Flu shot...do you get one?

[Mouse House Mama]

If a disease has been eradicated for decades, it is no longer medical experimentation. It is fact. If someone chooses to ignore the facts and exposes a vulnerable child that cannot yet be vaccinated, they should face the consequences of their "choice."

I agree people should have choice. For EVERY ASPECT about their bodies. People should never be forbidden to make the best decision for their bodies.

But, choice should never be free from consequences. If someone makes the choice to not vaccinate their healthy child against diseases previously eradicated, and their choice kills a vulnerable person, they should face the consequences of that choice.

When you force people to engage in medical procedures against their will it is experimentation. There is also a risk that every vaccine carries. There must be informed consent. That being said- by you posting that choice isn’t free from consequences wouldn’t you say the same could be said for the person who “can’t” be vaccinated? They made a choice to go to places where the general public are fully knowing that they have a compromised immune system. Do they not carry any responsibility? It’s a slippery slope. Like I said earlier. I don’t care what anyone does but I do firmly believe in informed consent.

 

[katie01]

I agree with you. The Darwin award comment was completely outrageous and uncalled for.

It s interesting that some of the highest concentrations of unvaccinated groups are in communities of well educated people. Marin County has been hit again by another outbreak of Whooping Cough. Directly attributed to its high concentration of unvaccinated children.

That is scary and sad Intersting correlation too with the wealthier communities.

I’m completely on board with all those vaccines. The efficacy is extremely high, and the very minimal risk of vaccine injury is totally worth it in my opinion, to prevent polio, measles, whooping cough, etc, I didn’t have a moment’s hesitation with receiving those vaccines. I’m really hoping we see a universal flu vaccine in our lifetime with a high rate of efficacy. I know I’d feel much less conflicted and worried every time I get my vaccine if I knew it worked in the majority of cases

 

[Turn the Page]

80% of the people in our family got it. DD12, DD8, and I get it every year as I as immunocompromised. DH gets it most years, he did get it this year. DS did not get one. I discussed it with his doctor at his 6 months check up in October and he said technically DS could get it because he is 6 months old but since he is not in daycare and all the rest of us got it he was just fine with DS not getting it so we skipped it for him this year.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Yes. As a nursing student it’s either get the shot, or wear a mask for the entire season.

 

[Christine]

I don't believe it makes her a candidate for a Darwin award nor would I ever say that.

I also know of many people who were wearing seat belts that got into car accidents that were killed anyway. I also know of several that weren't wearing seat belts that survived. By your logic we shouldn't wear seat belts. I mean since they are not 100% effective they are useless. Correct?

Calm down. It's not my logic. I was responding to the poster above who thought the young lady deserved a Darwin award. I believe she posted somewhere on Twitter that she believed flu shots were the devil or something and now she'd dead of either the flu or meningitis or both. I don't believe opting out of flu shot is Darwin award worthy. I wasn't comparing flu shots to seat belts. I was comparing flu shots to other vaccines that have near 100% efficacy. I think we all know that seat belts aren't 100% effective and their effectiveness relies mostly on what type of crash you are going to get into, of which there are many ways to crash (high speed, low speed, rolling, blunt force with an object, and so on).

 

[Christine]

Your pharmacist friend knows which flu strains are going to be the predominant strains for that flu season before that flu season starts? Because people are supposed to get vaccinated before the flu season even begins. No one truly knows for sure which flu strains will be dominant until lots of people get the flu.

Well, here in the U.S., the CDC generally knows the strains because what we get is what Australia, for instance, has just had. We know what strains are making their way over here. I think by the time the flu hits the on this side of earth, we know if the shot has the correct strains or not.

 

[Hrhpd]

When you force people to engage in medical procedures against their will it is experimentation. There is also a risk that every vaccine carries. There must be informed consent. That being said- by you posting that choice isn’t free from consequences wouldn’t you say the same could be said for the person who “can’t” be vaccinated? They made a choice to go to places where the general public are fully knowing that they have a compromised immune system. Do they not carry any responsibility? It’s a slippery slope. Like I said earlier. I don’t care what anyone does but I do firmly believe in informed consent.

As I mentioned, I am in complete agreement with your Pro-Choice stance. No one should every be be forced to undergo medical procedures they are against.

I specifically said I do not believe in regulations on what a person can do with their bodies.

I specifically said that IF someone makes a particular choice (which is their right) and they harm another individual, then they should face consequences. Part of that informed consent is being informed of what their choices can do to others and the potential consequences.

Society as a whole for ages has depended on herd immunity to protect those most vulnerable. If someone chooses to violate social norms, then there is no reason they should not face the consequences of their decision. By your theory, nobody should go out of their house because they may be harmed by someone making bad choices for society as a whole.

And most parents of infants or compromised individuals do take immense precautions to keep their child safe from those that choose to believe medical myths.

Again, getting a flu shot is your choice. But if you kill someone by making the choice not to get it, then you should face the same consequences as anyone else that kills someone by choice.

And I totally agree that starting to mandate certain medical procedures is definitely a slippery slope. You forbid or require one medical procedure, then you open the door to start forbidding or mandating other medical procedures. The right to medical decisions should never be regulated by the government.

 

[Summer2018]

Always. I'm asthmatic, and my doctor requires it of me. My daughter always got the shot until she was in charge of getting it herself. She got a terrible bout of the flu, and she said that Tamaflu made her feel worse. Ever since then, she has gotten the shot every October. DH also gets it.

I teach Pre-K 4, and my students must get it by January or they will be excluded by the nurse under state law. The only child who got the flu was the only one who hasn't gotten the flu shot. He missed one week of school, and was sent home the day he returned because he still had a fever.

People incorrectly assume that the shot causes the flu. It is not a live virus. If someone gets the flu even though they got a shot, it is a strain not covered by the vaccine. I have to educate parents about this so often that I feel like a broken record.

 

[sjrec]

Yes. I understand it doesn’t cover 100%, but if I do get the flu, hopefully it won’t be as severe. I know people who did not get a flu shot and have gotten the flu-they were so sick. And for weeks. No thanks.
I’ve been vaccinated against flu, pneumonia, shingles, tetanus and updated my DPT shots!

 

[Katie Dawn]

Well, here in the U.S., the CDC generally knows the strains because what we get is what Australia, for instance, has just had. We know what strains are making their way over here. I think by the time the flu hits the on this side of earth, we know if the shot has the correct strains or not.

Yes, they make an educated guess of what the U.S. will get based (in large part) by what Australia got. But it's a guess. Flu viruses can mutate though, so by the time flu season starts in the U.S. it could be a different virus than it was in Australia. Medical experts have to decide (based on an educated guess) which flu strains to include in that year's vaccine and have to start creating the vaccine by the spring for it to be ready by the fall. But no one truly knows (including pharmacists) what strains people will be diagnosed with until it starts happening. That's why most years the flu vaccine has a fairly good efficacy rate and some years it doesn't - - usually they make a pretty good guess but some years they miss the mark. But No One knows whether or not the flu shot is a great match until we're well in the swing of flu season.