Are flu shots a good idea?

Just my opinion, but seeing as the last couple of years of incorrect anti-virus injections administered by the (ever so trustworthy) Government were a useless and risky (to some) endeavor, I would weigh my options. Unless seriously immune-system compromised I wouldn't partake.

My gf could explain it better than I can, but here's the gist of it which some people have touched on.

The flu evolves quickly and the vaccine is to help prevent the previous years strain. You are not protected from the newest strain. So you may already have a certain level of immunity to the previous years flu.

The more dangerous aspect is that the flu only evolves when it sees the need to evolve. When people get vaccinated they are giving it a reason to evolve and become more dangerous. It's much safer to just let the current strain stay as is which is relatively non-deadly as we cannot truly predict what it will evolve to in the future.

Originally Posted by celery

Click to expand...

My gf could explain it better than I can, but here's the gist of it which some people have touched on.

The flu evolves quickly and the vaccine is to help prevent the previous years strain. You are not protected from the newest strain. So you may already have a certain level of immunity to the previous years flu.

.

To my understanding, this is incorrect. The vaccinations are targeted at the strain that is believed to be most prevalent in the coming year, not necessary (indeed, probably not) the previous year's strain.

How effective that pre-planning is or is not, I have no idea.

Originally Posted by celery

Click to expand...

The more dangerous aspect is that the flu only evolves when it sees the need to evolve. When people get vaccinated they are giving it a reason to evolve and become more dangerous. It's much safer to just let the current strain stay as is which is relatively non-deadly as we cannot truly predict what it will evolve to in the future.

An oversimplification according to this: http://www.plospathogens.org/article...l.ppat.0020125

New strains pop up all the time and would do so with or without vaccinations.

I get mine every year mostly because I am around lots of teachers (3 aunts, friends, girlfriend) and you know they bring home all kinds of crap.

I do feel a bit strange at the health center me and a bunch of 70 year olds but it seems to work.

I've never gotten the shot, nor have I ever had the flu.

Taking a vaccination when you are young and healthy is an extremely bad idea. The old get it because they can die from flu, your chances of dying when young are very low. Getting the virus and going throught the sickness is better for you than taking a vaccination. The reason we have so many super-bugs like MRSA is because humans aren't as healthy as we used to be. Vaccinations, central heating, hospitals, there's no room to weed out the weak and leave the strong to create a master race.

Originally Posted by heyheyhey

Click to expand...

Taking a vaccination when you are young and healthy is an extremely bad idea. The old get it because they can die from flu, your chances of dying when young are very low. Getting the virus and going throught the sickness is better for you than taking a vaccination.

The reason we have so many super-bugs like MRSA is because humans aren't as healthy as we used to be. Vaccinations, central heating, hospitals, there's no room to weed out the weak and leave the strong to create a master race.

This is so wrong on so many levels. By vaccinating yourself when you are healthy, not only do you prevent yourself from getting sick, you prevent spreading viruses to other people, including those who are more susceptible.

Do you know what MRSA stands for? It's methicillin (an antibiotic) resistant Staph. aureus. Development of antibiotic resistance has nothing to do with how healthy a human is, but rather things that happen to the bacteria.

Also evolution is not the word to describe the changes that occur to influenza viruses. It's antigenic drift through mutations and antigenic shift through the mixing of animal and human influenza viruses in an infected animal.

The yearly vaccination can contain more than one strain, so it's not necessarily just last year's strain. Additionally, it can still provide partial immunity to antigenic drifted new strains, as those viruses may still share antigens with their progenitors.

However, the yearly vaccination would not provide coverage for an influenza virus that emerged from antigenic shift. The generation of a new influenza virus that can infect humans from the mixing of human and animal influenza viruses in an infected animal, but with the antigens of the animal virus, is one that the human race will have had no previous exposure, and no initial defense. These are the viruses that kill millions worldwide, but generally only occur every few decades.

If you are really interested in this subject, don't read anecdotes or have preconceived notions about how "the government knows best." Educat yourself on the medical science behind immunizations and influenza virus.

No, its all to do with your white blood cell count and what your white's are able to fight. Forcing their levels up with vaccinations to get rid of weak viruses is good, but it leaves you more open to attack from viruses and bacteria that are too strong for our bodies (and medical science) to deal with. Its problematic, but it'll all change once medical scientists fine the supposed "cure-all" (sounds like something out of final fantasy) that they're looking to make.

Originally Posted by heyheyhey

Click to expand...

Taking a vaccination when you are young and healthy is an extremely bad idea. The old get it because they can die from flu, your chances of dying when young are very low. Getting the virus and going throught the sickness is better for you than taking a vaccination.

The reason we have so many super-bugs like MRSA is because humans aren't as healthy as we used to be. Vaccinations, central heating, hospitals, there's no room to weed out the weak and leave the strong to create a master race.

I'm not sure you know the difference between a virus or bacteria.

I'm also not sure you know the difference between a vaccine and an antibiotic.

I do, I was making a very general point in very simple terms.

Originally Posted by heyheyhey

Click to expand...

I do, I was making a very general point in very simple terms.

Ok. Your general point was very false.

Hey, I'm only going on what my doctor tells me. Tell me I'm wrong if you like, its only the flu.

Originally Posted by heyheyhey

Click to expand...

Hey, I'm only going on what my doctor tells me. Tell me I'm wrong if you like, its only the flu.

You are likely misinterpreting what your doctor tells you. Your attempt at relating vaccinations with antibiotic resistance was really wrong. I'm not attacking you, I'm just trying to prevent others from garnering "knowledge" from misinformation.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Click to expand...

To my understanding, this is incorrect. The vaccinations are targeted at the strain that is believed to be most prevalent in the coming year, not necessary (indeed, probably not) the previous year's strain.

Yes, this is indeed the approach used.