I had a nice 3-day weekend (took off last Friday). It helps because it makes the weekend seem so much longer! We got a lot done. I had some laundry to catch up with. We also did some shopping out of town and visisted DH's brother and his wife (their kids are all grown/in college, etc.).
Anyway, I came into work this morning to learn we have 14 cases of Influenza A. This is out of our total count of residents of 84. This is a population that is something like 95% or 98% (?) vaccinated against the flu virus (in our facility, anyway).
It just goes to show how "awesome" that shot is (insert sarcasm). About 3 weeks ago, we also had a staff member (vaccinated) out with the flu.
Now they are talking about pushing Tamiflu on those of us who have not been vaccinated. Over my dead body! I will not take that junk either. I'll just tell them I'm taking Sambucol, which has been PROVEN to be more effective than Tamiflu.
I'm sorry, but I have never had Influenza, and pride myself on my strong immune system. I truly believe that those who get the flu shot year after year are just increasing their chances of getting the flu. Not to mention, if I do get the flu, it's not a death sentence. You have a higher risk of dying of LEPROSY, for Pete's sake.
6 comments:
I definitely understand what you're talking about, but I'm a little nervous about the whole flu thing. I actually lost a brother to the flu - flu turned into pneumonia turned into toxic shock syndrome. So, I personally am paranoid about the whole flu thing (and got it last winter, when I wasn't vaccinated for the first time in a decade).
MD: I am sorry to hear about your brother. That is really sad!
I won't argue that the flu isn't a scary thing; my question is, does the vaccine actually work? It's most ineffective in children and the elderly, from what I can gather...
Hard to say. I got a flu shot in 2003, I think, and it just made me sick. I'm not one who gets the flu.
I believe that vaccines can be effective, but some flu shots work better than others from year to year. Furthermore, some people respond better to vaccines, both in terms of having bad reactions or not and in terms of how well the vaccine helps them to build up a resistance to the disease.
But TamiFlu is definitely NOT going to help people who don't have the flu. That's stupid.
I commend you on standing firm against not getting the flu shot. My grandfather contracted a disease in his legs from the flu shot. I can't recall the name of the disease right of the top of my head, but it debilitated him. I won't allow anyone in my family to get the flu shot. I believe there are more natural ways to stay healthy.
I haven't gotten a flu shot in a few years because the shot made me extremely sick. I do think that the flu can lead to other, terrible things, but if the vaccine against it makes me sick each time I get it, is that any better than taking my chances with potentially getting the flu?
I'll pass on the Tamiflu.
We don't get the flu shot either. It seems to me that people I know who DO get it, seem to get sicker than the rest of us. That's purely anecdotal of course, it just feels that way to me. But it also makes some sense, since the flu shot is based on what people got in PRIOR years- so new strains and resistant strains are gonna pop up.
I got strep throat this year, for my first time ever, and I was amazed at how many people asked if I'd had the flu shot. Uh... what's one got to do with the other? I really wish the public would get educated on things like this.
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