Flu shot question (Page 3)

I work in a cancer hospital. I have seen the first hand effects of what happens when an immune-compromised patient - pediatric, adult, and geriatric - get exposed to the flu by a healthcare worker, care taker, or other person. I do not want to feel like I did not do my best to prevent this from occuring.

My work requires it and I support it. Some think it goes against our personal rights or liberties but when it comes to protecting patients who have no way of protecting themselves, there is no compromise in my mind. (we do have special allowance for those who cannot medically receive it but if you do not have a confirmed medical reason - you get ALL of the required vaccinations as well as regular TB tests and even occassional titers for the different hepatitus viruses).

The risks of me having a bad side effect, are worth it in my mind as compared to the guilt I might feel if someone I came into contact with died from the flu and I had not gotten the virus. (I know this is N=1 and a probably severe circumstance but it is the world and job that I live in)

A couple quick ones, not all vaccines contain formaldehyde or even thimerasol, differant manufactures use differant processes for isolation and preserving.  And those that use thimerasol generally remove all but a scant trace for the final product.  Same goes for egg protein, only those with the most severe allergies should not get a shot. 

CDC estimates the flu shot at 75% effective.

It is not indiscriminately approved every year without human testing.  The process and all ingredients do not change from year to year, only the strain of the viruses included.  And the process for collecting/culturing the strains is not changed either... even when the H1N1 was 'rushed' to the market a few years ago- same vaccine as always, just a slightly differant strain.

There is a gigantic wealth of info available to all on the CDC wesite.

For those, like myself, in healthcare and mandated to get the flu shot...oh well.  The carreer comes with many obligations, like working holidays, working during snow storms/hurricanes/ everything else.  I bet i'm at greater risk for driving to the hospital when the state orders the roads closed then from an fluvac ADR.

-Mike

Even if it is difficult to design a study to find the exact effectiveness of the vaccine, it is still almost impossible to argue that it is not effective. 

Also, if you don't care about being sick, there is someone out there who cant afford to be. I do believe in the personal choice to vaccinate or not, but I think too many people are misinformed and misguided by simple falsehoods. 

The science behind vaccines is solid, look at measles or polio. When was the last time you heard of someone with diphtheria?  Influenza is tricky, with multiple strains of constantly mutating viruses, but the vaccines still work, not as well, but they do prevent illness and death in many people. 

Trying to list the reasons for not getting the flu shot I've come up with:

1) Lazy

2) Misinformed

3) Fear and phobias

4) Individual does not care if they get the flu or pass it on to others

5) Conspiracy theorist (this one is interesting, including fun topics such as nanotechnology, and suppression of the masses through chemical manipulation)

I could probably come up with more, but I have to go yell at my children.

Let's put some of this information into perspective.  I have looked at some of these sites that report 'flu shot deaths' and if you read them carefully many say things like '...dies x days after getting a flu shot.  Official cause of death is pending.'  However if you keep reading you never see what the official cause of death was even after months/years.  OK conspiracy theorists, jump right in.  One site hold up as 'proof'  42 cases reported to them in a little under two years.

Now let's look at the number of death attributed to people who DO get the flu.  According to the CDC for Flu Season 1977-78 to 2006-07 the average annual number of deaths was over 6300.

For the record, I have a great deal of empathy for the families of loved ones who do have severe allergic reations to any vacine.  Unfortunately they are not perfect.  However, if you look at the real numbers of people who used to die from the diseases we no longer get because of vacines, the trade off is statistically a good one.  That includes the flu vacine deaths vs flu deaths.

same. i figure if everyone else gets it there is a slightly less of a chance of me getting it anyways.