Question about flu shots....

[crazee4mickey]

Okay, we never take any medication unless we are very, very ill and we have never gotten flu shots either--my question is this:
The hyped up pandemic which is supposed to be coming, will you have a better chance of fighting it off if you have consistently gotten flu shots or would you have a stronger immune system for not ever getting a flu shot?

 

[DawnCt1]

To address your last question; Not having a flu shot does not allow for a "strengthen immune system". What a flu does is to provide immunity to the particular strain of human influenza that is anticpated this winter. Flu strains mutate but individuals who have had flu shots yearly seemed to have a broader immunity. That doesn't mean you don't need a flu shot every year however.
With regard to your primary question. No one knows.

 

[gigglesnort]

Okay, we never take any medication unless we are very, very ill and we have never gotten flu shots either--my question is this:
The hyped up pandemic which is supposed to be coming, will you have a better chance of fighting it off if you have consistently gotten flu shots or would you have a stronger immune system for not ever getting a flu shot?

Every doctor I've heard has said the flu shot will NOT protect against the bird-flu. Even eating healthier isn't going to prevent it. Just try and use common sense, cover mouth when coughing, and I can't stress enough....WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

 

[Geoff_M]

I think you may also be confusing the "bird flu" with the annual "human flu" vaccine. Each year the "flu shot" contains vaccines for the two human flu strains that the CDC deems most likely to hit our shores each winter flu season. They do this by watching what's going on in Asia, where most human flu strains emerge. It's a bit of a guessing game, some years the two they pick are right, sometimes there's a "curve ball".

The avian (or "bird") flu is another matter. Right now it's only a major problem if you have feathers. However, there have been several hundred cases of bird-to-human transmissions in Asia... with about a 50% rate of fatalities in humans that contract it. The concern is if (or some say "when") the virus mutates and learns how to jump from human-to-human, we'll have a major global health crisis. Right now there is no approved human vaccine for "bird flu". One is in the works, but we ain't there yet.

 

[EthansMom]

Nope, the hyped up flu pandemic that the gov. is afraid of is the Bird Flu. The regular flu shots won't help with the Bird Flu. See some good info here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4988710

 

[gigglesnort]

they can't even make the vaccine until the human strain surfaces.

That's what's so scary about it!!

 

[crazee4mickey]

Actually bird flu hadn't even entered my mind, I know they have been really trying to get a plan of action for this strain but I was concerned about what long term advantage, disadvantages are....I was more curious about whether having the flu shot yearly or not having it "helps" you and your immune system out more when a larger flu virus hits?

 

[Viking]

My doc eplained to me that having the flu shot may help not getting a human to human tranferrable bird flu virus. When your system is affected by the human variant and the avian variant simultaneously and you don't have the shot against the human flu, there may be a higher probability of the two getting into your system together und mutate into a new one which may be transferrable human to human. She also admitted that this is just a theory, but it sounds logical to me.
BTW, the shot was free anyway as my company offers free flu shots for all employees every year.

 

[DawnCt1]

My doc eplained to me that having the flu shot may help not getting a human to human tranferrable bird flu virus. When your system is affected by the human variant and the avian variant simultaneously and you don't have the shot against the human flu, there may be a higher probability of the two getting into your system together und mutate into a new one which may be transferrable human to human. She also admitted that this is just a theory, but it sounds logical to me.
BTW, the shot was free anyway as my company offers free flu shots for all employees every year.

Exactly. The theory is that there may be enough attinuation to provide some minimal protection and at least have more protection if there were no flu shot at all. Many companies offer a free flu shot. It has proven to be a major savings for companies in that it decreases absences due to the flu and actually saves the companies a lot of money. The company I worked for also offerred it free of charge to retirees.

 

[Nette]

Well, I, for one, will not ever be getting another flu shot... Last year's almost had me paralyzed from the neck down w/ Guillian Barre Syndrome.

I still have not decided whether to have DD get the shot, DH doesn't have a choice.. the Air Force shoots him up yearly.

 

[DawnCt1]

Well, I, for one, will not ever be getting another flu shot... Last year's almost had me paralyzed from the neck down w/ Guillian Barre Syndrome.

I still have not decided whether to have DD get the shot, DH doesn't have a choice.. the Air Force shoots him up yearly.

That is a rare but serious consequence. Did you speak with your doctor about whether your DD could inherit your "suseptibility"? or did they feel it was just your bad luck?