Flu Shots 2020

[REWahoo]

I guess when I pass away in the next decade or two, it could be argued that all those injections contributed to my death.

Yep. No telling how long you could have lived if you'd taken better care of yourself.

 

[stephenson]

Good points!

I eat brussels sprouts and have never been run over by a truck.

Oh, yeah - maybe I didn’t crash my airplane because I always wore flight boots!

So much to consider ....

 

[Nemo2]

I eat brussels sprouts and have never been run over by a truck.

Hold on, hold on....I eat brussels sprouts, and I have been run over by a truck. We need a tiebreaker.

 

[MichaelB]

Hold on, hold on....I eat brussels sprouts, and I have been run over by a truck. We need a tiebreaker.

Did you eat the brussels sprouts before or after getting run over by the truck?

 

[Nemo2]

Did you eat the brussels sprouts before or after getting run over by the truck?

Now I see the problem...I was consuming them during.....won't make that mistake again.

 

[audreyh1]

Flu Season Update Week 47: For the week ending 11/21/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States remains low. Out of a reported 51,800+ tests, only 67 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

Interesting!

I had my very first flu shot last month.

 

[folivier]

Just cover brussels sprouts with bacon and you're good to go.

 

[sengsational]

Back on the flu vaccine--I get the vaccine every year, but I occasionally still get the flu and it is awful. I wish the flu vaccine where more effective. One thing I have learned from the pandemic is that masks/social distancing do work. I have not even had a sniffle since last March. My plan regarding the flu going forward--I will continue to get the flu shot but in addition, even once Covid fades away (I hope it does!) I am going to still wear a mask indoors where there are crowds, especially during flu season. I don't care what other people do, I am wearing a mask and getting a flu shot.

That is a great idea. I also am going to put a few layers of protection in front of my annual flu shot, the mask being one of them. Another layer, in between, include some very low risk remedies, including a bit of zinc and a helper to get that through (ionaphor), vitamin C, vitamin D. Never tried grape seed extract that was being hard sold here recently, but have heard of it. I'm not sure I can manage to work in the Black Cumin Seeds...so many anti virals, so little good evidence. But one thing that's sure, the hard science of masks, distance, and triggering my body make appropriate B cells (if available) is priority. I can see the day when they'll make mRNA vaccines for swaths of common cold strains... I'd go for that one too!

 

[Time2]

I have no idea how many things I've been vaccinated for in my life but it's been a lot... When I was a kid, I got all of the required vaccinations for school. I think the polio vaccine was given with a sugar cube, so no shot there. When I traveled the world for business, I got vaccinated for stuff I never heard of but it was recommended by the companies doctors. Add to that the annual flu vaccines, as well as a (lifetime) pneumonia shot, a couple of gamma globulin injections and who knows what else....

I think I got the flu once about 20 years ago but other than that, nothing. Never been in the hospital or ever been really sick (except the flu once).. I guess when I pass away in the next decade or two, it could be argued that all those injections contributed to my death.

I'm sure it was carrots, it doesn't take very many, and you will be healthy!
You probably forgot to eat them 20 years ago when you got the flu. /s/

 

[MichaelB]

Now I see the problem...I was consuming them during.....won't make that mistake again.

The sprouts or the truck?

 

[Nemo2]

The sprouts or the truck?

Since there was only one truck, the 'them' could be construed as 'self explanatory'.

 

[REWahoo]

Flu Season Update Week 49: For the week ending 12/05/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 39,000+ tests, only 56 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

 

[W2R]

Flu Season Update Week 49: For the week ending 12/05/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 39,000+ tests, only 56 were positive.

Amazing! Lookin' good so far this year. I hope it remains low throughout the rest of the winter. Ordinary flu can be so deadly to the elderly and those with various other conditions.

Two of my great grandparents and several of their children died from flu-related pneumonia during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. This was on a farm in rural Missouri.

 

[Koolau]

I hope that in the Covid Pandemic post-mortum, we discover if our masks OR the seasonal flue vaccine was the more protective against it - maybe even to what extent. It would be a shame to waste this miserable year of 2020 and not learn as much as we can. I've never had the flu and I always take the shot. I've never worn a mask until this year. Still, if wearing a mask routinely could help prevent seasonal flu, it might well be worth it going forward - at least in certain settings.

I used to chuckle (just a bit) when I flew and noticed folks, especially from Asia, wearing masks. Now, I'm not sure I'll ever fly again without a mask. Funny how you can teach an old fart (er, dog) a new trick once in a while. YMMV

 

[ivinsfan]

I hope that in the Covid Pandemic post-mortum, we discover if our masks OR the seasonal flue vaccine was the more protective against it - maybe even to what extent. It would be a shame to waste this miserable year of 2020 and not learn as much as we can. I've never had the flu and I always take the shot. I've never worn a mask until this year. Still, if wearing a mask routinely could help prevent seasonal flu, it might well be worth it going forward - at least in certain settings.

I used to chuckle (just a bit) when I flew and noticed folks, especially from Asia, wearing masks. Now, I'm not sure I'll ever fly again without a mask. Funny how you can teach an old fart (er, dog) a new trick once in a while. YMMV

Mask maybe but people not leaving their homes is liable to be a bigger factor this flu season. But I do think if you want to wear a mask post COVID people won't look twice.

 

[harllee]

I plan to continue to wear a mask post Covid whenever I am at a crowded indoor event. I had the flu a couple of years ago (even though I had the flu vaccine ) and it was awful.

 

[aja8888]

Like others here that were military, I spent time in Europe and places where it was called a tropical paradise in the 1960's. My shot record reads the the NYC phone book.

Later in life, I worked for Big Oil and went to Indonesia for a spell. More shots, sore arms, had to carry a special medical kit in case something really bad got you. Oh, don't eat the fruit or drink the water either! And, stay out of some "areas" where humans can be on the local lunch menu (not worried about bug bites there)!

The flu? I never had it and have not ever taken the annual shot. My Doc said this year I should start....based on my age (77). I think I'll listen to her (can't hurt, may help). She's half my age and very intelligent and I'm getting old and ________.

 

[Christine]

Flu Season Update Week 49: For the week ending 12/05/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 39,000+ tests, only 56 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

Just read that here in Norway there has been no verified cases of influenza so far this season. With two older parents I'm really happy for this.


Source in Norwegian: https://www.fhi.no/contentassets/4c...0-49-influensaovervaking-2020-2021-uke-49.pdf

 

[Aerides]

**Mod Note**

All mask discussion goes sideways...so...Please let's put the that topic behind us, and definitely in threads (like this one) which are outside the Covid sub-forum.

 

[brett]

We have no idea if the flu shots work. Both of us have been getting them for 10 years, perhaps longer.

Neither of us has had the flu during that time but this is probably meaningless when it comes to verifying the effectiveness of the vaccine on each of us.

Very, very few colds during the period. In fact, I cannot remember the last time either of us had a bad cold. Sure, some sniffles and sinus for a day or so but nothing that stopped us in our track from a normal routine.

 

[REWahoo]

Flu Season Update Week 50: For the week ending 12/12/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 44,800+ tests, only 82 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

This flu season has, so far, been remarkably light. From ABC News:

Flu activity, or incidence of flu cases, in November 2020 was approximately 91% lower than in November 2019, according to the data.

 

[REWahoo]

Flu Season Update Week 51: For the week ending 12/19/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low, actually showing a slight decrease from the past few weeks. Out of a reported 35,600+ tests, only 36 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

 

[Nemo2]

Couldn't possibly be a case of 'mistaken identity'.....could it?

 

[REWahoo]

Flu Season Update Week 52: For the week ending 12/26/2020, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 36,900+ tests, only 76 were positive. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

 

[REWahoo]

Flu Season Update Week 53: For the week ending 01/02/2021, seasonal influenza activity in the United States continues to remain very low. Out of a reported 31,000+ tests, only 44 were positive.https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm