flu the years I've gotten the shot, and I haven't otherwise.

I don't feel like going through the rigmarole of going to the doctor for a flu shot, and I don't really trust getting a shot at CVS or whatever. I'd probably do it if someone was in my office (which is probably way less sanitary than CVS but whatever).
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Same here. The sickest I've ever been have been the years I had a flu shot. I haven't had a flu shot in 12 or so years now and haven't (probably just jinxed myself) been close to being that sick since.
 
Because of my work with a large number of students (c. 700), it was a no-brainer to get the flu shot. Now that I'm no longer in that germy environment, I still get the shot. Never had any problems with it and have stayed quite healthy through the winter. Infectious Disease folks do suggest getting the shot in the late fall, however, as immunity sometimes wanes if the shot is given as soon as it is available. Ask your doc.
 
I believe in the theory of natural selection. Blessed with the immunity of a rock, I do not take flu shots. They are for the weak, the malnourished, the hell seekers.
 
ThinkingWithMyDeac said:
In memory you have a robust immune response that responds to specific epitopes, the response to specific epitopes is great if the virus hasn't mutated resulting in antigenic shift. The virus is cleared like I pointed out before. If the virus has shifted, you now have no immunizing B and T cells dampening the naive B cells since memory response trumps initial response. So you essentially would have an immune response to epitopes that dont neutralize the virus while having a poorer immune response to epitopes that do, poorer than you would without the memory response. This could lead to a couple things such as prolonged infection and larger immune response (one of the the theories why the 1918 flu pandemic was so bad, immune pathology).
Click to expand...

Link to articles about memory response hindering initial response please.
 
deac04 said:
I don't get them because my dad had one and soon after developed Guillain-Barre syndrome. Here's some info if anyone is interested. He was told by the doctors (somewhat contrary to the link) that it often occurred after a flu shot. And since much isn't known about the disease and it's causes, I will take my chances with the flu especially since I do not know if there are any genetic factors that predispose you to this disease. That being said, I don't usually get the flu and hopefully won't this year either!
Click to expand...



Thinking reported above what I understood the risks to be. A year and a half ago my veterinarian here in the big ville got her annual flu shot, and she contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome, for which she incurred extreme nerve and muscle paralysis/breakdown. It was touch and go for her for a long time, and she spent almost a year in the hospital. She can almost walk normally now, and can now speak audibly but not easily. Scary stuff.

I'm having trouble making myself consider taking the flu shots now.
 
I work in healthcare. Interact with a lot of patients each day. Gotta do it.
 
I do get the shot- lots of hospital visits and I shake a lot of hands on a Sunday morning.
 
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