Poll of the Day > Do you get annual flu vaccinations to protect your community?

(+) Yeah! (+)

If you are able to (not prevented for health reasons), getting yearly flu vaccination is an act with profound potential benefits to the health of your community, and requires barely any effort on your part: a day or two of a little soreness in your arm. Vaccinations are typically free for the insured.

This is even more important this year, due to the global pandemic and overlap with the holiday season, when many people spend extended time indoors with groups of people.

Flu vaccinations reduce the number and severity of flu infections. This leaves more healthcare resources available to handle severe flu/COVID-19 cases, which could otherwise be overwhelmed.

Do you care enough about your community to get vaccinated?

---

Already did. My arm mildly ached for a couple days and is still a bit tender, but that's about the extent of my suffering.

---

Did that last month

---

I wonder if they are even less necessary due to the distancing, separation and especially masks. I imagine people feel more empowered now to stay home at the slighted sign of illness now as well. I guess it would be good to have as a backup contingency though.

Honestly, they probably are going to be less necessary than usual this year because Covid precautions will be dramatically reducing flu case numbers. That said, given that pretty much every case of influenza is going to result in the person (and their immediate family) getting tested for Covid due to the overlap of symptoms, I'm all in favour of reducing those numbers even further to avoid straining testing infrastructure.

---

I never get a flu shot. Growing up they were always in limited supply and my dad needed to get one because of his MS. So he always just got one in our family.

---

No. I havent gotten a flu vaccine since the army when we were required.

Yeah got mine at CVS

---

Those things aren't even 100% effective!

---

Sarcasthma posted...

Those things aren't even 100% effective!

Your butt isn't even 100% effective!

---

I usually don't. I'm usually the guy where viruses come to die, and in the very rare instance where I do get sick, that just tells me that I need to work on my healthy living habits. This year though, yeah, I got my flu shot. In the face of a global pandemic, we all need to be extra vigilant, for the sake of those around us as well as for ourselves.

---

I havent gotten one in a very long time. Seems rather pointless for someone my age.

Yeah, my work requires us to get flu vaccines and gives them to us.

Lady this year wouldn't let me take my shirt partially down to get one (lady last year suggested that I do) so it was given pretty low and my shirt was pretty tight on my upper arm.

adjl posted...

Your butt isn't even 100% effective!

Why not come over here and run some clinical tests just to be sure?

---

Sarcasthma posted...

Why not come over here and run some clinical tests just to be sure?

I can assure you, there'd be nothing clinical about those tests.

---

I am not on the invitation list, so no.

---

I get it each year but mainly for selfish reasons. I got the flu a few years ago and I don't want to have to go through that again if I can avoid it.

---

adjl posted...

I can assure you, there'd be nothing clinical about those tests.

(`)

---

Yeah Im getting my vaccine on Wednesday

---

No, I have been within 5 feet of less than 10 people since March.

---

Last year I got my flu shot literally on the day the new vaccines came in. This year I was a little later, but I still got mine October 1st.

You should also make sure you're up to date on your tetanus and diphtheria shots (Td), which you should get at least every 10 years. If you haven't had one as an adult, or don't remember, you should get a Tdap shot instead (it adds pertussis/whooping cough). There is not harm is getting more than one Tdap shot. Tetanus is a rather nasty disease caused by a common bacteria and is usually caused by puncture wound from a contaminated object such as a nail. It causes severe, painful muscle spasms throughout the body. Even with treatment, the mortality rate is about 10%. The vaccine is nearly 100% effective against tetanus, and 95% effective against diphtheria.

You should get the vaccines for Hepatitis A (2 shots) and B (3 shots). You must get ALL of the shots for full immunity, the final shots are given 6 months after the first. Hepatitis A can be spread person-to-person or by eating contaminated food or drink. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with body fluids such as blood, semen, or saliva.

If you are over 65, have certain medical conditions such as diabetes, or if you smoke, you should get the PPSV23 vaccine. This protects against 23 varieties of pneumococcal bacterial. Your doctor may also recommend the PCV13 vaccine.

If you are over age 50, you should get the shingles vaccine (Shingrix), even if you don't think you had chickenpox in the past. You need 2 doses, 2-6 months apart. If you received the Zostavax shingles vaccine, you should probably get Shingrix as well as it is more effective. Chickenpox never truly leaves the body, it can remain dormant inside nerve cells. It can reactivate at a later date causing blisters and sometimes a very painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia which can last for years. The risk of shingles increases with age. The vaccine can reduce the chances of developing shingles by up to 90%.

If you are under age 45, you should receive the HPV vaccine, though it is more effective if you get it before age 26. This vaccine protects against the Human Papillomavirus, which is sexually transmitted and can cause various nasty types of cancer.

---

captpackrat posted...

you should receive the HPV vaccine

I did get that one. Cant risk cervical cancer. I dont even know if I have a cervix.

Cacciato posted...

I did get that one. Cant risk cervical cancer. I dont even know if I have a cervix.

HPV also causes cancers of the penis, anus, mouth, and throat.

I think more men would get the vaccine if they knew that it can prevent Horrific Penis Cancer.

---

Nope. The only needles I've had in years is when taking blood tests.

---

no. i feel i work hard enough to take care of my body so that in the event of the flu it will recover quickly and not be of an nuisance

teddy241 posted...

no. i feel i work hard enough to take care of my body so that in the event of the flu it will recover quickly and not be of an nuisance

This topic is about the community protection aspect of immunity, not the selfish aspect you're talking about.

---

Work requires it, so yes.

Personally, I don't think they do anything. I don't think they cause BAD things, I just don't think flu vaccines work. There is very limited data.

This is versus the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine. That is about 97% effective, and even if you get measles you won't have the bad complications like seizures/brain damage/death with the vaccine. Definitely pro vaccine, especially as a doctor, but flu vaccine specifically....meh. Just an annoying poke work makes me get once a year.

---

Yeah I got one in September

You do know that the cdc reported that in 2018-19 the flu vaccine was only 29% effective right?

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

You do know that the cdc reported that in 2018-19 the flu vaccine was only 29% effective right?

Efficacy will vary from year to year, that's to be expected.

Know what won't vary, though? Getting "no vaccine" will always be zero percent effective. I'm not sure what your point is.

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

You do know that the cdc reported that in 2018-19 the flu vaccine was only 29% effective right?

And in the same season, influenza killed 34,200 people. A wee bit of basic mathematics later, and we can credit the vaccine with saving approximately 14,000 lives. Not bad for a quick poke.

---

Clench281 posted...

I'm not sure what your point is.

Over 2/3s of the vaccinated aren't helping anyone.

Less than 1/3 of those vaccinated that are likely to suffer serious complications from getting the flu are spared.

---

adjl posted...

And in the same season, influenza killed 34,200 people. A wee bit of basic mathematics later, and we can credit the vaccine with saving approximately 14,000 lives. Not bad for a quick poke.

Your data excludes how many of those that died might have died without the flu or how many of those that survived the flu, died anyways. It's just empty math.

---

I haven't gotten one, IIRC. But my job gives us one every year, so I'm waiting for that...
---

adjl posted...

Honestly, they probably are going to be less necessary than usual this year because Covid precautions will be dramatically reducing flu case numbers.

This. Plus in general the flu shot only covers one strain so the whole thing is a gamble anyway.

---

Yeah. I'm all about the greater good. Gotta do my part not to kill anyone frail by accident.

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

Over 2/3s of the vaccinated aren't helping anyone.

Less than 1/3 of those vaccinated that are likely to suffer serious complications from getting the flu are spared.

And for a disease with potential to spread exponentially, a 30% case reduction is, pardon the pun, nothing to sneeze at.

What information do you use to come to the conclusion that a 30% effective vaccine isn't worth it? How would you rate a 60% effective vaccine? Most importantly, how would you have the prescient ability to determine how effective a vaccine will end up being?

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

Your data excludes how many of those that died might have died without the flu or how many of those that survived the flu, died anyways.

Everybody would have died without the flu, and everyone that survives the flu dies anyway. Such is the nature of mortality.

SunWuKung420 posted...

It's just empty math.

It's fuller than the math you're trying to employ.

---

Clench281 posted...

And for a disease with potential to spread exponentially, a 30% case reduction is, pardon the pun, nothing to sneeze at.

What information do you use to come to the conclusion that a 30% effective vaccine isn't worth it? How would you rate a 60% effective vaccine? Most importantly, how would you have the prescient ability to determine how effective a vaccine will end up being?

Would you drive if your brake pads were only 1/3 effective?

Also this is data published after the flu season and the study was competed. A vaccine that may not have a high efficiency (most of the data is always less than 50%). You are literally being their test subject.

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

Would you drive if your brake pads were only 1/3 effective?

That analogy doesn't work. The analogy would have to be would you rather had brakes that were only 1/3 effective or no brakes. And I would choose the 1/3 effective brakes over none...
---

SunWuKung420 posted...

Would you drive if your brake pads were only 1/3 effective?

How on earth do you think that's an appropriate analogy to make?

---

SunWuKung420 posted...

Would you drive if your brake pads were only 1/3 effective?

I'm going to give you a chance to revisit this thought experiment. I'm certain that if you try, you can realize why it's not a proper comparison to vaccination.

---

The polio vaccine is effective. The flu vaccine will never eradicate the flu. But being healthier will help a person survive it with or without a vaccine. Maybe, just maybe, we should focus on that instead of pushing an untested vaccine on people that may or may not help in the present (usually not) and definitely won't be useful the next year (since they have to redevelop it every year).

---

We're just walking away from that analogy like it didn't happen?

---

Clench281 posted...

Efficacy will vary from year to year, that's to be expected.

Know what won't vary, though? Getting "no vaccine" will always be zero percent effective. I'm not sure what your point is.

i'm not sure sunny can get a point with ed, ok?

---

I got mine a few weeks ago. When I was teaching the health dept would come to the schools and you could get it if you wanted. The health dept had an outside, drive up clinic so it was still pretty convenient for my son and I.

---

LinkPizza posted...

That analogy doesn't work. The analogy would have to be would you rather had brakes that were only 1/3 effective or no brakes. And I would choose the 1/3 effective brakes over none...

You guys are missing the piece where the analogy would make sense. That is, you would choose to walk.

dedbus posted...

You guys are missing the piece where the analogy would make sense. That is, you would choose to walk.

Too far...
---

Not annual, every 2nd year

---

dedbus posted...

You guys are missing the piece where the analogy would make sense. That is, you would choose to walk.

Or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

---