Flu shot.

[morningglory]

People are falling out with the flu at work. I called CVS pharmacy. The recording said "just walk right in any time and get a flu shot." So I went in and they said sit over there. I sat for 20 min. and got up and asked if I sat over there, would someone just come out and give me a shot. They said no, you have to fill out forms and then we check your insurance. I said give me the forms, then. The lady shrugged and said the only one we have left is this looooooooooong form all in Spanish. I said I read Spanish so give it to me, please. It had questions like what alergias do you have? I wrote out "Nada" and so on for them. Sat for a long time. There was a nice lady also sitting. I asked her to watch my cart while I went to get something to drink. She said yes, and I said if anyone touches it, just knock them down. She laughed. When I got back, I asked her where she is frrom. She said E. Tennessee. I said my son is married to a mountain woman and they have 2 beautiful hillbilly children. He is a bluegrass fiddler. She said he might know my cousin, Steve Gully. What a small world! They were in the same band a while back. An hour and a half later I was vaccinated.

[tavernier]

1. I bet that fox news watchers don't get the flu vaccine

if they watched their segment yesterday. NO, I do not watch faux news, but it was on at work and they were talking about flu vaccines. The news lady - no idea who she was, but trust me, when I say Bimbo, I am not demeaning women here... this one was as close as they come to that definition - was hosting a doctor who was going to give her a flu shot. January is a little late to cover the flu that is peaking right now, but I guess better late than never. She stated at the start of the segment, "I do not know about getting these things. I've always heard that flu shots hurt. A LOT." (I have never had a painful flu shot in twenty years, but she probably instantly drove away thousands who might have considered having one). As soon as the doctor gave her the injection she LOUDLY screamed. "OWWWWW!"

So because of her idiocy, many people who may have considered inoculation, now will walk around susceptible to the flu, and once getting it, spread it to others.

Fox is always irresponsible, but now they are taking it to a whole new low. This flu season is a serious one, already taking the lives of children and the elderly. I would hope her bosses would take her to task for her stupidity, but I highly doubt that will happen.

[morningglory]

2. The pharmacist gave me the injection, and it hardly hurt at all. nt

[arthritisR_US]

3. I had three clients yersterday tell me they had

got the flu shot and had all come down with the worse flu they ever had. I am hearing this alot this year. Flu has been very bad and aggressive here in Calgary.

[athena]

5. Lots of people use the word "flu" to refer to the common cold.

Most of those people have never had the flu and have no idea what it's like. Everyone I know who has had influenza gets the shot religiously each year.

[arthritisR_US]

6. These were definitely the flu. Each described

severe vomiting and diarrhea happening simultaneously which horrified them. Severe fevers, skin hurt like they had never experienced before, every muscle and bone in their body hurt. My mum is in the hospital, has been since Jan 1, with the flu and now heart and kidney complications from it. No one I have spoken to have had cold symptoms, my Mum included.

[AngryAmish]

8. The bad flu going around is not in this years shot

It happens. Does not mean the shot gave them the flu or the shots don't work.

[arthritisR_US]

11. An epidemiologist at the university told me the

same

[Orrex]

10. The vaccine takes 2 weeks or so to reach full efficacy

And even then it's not a cure-all; it clocks in at about 60% effectiveness.

It's unfortunate that many people who get the shot will still get the flu. It would be even more unfortunate if people opted to skip the shot entirely because of a misconception that it doesn't work at all.

[arthritisR_US]

12. Some of us with compromised immune systems

can't get the shot, we have no choice.

[Orrex]

14. Okay, but that's not the fault of the shot

This subthread started because people who received the shot thereafter reported getting the flu. That's what I was addressing.

We can certainly discuss the problem facing people with compromised immune systems, but that wasn't the point to which I was responding.

[arthritisR_US]

15. I never said it was and I was just providing

antedotal accounts of what had been said to me. For those who can have the shot and choose not to, that is their choice and I render no judgement on them for their choice.

[Orrex]

16. Okay, but still irrelevant.

I wasn't talking about choice at all. The assertion was made that several people developed the flu after receiving the vaccination. I pointed out that the vaccine takes ~2 weeks to reach full effectiveness. I said nothing about compromised immune systems nor about one's choice not to receive the vaccine. I have no idea why you raised either of these points in response to what I posted.

[arthritisR_US]

17. My mother had her shot the first week of Oct and

the clients I spoke to got theirs around mid Oct. my Mum got the flu Jan1 and these clients between Christmas and the new year. The epidemiologist told me this has been the worst year for the shots efficacy.

[Orrex]

18. That sucks

The general estimate that I've heard is 60% efficacy, which takes a wide range of factors into account. If an unexpected strain pops up, then the vaccine's protective value is reduced.

I question the epidemiologist's statement that this is "the worst year," since the season hasn't even gotten into full swing yet. As such, we can't make an informed assessment at this early stage of the process. It's irresponsible of the epidemiologist to make projections so early and based on so little information.

I'm not holding you responsible for the epidemiologist's claims, of course; I simply don't understand how such claims can be made yet. It would be like declaring a movie to be terrible after watching only the opening credits.

[arthritisR_US]

21. He was speaking about here in Alberta. By this time last year we had flu hospitalizations of a few

hundred and to date we have had over 3500. You are quite correct about many factors that are involved and have to be taken into account of which he spoke of many and which some flew over my head, to be honest. There is really good data available them that will be collected this year to really shore up next years immunization shot. Many hypothesis as to what was missed this year including expediency by the manufacturers.

[Orrex]

22. Ah, sorry. I wrongly assumed you were in the US

You know, with the greatest healthcare system in the world forever and ever amen!

I have no idea when flu season starts where you are. But it's probably bilingual. And uses the metric system.

[arthritisR_US]

23. LOL...metric yes but Alberta is so right wing red neck that bilingual, no :) Eight hours away,

to the west of us, in Vernon, British Columbia for example, they have very little flu to speak of. So is the rape of our land via the tar sands any kind of factor? Environmental underpinnings exacerbating the situation? I just posit these as I contemplate the state of my navel

[Cirque du So-What]

25. Sounds like gastroenteritis to me

Not the flu.

[arthritisR_US]

36. These were all medically confirmed flu cases.

[Glimmer of Hope]

34. I hope your mother gets better soon! The flu is scary stuff.

[arthritisR_US]

35. Thank you! She is 83 with a number of health

issues and this has added a pulmonary issue to the mix. They can't get her up walking because they don't feel her heart could handle it. Luv her to bits, that woman

[obamanut2012]

7. This

[sharp_stick]

9. Not just the common cold but almost any stomach bug

also gets referred to as the "flu".

If people get a fever and muscle aches they start complaining about flu...when they actually get the flu they learn the difference pretty quickly.

[arthritisR_US]

13. We sure have. This flu has a set pattern of symptoms.

[MFM008]

26. the very first flu shot

I had made me feel icky and my arm very sore. Next one better, all since nothing, no pain no flu.

[slackmaster]

4. I got mine at a grocery store pharmacy in mid-October

The whole process took about 10 minutes. Fully covered by insurance.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I got my jab back in October at the doctor's

[Ter]

20. I would never get one

Shots do more harm than good, especially those.

[Orrex]

24. Yeah, measles shots are much worse than the disease that they prevent.

And don't even get me started on polio!

[cthulu2016]

27. If you're a balloon, maybe

[Lex]

33. ....

[riverbendviewgal]

28. wow this sounds like a night mare

It is so easy for us here in Ontario.

We have a community flu shot day. actually two.
I missed the first one as I was in England. I got the 2nd one and if it couldn't attend that one I could go to our health unit. or or pharmacy or doctor clinic

No forms to sign. no insurance. It is all covered by our provincial government OHIP.


No cost to me. this is what Canadian health insurance is.

God bless Canada.

[Lex]

32. My experience was different

than the OP's. My flu shot at CVS was just a walk-in, and I was done in about 25 minutes, tops. There was a little bit of waiting because others were there too.

That said, I'd be more than happy to have a Canadian-style healthcare instead of this mess we have here in the US, which is all about profit to the insurance companies and very little about actual health care.

[Lex]

29. I was in and out of CVS with a flu shot within about 25 minutes. No problems.

They gave me the form to fill out about my current medical condition, I filled it out, waited maybe 10 more minutes, then got my shot.

[BigDemVoter]

30. It's almost too late in the season to get one at this point. . . .

But I guess it depends on where you live. In the Northeast, the flu season is longer. . .

[postulater]

31. Never got one. Never will. Never got the flu.