Free flu shot, anyone?

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Will a multivitamin be sufficient or do I need to get a seperate Vitamin D?

Cause I take enough pills as it stands.

Vitamin D won't totally prevent influenza, but getting enough is a good thing and probably helps. Whether your multivitamin is enough depends on the multivitamin and the time of year. In summer, if you're outside you're probably getting enough that way. In the winter, I think the current recommendation is 400 IU while a lot of multi-vitamins have 200 IU. A vitamin D supplement in the winter is probably the one vitamin supplement that is a good idea even if you have a good diet. If you want to keep pills to a minimum, eat a healthy diet, skip the multi-vitamin (you get enough from the healthy diet and there's no benefit to extra vitamins for the most part), and take the vitamin D pill in the winter.

[photon]

Originally Posted by zuluking

"To put it bluntly, seasonal flu vaccines are a guess..." - $8M govt program = 'shot' in the dark. Doesn't even cover the swine flu.

based on international surveillance and scientists' estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year.

Misrepresenting what was said to get an emotional response rather than a rational one? Shocking.

Originally Posted by zuluking

"and people will still get the Flu, but hopefully a milder version." - also called the Obama effect

So some protection isn't better than none?

Originally Posted by zuluking

"a healthy immune system can be exposed to 10s of thousand of antigens" - what about the unhealthy one?

Maybe that's why they'll ask you how you are feeling before they give you the vaccine? My son has been told to come back another time because he wasn't feeling well.

Originally Posted by zuluking

"just by walking down a street breathing in may expose you to more antigens than contained in a flu shot." - but why stop there? let's pile some more on!

If you see walking outside for a few minutes (equivalent to a flu shot) as particularity risky behavior for your immune system I guess. Irrational hysteria for the win?

Originally Posted by zuluking

"Elemental mercury is bad, but the vaccine form is a ethylized version of it, and the body does not hold on to it." - but the toxicity of ethylmercury is not well studied, so what could possibly go wrong?

Yay Wikipedia! The body doesn't hold onto it, the half life of ethyl mercury is far below that of methyl mercury, and the studies that have been done support that ethyl mercury is less toxic than methyl mercury.. not to mention that there was no link found between thermosil and neurological disorders when many many more vaccines used it.

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

LChoy - where do you go for these free shots.

Preferably anywhere in Calgary other than a Hospital.

Originally Posted by cal_guy

Try your family doctor. Also Alberta Health runs flu shot clinics throughout the flu season. Check the Alberta Health for dates.

For Calgary Region:
http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/yo...ry_clinics.htm
http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/714.asp

I guess we have to wait until October to find out times and locations. I can put a note on CP when it's time. Also says H1N1 available in November

Seasonal Influenza Immunization Clinics

Alberta Health Services Seasonal Influenza Immunization clinics will be available from mid-October into November 2009. Immunizations clinics will be widely available across the province, at a variety of community venues, and with many afterhours opportunities for access.
Once the H1N1 Immunization vaccine is available in November, Seasonal Influenza Immunization will continue to be available at physician offices and some pharmacies, as it has in previous years.

Seasonal Influenza Immunization clinic dates, times and locations will be posted in early October. Please check back.

[tete]

I'll be getting a flu shot this year, just like the last few years not for me, but for others around me. My mom has Chron's, my MIL is in her mid-70's and I go to church with a ton of elderly who I don't feel like passing the flu onto if I happened to get it. Sure the risks aren't really high for passing on the flu, but I feel confident in the risks and side effects of the flu shot and will get it.

PS the flu shot does not have a live virus in it, so anyone who claims they got the flu from the shot is out to lunch. As well, 80% of people who claim they "get the flu" have gastro - not influenza. Ticks me off to no end to hear people going on about "getting the flu" and puking all weekend. No, that's gastro, not influenza.

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by zuluking

"To put it bluntly, seasonal flu vaccines are a guess..." - $8M govt program = 'shot' in the dark. Doesn't even cover the swine flu.
"and people will still get the Flu, but hopefully a milder version." - also called the Obama effect
"a healthy immune system can be exposed to 10s of thousand of antigens" - what about the unhealthy one?
"just by walking down a street breathing in may expose you to more antigens than contained in a flu shot." - but why stop there? let's pile some more on!
"Elemental mercury is bad, but the vaccine form is a ethylized version of it, and the body does not hold on to it." - but the toxicity of ethylmercury is not well studied, so what could possibly go wrong?

It's free though.....hmmmm.

- A guess yes, but backed up with science and research to make it a very educated guess
- Those that end up getting to flu anyways would be much more minor and their infectiousness decreased than full on flu
- Keep in mind, I'm not saying everyone Must get vaccinated, just that it's highly recommended. The choice is still yours

High risk population for flu include:
1. Individuals at high risk for seasonal influenza and its complications –
* Children 6–23 months of age;
* People 65 years of age and older;
* People of any age who live in nursing homes, lodges or chronic care facilities;
* Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
* People living on the street or in homeless shelters;
* People with selected chronic medical conditions such as:
o Heart or lung conditions;
o Diabetes or other metabolic diseases;
o Cancer or weakened immune systems – including those who are HIV-positive;
o Kidney disease;
o Anemia or hemoglobinopathy.

Health care providers and other care givers are strongly recommended to get the vaccine in order to protect people in their care.
http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-...influenza.html

- Being a particlized or attenuated virus vaccine, the risk to those with weaker immune systems should be very minimal. All vaccines are tested with this in mind before full scale production
- No matter what you do, your body is going to be exposed to thousands of antigens everyday, at least a flu shot can have some benefit
- You have more to worry about egg protein than mercury

If you don't get a flu shot, that's okay. But if you do get the flu, please stay home until after coughing stops to minimize the spread
Every year, there are small communities that are mainly unvaccinated. Those communities get hit hard by the flu (from large student bodies missing school for etc). No one dies usually, but the disruption during the flu season isn't as large as a vaccinated population of the same size

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by tete

I'll be getting a flu shot this year, just like the last few years not for me, but for others around me. My mom has Chron's, my MIL is in her mid-70's and I go to church with a ton of elderly who I don't feel like passing the flu onto if I happened to get it. Sure the risks aren't really high for passing on the flu, but I feel confident in the risks and side effects of the flu shot and will get it.

PS the flu shot does not have a live virus in it, so anyone who claims they got the flu from the shot is out to lunch. As well, 80% of people who claim they "get the flu" have gastro - not influenza. Ticks me off to no end to hear people going on about "getting the flu" and puking all weekend. No, that's gastro, not influenza.

Influenza, a cold, and stomach upset are different illnesses
http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-...-symptoms.html

What's the difference between pandemic H1N1 and seasonal influenza?

http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-...1-compare.html

[MoneyGuy]

I know that lots of people don't respect chiropractors, but I love what they've done for me. I have a compressed vertebrae in my neck. Without adjustments from time to time, my neck would lose a lot of mobility. I think chiros are gold, in the right situation.

[DrJ]

Chiropractic's in Alberta is quite spotty. Regulation is not as tight. Personally, I've had very bad experiences.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

Man Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey are really doing their part on dumbing down the world. I'm okay with people not vaccinating themselves or their chidren, because it means there's more life and resources for me and my future generations!

Be interesting to hear their response to this.

Latest autism figures should dispel any fears about the MMR jab being linked to the condition, say experts.The NHS Information Centre found one in every hundred adults living in England has autism, which is identical to the rate in children.
If the vaccine was to blame, autism rates among children should be higher because the MMR has only been available since the early 1990s, the centre says.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8268302.stm

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by photon

Misrepresenting what was said to get an emotional response rather than a rational one? Shocking.
Yay Wikipedia! The body doesn't hold onto it, the half life of ethyl mercury is far below that of methyl mercury, and the studies that have been done support that ethyl mercury is less toxic than methyl mercury.. not to mention that there was no link found between thermosil and neurological disorders when many many more vaccines used it.

You guys are no fun! This topic is boring if not for the irrational, emotional response.

[photon]

[Ashartus]

A (sort of) legitimate reason for avoiding the seasonal shot this year is that several experts are predicting novel H1N1 will be the only major flu strain this year - if that's the case, then it won't actually provide as much protection as usual. I don't think there's a consensus on this though - it's been 40 years since the last pandemic, and flu monitoring has changed a lot since then, so there seems to be a lot of uncertainty on whether the other strains will be around at their normal levels or whether they'll be almost nonexistent with novel H1N1 taking over everything. I'll probably still get mine, particularly since the vaccine for novel H1N1 won't be ready until November (and who knows when anyone not on the "priority" list will get it), but it may not be as beneficial this year as usual.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

For some people, getting a flu shot might be beneficial. If you are someone who doesn't get sick very often, it's probably a waste of time.

The flu virus changes every year. Whether or not you have gotten the flu or the flu vaccine before or not has no effect on this years strain. The flu is not like chicken pocks. Typically healthy people don't die from the flu (this strain maybe different) but you are still spreading the virus which could end up infecting someone young/old/sick and killing them.

I'm wary of getting flu shots (for many people) because, it really just a vaccination for convenience. I won't say that vaccinations weaken our immune systems, but when our immune systems don't have to fight anything off, because we are vaccinated for everything, it's definitely not beneficial in the long run.

The immune system doesn't work like this. Fighting off the flu doesn't make your immune system stronger, and getting the vaccine doesn't make your immune system weaker. It's like saying that wearing a condom weakens your immune system.

Getting a vaccination for a disease that is more serious is a completely different matter. For most people, getting the flu isn't a serious disease.

The flu directly and indirectly kills 30,000 people in the US each year and hospitalizes 200,000 each year. I would say that is serious enough to get a vaccine whose sides effects for the majority of people are a sore arm for a day.

[Burninator]

Here is a good, and funny, read about 12 dumbass reasons not to get the flu shot. It's written by a infectious disease doctor, so it's his field of expertise, unlike a chiropractors.

Flu season is here, kinda sorta, it never really went away thanks to H1N1. I was rounding today, lucky me with the three day weekend, when one of my colleagues mentioned a post I had written a year ago at the old blog about the flu vaccine. It was printed and put up in the break room, and he saw it, took it home to his wife, who promptly mailed it to a colleague that is a proud "I never get the flu vaccine" kind of guy.

http://boards.medscape.com/forums?128@659.nMdLae1tdg9@.29f60079!comment=1

[LChoy]

Originally Posted by Burninator

Here is a good, and funny, read about 12 dumbass reasons not to get the flu shot. It's written by a infectious disease doctor, so it's his field of expertise, unlike a chiropractors.

Flu season is here, kinda sorta, it never really went away thanks to H1N1. I was rounding today, lucky me with the three day weekend, when one of my colleagues mentioned a post I had written a year ago at the old blog about the flu vaccine. It was printed and put up in the break room, and he saw it, took it home to his wife, who promptly mailed it to a colleague that is a proud "I never get the flu vaccine" kind of guy.

http://boards.medscape.com/forums?128@659.nMdLae1tdg9@.29f60079!comment=1

Link is private, unless you have a forum account

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by Lchoy

Link is private, unless you have a forum account

Here's a place you can read it without the account: http://allnurses.com/general-nursing...lu-424244.html

[ernie]

We have our company sponsored seasonal flu shots on Oct 1.

I'll make sure to keep track of all the people that call in dead on Oct. 2.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Well, here is a doctors advice then

http://drbenkim.com/flu-shot-ingredients-dangers.htm

The guy is a chiropractor. He may call himself a doctor but he's not a MD.

Dr. Ben Kim
http://drbenkim.com
Biography
Dr. Kim studied at the University of Toronto before going on to earn his doctor of chiropractic degree from National University of Sciences in 1997. He graduated summa cum laude, and went on to join multi-disciplinary clinics in Alaska, California, and Ontario. Today, he lives and works in Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children, and is the editor of http://drbenkim.com, a natural health website devoted to sharing principles of self care."

http://www.healthiertalk.com/users/bkim

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Lucifer

I'm diabetic so of course I get a flu shot every year.

Ditto

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Really? Show me proof of where the flu shot saves thousands of lives every year. The only thing ridiculous is how easy most people will buy into doing anything their government says is good for them or is ok. The facts are most doctors are split down the middle on flu shots. Half of them truly care about their patients and will advise you against it and half know that every time you go get a flu shot they make money on it so of course they want you to get one, they don't care about your health, they care about their bank account.

As you said in the first part of your post....

Show me proof

I doubt you can. As far as I'm concerned, what you have posted is more baseless and lying fear mongering, no doubt based on misinformation and out right lies found on the internet.