PSA PSA PSA

[SciFiFisher]

I don't usually do these type of things but...

DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Seriously, everyone should get one unless there is a valid medical reason for not getting one.

The flu doesn't care how good your immune system is or how healthy you are. If you catch the wrong one it can kill even healthy people.


This PSA or Public Service Announcement was brought to you by me.

[pumpkinpi]

I don't usually do these type of things but...

DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Seriously, everyone should get one unless there is a valid medical reason for not getting one.

The flu doesn't care how good your immune system is or how healthy you are. If you catch the wrong one it can kill even healthy people.


This PSA or Public Service Announcement was brought to you by me.

I read that one problem is that if you get it too early it could wear off by jan/feb when flu season is in full swing. Do you know anything about that? I already got mine, and I want to have my kids get theirs when it will best keep them safe.

[code monkey]

funny, but I saw psa and thought of something quite different. so in the spirit of public service announcements, i'll extend yours, fisher, by urging all to be up-to-date on *all* innoculations and tests. just in case anyone's wondering, the guys were. however, no test could have predicted Elliot's death and Michael was hit by an especially nasty, aggressive strain. so get it done!

[SciFiFisher]

I don't usually do these type of things but...

DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Seriously, everyone should get one unless there is a valid medical reason for not getting one.

The flu doesn't care how good your immune system is or how healthy you are. If you catch the wrong one it can kill even healthy people.


This PSA or Public Service Announcement was brought to you by me.

I read that one problem is that if you get it too early it could wear off by jan/feb when flu season is in full swing. Do you know anything about that? I already got mine, and I want to have my kids get theirs when it will best keep them safe.

The short answer is that " it depends on the person". In general, the vaccine will last for most people for the entire season. The latest you want to vaccinate is probably in October. The vaccine needs about two weeks to reach peak efficacy. Flu "season" runs from around November to March depending on where you live and what vectors you have transmitting the disease.

There is research that indicates people with compromised immune systems, older people (65+), and highly vulnerable populations benefit from a stronger vaccine or having two flu vaccines per year. The CDC has some good information about the effectiveness of the vaccine. About halfway down is the information about children.

[pumpkinpi]

I don't usually do these type of things but...

DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Seriously, everyone should get one unless there is a valid medical reason for not getting one.

The flu doesn't care how good your immune system is or how healthy you are. If you catch the wrong one it can kill even healthy people.


This PSA or Public Service Announcement was brought to you by me.

I read that one problem is that if you get it too early it could wear off by jan/feb when flu season is in full swing. Do you know anything about that? I already got mine, and I want to have my kids get theirs when it will best keep them safe.

The short answer is that " it depends on the person". In general, the vaccine will last for most people for the entire season. The latest you want to vaccinate is probably in October. The vaccine needs about two weeks to reach peak efficacy. Flu "season" runs from around November to March depending on where you live and what vectors you have transmitting the disease.

There is research that indicates people with compromised immune systems, older people (65+), and highly vulnerable populations benefit from a stronger vaccine or having two flu vaccines per year. The CDC has some good information about the effectiveness of the vaccine. About halfway down is the information about children.

Thanks!

[geonuc]

I wanted the high dose vaccine but the pharmacist wouldn't give it to me. Not old enough. It's for those 65 and older and - I thought - those with compromised immune systems, which includes me. Still, I happy to have that done.

[SciFiFisher]

I wanted the high dose vaccine but the pharmacist wouldn't give it to me. Not old enough. It's for those 65 and older and - I thought - those with compromised immune systems, which includes me. Still, I happy to have that done.

[SciFiFisher]

I don't usually do these type of things but...

DID YOU GET YOUR FLU SHOT YET?

Seriously, everyone should get one unless there is a valid medical reason for not getting one.

The flu doesn't care how good your immune system is or how healthy you are. If you catch the wrong one it can kill even healthy people.


This PSA or Public Service Announcement was brought to you by me.

I read that one problem is that if you get it too early it could wear off by jan/feb when flu season is in full swing. Do you know anything about that? I already got mine, and I want to have my kids get theirs when it will best keep them safe.

The short answer is that " it depends on the person". In general, the vaccine will last for most people for the entire season. The latest you want to vaccinate is probably in October. The vaccine needs about two weeks to reach peak efficacy. Flu "season" runs from around November to March depending on where you live and what vectors you have transmitting the disease.

There is research that indicates people with compromised immune systems, older people (65+), and highly vulnerable populations benefit from a stronger vaccine or having two flu vaccines per year. The CDC has some good information about the effectiveness of the vaccine. About halfway down is the information about children.

Thanks!

You are welcome!

[SciFiFisher]

I wanted the high dose vaccine but the pharmacist wouldn't give it to me. Not old enough. It's for those 65 and older and - I thought - those with compromised immune systems, which includes me. Still, I happy to have that done.

If you wanted the high dose vaccine due to a compromised immune system you probably need to see your primary care doctor and have him prescribe it. OTOH, there is nothing that says you can't get another standard dose vaccination from a different pharmacy, the health department, or your doctor. It would probably give you a boost similar to the high dose version.

[SciFi Chick]

I hear so much conflicting information about the flu vaccine. It's the only vaccine of all the vaccines that are out there, that I don't trust.

Basically, the whole idea of guessing what flu strains are going to come out this year and then getting a vaccine based on a guess is what bothers me.

I make Mom get one every year, because of her age, but...

Can someone explain this to me again without yelling at me, being condescending or acting like I'm putting everyone with a compromised immune system at risk just because I'm confused about this one vaccine?

Didn't do it for the last two years because we were literally hardly ever around people. But now, with my husband working in a factory, crazy long hours and pushing 55, if he needs to get it, I will insist, but I need to know exactly how this particular vaccine works. I just can't wrap my mind around a yearly vaccine.

Please don't yell at me and call me a denier or a conspiracy theorist or anything else negative. Just explain it or point me in the direction of a good explanation.

Thanks.

[SciFiFisher]

I hear so much conflicting information about the flu vaccine. It's the only vaccine of all the vaccines that are out there, that I don't trust.

Basically, the whole idea of guessing what flu strains are going to come out this year and then getting a vaccine based on a guess is what bothers me.

I make Mom get one every year, because of her age, but...

Can someone explain this to me again without yelling at me, being condescending or acting like I'm putting everyone with a compromised immune system at risk just because I'm confused about this one vaccine?

Didn't do it for the last two years because we were literally hardly ever around people. But now, with my husband working in a factory, crazy long hours and pushing 55, if he needs to get it, I will insist, but I need to know exactly how this particular vaccine works. I just can't wrap my mind around a yearly vaccine.

Please don't yell at me and call me a denier or a conspiracy theorist or anything else negative. Just explain it or point me in the direction of a good explanation.

Thanks.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm


On average, if they "guess" right the flu shot can be very effective. If they "guess" wrong it can be mildly effective.

There are a lot of reasons why getting the flu shot makes sense. if your main hang up is that they are "guessing" which flu strain to target maybe if you think of it as a pretty refined disease surveillance process that targets the right strains of the flu most years it would help you understand that calling it a guess is inaccurate. And even on the years when they are less accurate the effectiveness is usually at least 40%. Which means that if you get the flu shot on a less effective year you still buy yourself a 40% chance that you won't get the flu.

The challenge with the predictive analysis of the flu is that there is always the chance that the one they didn't predict will be the one that decides to be the dominant strain this year. And the flu virus itself is constantly adapting and changing from year to year. It mutates so rapidly that we literally have to change the vaccine every year.

And the one best reason for getting the flu vaccine and getting better odds that you won't catch it is that even very healthy people can die from it. It is one of those diseases that can be very virulent and deadly very unexpectedly. So... please get your flu shot. I would hate to win the debate because you were too sick to keep debating.

[geonuc]

I'm no medical professional, so Fisher can probably say this better, but there is also very little risk associated with the vaccine. So the benefit even in years where the target strains aren't quite correct vastly outweighs the risk.

[SciFi Chick]

Thanks for the explanations. It makes more sense now. Before, it seemed like a weather forecast, and we ALL know how accurate those are. Guess actually would be a better word for the predictions on daily temperatures.

[SciFiFisher]

I'm no medical professional, so Fisher can probably say this better, but there is also very little risk associated with the vaccine. So the benefit even in years where the target strains aren't quite correct vastly outweighs the risk.

I couldn’t have said it better.