Author Topic: Flu Shots (Read 16953 times)

CLAY · « **Reply #50 on:** January 14, 2014, 07:34:58 PM »

Quote from: jadziadax8 on January 14, 2014, 01:33:35 PM

Quote from: CLAY on January 14, 2014, 06:47:33 AM
Yep- and the mutations are random. I wouldn't say the strains are getting stronger- some years they aren't as bad- it's just the reporting is better and makes the news more often. The Spanish flu of 1918 is a bit of a mystery yet- it was incredibly virulent and attacked the young and the healthy. Most influenzas affect the old and weak to far greater effect. It would not be surprising if a flu bug similar to that one, or even more virulent rose up again. It's just a matter of time.

I just read an interesting book on the influenza outbreak of 1918. One hypothesis about why it attacked young people was that it was actually a strain that had gone pandemic around 1870-1880. The elderly in 1918 had already been exposed to that strain earlier in their lives and were immune. Also, the young people who died may also have been killed by their own immune response to the virus. The healthiest people died because their immune system overreacted to the pathogen and created so much phlegm that people suffocated to death.

Fascinating. I knew about the phlegm, but I had no idea about the possibility of an earlier strain. That does make sense though. We spend a bit of time looking at the 1918 flu in my 8th grade science class. That's a great possibility to bring up! I might need to get that book...

satxbonneville · « **Reply #51 on:** January 14, 2014, 08:13:13 PM »

We have to get the shot or spend flu season wearing a mask and we don't get the silver "I got my flu shot!" sticker on our badge. I asked if a Darth Vader mask was OK. Humor is apparently not universal.

spinalator · « **Reply #52 on:** January 14, 2014, 09:11:42 PM »

My Great-grandpa was killed in the 1918 pandemic. She said he became sick and died, but did not reveal it was the flu until later.

bomber · « **Reply #53 on:** January 15, 2014, 12:33:12 PM »

Quote from: satxbonneville on January 14, 2014, 08:13:13 PM

We have to get the shot or spend flu season wearing a mask and we don't get the silver "I got my flu shot!" sticker on our badge. I asked if a Darth Vader mask was OK. Humor is apparently not universal.

Well, not OUR brand of humor, at any rate.

doc4216 · « **Reply #54 on:** January 15, 2014, 02:40:20 PM »

Quote from: satxbonneville on January 14, 2014, 08:13:13 PM

We have to get the shot or spend flu season wearing a mask and we don't get the silver "I got my flu shot!" sticker on our badge. I asked if a Darth Vader mask was OK. Humor is apparently not universal.

This makes me sad...

satxbonneville · « **Reply #55 on:** January 16, 2014, 06:51:49 PM »

The Vader mask would have been pretty cool, although it would clash with my Star Trek (TOS) coffe mug.

Carefully crafted by beavers and sent through alternate dimensions.

jadziadax8 · « **Reply #56 on:** January 16, 2014, 07:05:40 PM »

Quote from: CLAY on January 14, 2014, 07:34:58 PM

Fascinating. I knew about the phlegm, but I had no idea about the possibility of an earlier strain. That does make sense though. We spend a bit of time looking at the 1918 flu in my 8th grade science class. That's a great possibility to bring up! I might need to get that book...

It's a great read. I especially like how the author spends about the first third of the book talking about the development of scientifically-based medical training in the US in the late 1800s-early 1900s. You could use it as a way to introduce your students to the scientific method.

Scratch · « **Reply #57 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:40:22 AM »

Got a call yesterday afternoon from the semi-retired doctor lady who lives next door to my dad's old house (where my brother lives now). "Your brother's truck has been in the driveway all week - I just went over with some split pea soup and knocked on the door but nobody answered. Then I went home and called him and nobody answered. I'm just concerned he might be blahblahblah..." I sighed, thanked her for her concern and called his cell phone.

"What?"

"You Okay?"
"Fuck you."
"What's wrong?"
"Flu."
"Need anything?"
"Fuck no. Leave me alone."
"Doctor X called - was concerned."
"Fuck her too. Tell her to stop calling me."
"Want some split pea soup?"
"Fuck that."
"Alrighty then fucknut, fuck you too and bye."
*click*

Scratch · « **Reply #58 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:41:00 AM »

Black Hills · « **Reply #59 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:42:04 AM »

Quote from: Scratch on January 17, 2014, 09:40:22 AM

Got a call yesterday afternoon from the semi-retired doctor lady who lives next door to my dad's old house (where my brother lives now). "Your brother's truck has been in the driveway all week - I just went over with some split pea soup and knocked on the door but nobody answered. Then I went home and called him and nobody answered. I'm just concerned he might be blahblahblah..." I sighed, thanked her for her concern and called his cell phone.

"What?"
"You Okay?"
"Fuck you."
"What's wrong?"
"Flu."
"Need anything?"
"Fuck no. Leave me alone."
"Doctor X called - was concerned."
"Fuck her too. Tell her to stop calling me."
"Want some split pea soup?"
"Fuck that."
"Alrighty then fucknut, fuck you too and bye."
*click*

nice family

Scratch · « **Reply #60 on:** January 17, 2014, 09:46:16 AM »

Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 09:42:04 AM

Quote from: Scratch on January 17, 2014, 09:40:22 AM
Got a call yesterday afternoon from the semi-retired doctor lady who lives next door to my dad's old house (where my brother lives now). "Your brother's truck has been in the driveway all week - I just went over with some split pea soup and knocked on the door but nobody answered. Then I went home and called him and nobody answered. I'm just concerned he might be blahblahblah..." I sighed, thanked her for her concern and called his cell phone.

"What?"
"You Okay?"
"Fuck you."
"What's wrong?"
"Flu."
"Need anything?"
"Fuck no. Leave me alone."
"Doctor X called - was concerned."
"Fuck her too. Tell her to stop calling me."
"Want some split pea soup?"
"Fuck that."
"Alrighty then fucknut, fuck you too and bye."
*click*

nice family

You should hear us on a good day.

viffergyrl · « **Reply #61 on:** January 17, 2014, 11:12:39 AM »

I believe those are terms of endearment on the East coast.... I sense deep devotion lying way below the surface.

satxbonneville · « **Reply #62 on:** January 17, 2014, 03:19:36 PM »

I had lunch with a friend cancelled today because she was going to the funeral of a fellow who died of the flu. He was 47. H1N1 is what did him in. I've said it before and I will say it again: virii scare the living shit out of me. One highly mutable, fast moving, cross-species variant and most of us can kiss our ass goodbye.

Black Hills · « **Reply #63 on:** January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM »

I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

PatM · « **Reply #64 on:** January 17, 2014, 04:53:19 PM »

There is some good news on the flu battle front:

McGill U researchers have found an enzyme that helps resist the flu: http://www.mcgill.ca/medicine/channels/news/resisting-flu-232449

Cablebandit · « **Reply #65 on:** January 18, 2014, 10:33:51 AM »

Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM

I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

Most are self diagnosed and those that aren't are generally sent on their way with "flu-like symptoms" I've never heard of someone actually being tested for a flu strain other than the hysteria on the evening news.

satxbonneville · « **Reply #66 on:** January 18, 2014, 02:32:08 PM »

Quote from: Cablebandit on January 18, 2014, 10:33:51 AM

Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM
I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

Most are self diagnosed and those that aren't are generally sent on their way with "flu-like symptoms" I've never heard of someone actually being tested for a flu strain other than the hysteria on the evening news.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2014/01/16/h1n1-flu-epidemic-fills-texas-hospital-beds-ers-chinese-avian-flu-expected-spread-north-america/

kneescrubber · « **Reply #67 on:** January 18, 2014, 04:51:19 PM »

Quote from: satxbonneville on January 18, 2014, 02:32:08 PM

Quote from: Cablebandit on January 18, 2014, 10:33:51 AM
Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM
I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

Most are self diagnosed and those that aren't are generally sent on their way with "flu-like symptoms" I've never heard of someone actually being tested for a flu strain other than the hysteria on the evening news.

http://bionews-tx.com/news/2014/01/16/h1n1-flu-epidemic-fills-texas-hospital-beds-ers-chinese-avian-flu-expected-spread-north-america/

Whatevers.

The nightly local news has been hammering how bad it is. Okay. Yeah. I talk face to face with walk-in customers all day, every day. Still nothing for me. Haven't had a flu shot in 30 something years. I base my decisions on my own personal experiences. Not on what some media type tells me.

misanthropist · « **Reply #68 on:** January 18, 2014, 05:17:31 PM »

I don't have particularly strong feelings about flu vaccinations but I did have an interesting experience recently that is related, and which really illustrates one of the fundamental problems with human thought.

So my wife got herself vaccinated which makes a ton of sense - she works for a branch of the government that deals with preventative health stuff on reserves. They constantly have people on and off reserves and so they get inoculated for EVERYTHING.

She was expecting some soreness and fatigue after the inoculation which also makes plenty of sense; that's very common.

The day after she got the shot, I got sick. Like totally sick. Halfway through my work day I was like, "okay, everyone, I'm driving home now, because I'd rather not puke a lot here in front of all of you. Back tomorrow!" Then I drove home with my window open because I doubted I'd be able to open it fast enough to not get my car full of puke. And the splashback would be awful if it got in your eyes.

It was incredibly hard to convince myself that these were unrelated. I had to look up all the symptoms of the flu and all the symptoms of food poisoning and all kinds of studies on contagion between vaccinated people and theoretical contagion with dead viruses and so on before I could get my brain to stop telling me that the whole thing was a coincidence.

Thankfully I didn't have any sort of dry cough or anything. But even so, man, the proximity of the shot and my illness was enough to make my brain set off all kinds of alarms and warnings and it was hard to shut it up.

So in the end I learned something: I get how the anti-vaccination people feel now. They're totally wrong, but I understand why that is so hard for them to accept. There is very obviously a potent mechanism in your brain (which I guess is there to help keep you from getting poisoned by foods, ironically) which links illness and recent events.

All in all an interesting experience. Aside from the horrible sickness which I just hated.

kneescrubber · « **Reply #69 on:** January 18, 2014, 06:25:42 PM »

Quote from: misanthropist on January 18, 2014, 05:17:31 PM

I don't have particularly strong feelings about flu vaccinations but I did have an interesting experience recently that is related, and which really illustrates one of the fundamental problems with human thought.

So my wife got herself vaccinated which makes a ton of sense - she works for a branch of the government that deals with preventative health stuff on reserves. They constantly have people on and off reserves and so they get inoculated for EVERYTHING.

She was expecting some soreness and fatigue after the inoculation which also makes plenty of sense; that's very common.

The day after she got the shot, I got sick. Like totally sick. Halfway through my work day I was like, "okay, everyone, I'm driving home now, because I'd rather not puke a lot here in front of all of you. Back tomorrow!" Then I drove home with my window open because I doubted I'd be able to open it fast enough to not get my car full of puke. And the splashback would be awful if it got in your eyes.

It was incredibly hard to convince myself that these were unrelated. I had to look up all the symptoms of the flu and all the symptoms of food poisoning and all kinds of studies on contagion between vaccinated people and theoretical contagion with dead viruses and so on before I could get my brain to stop telling me that the whole thing was a coincidence.

Thankfully I didn't have any sort of dry cough or anything. But even so, man, the proximity of the shot and my illness was enough to make my brain set off all kinds of alarms and warnings and it was hard to shut it up.

So in the end I learned something: I get how the anti-vaccination people feel now. They're totally wrong, but I understand why that is so hard for them to accept. There is very obviously a potent mechanism in your brain (which I guess is there to help keep you from getting poisoned by foods, ironically) which links illness and recent events.

All in all an interesting experience. Aside from the horrible sickness which I just hated.

I experienced a sudden cold in '08. The night before I took a Bahama cruise. It sucked; but I persevered.

Quit your bitchin'.

misanthropist · « **Reply #70 on:** January 18, 2014, 07:00:35 PM »

So are you saying that you found it difficult to shake the notion that colds cause Bahamas cruises?

kneescrubber · « **Reply #71 on:** January 18, 2014, 09:35:59 PM »

Quote from: misanthropist on January 18, 2014, 07:00:35 PM

So are you saying that you found it difficult to shake the notion that colds cause Bahamas cruises?

No.

CLAY · « **Reply #72 on:** January 18, 2014, 10:24:47 PM »

Quote from: Cablebandit on January 18, 2014, 10:33:51 AM

Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM
I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

Most are self diagnosed and those that aren't are generally sent on their way with "flu-like symptoms" I've never heard of someone actually being tested for a flu strain other than the hysteria on the evening news.

I was last year and tested positive. In my wife's pediatric practice they test.

Black Hills · « **Reply #73 on:** January 18, 2014, 10:28:52 PM »

Quote from: Cablebandit on January 18, 2014, 10:33:51 AM

Quote from: Black Hills on January 17, 2014, 03:54:53 PM
I was discussing this with my wife (ICU nurse) last night. She said they have had a lot of people admitted with the "flu" lately and yet to have on test positive for it? Obviously a lot of other bugs out there that cause similar symptoms.

Most are self diagnosed and those that aren't are generally sent on their way with "flu-like symptoms" I've never heard of someone actually being tested for a flu strain other than the hysteria on the evening news.

She works for the VA, the test for everything

Smilodon_Con · « **Reply #74 on:** January 19, 2014, 06:07:45 AM »

I dont belive in the damn things.

I get a legimate genuine flu about every three or four years. I ride it out miserably for a couple days, rest, fluids, yada yada.

Now if there were some kind of deadly freak pandemic strain that was spreading and killing people left and right, yes I'd seek an inoculation against that. But in a case like that the Govt would have them all warehoused for themselves and I couldnt get one.

I also believe obsessive germaphobes, constantly handwashing, sterlizing everything in sight, get sick more often. You need a certain exposure to pathogens to keep your immune system active and strong. Use it or lose it as they say.

Drop your toast on the floor, eat it.

It's good for you.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

PatM · « **Reply #75 on:** January 19, 2014, 03:22:54 PM »

Never had a real flu in years. Colds, head colds, gastroenteritis, whatever, yes. Never a real flu.

Quote

Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. The most common symptoms are chills, fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache (often severe), coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a more severe disease caused by a different type of virus.[1] Influenza may produce nausea and vomiting, particularly in children,[2] but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as "stomach flu" or "24-hour flu".[3]