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FBG Health Poll - Flu Shot (1 Viewer)

If you get the flu shot, where do you get it?

  • At my PCP’s office

    Votes: 26 12.7%

  • At my pharmacy

    Votes: 47 22.9%

  • At work

    Votes: 54 26.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 9 4.4%

  • I don’t get the flu shot

    Votes: 69 33.7%
  • Total voters
    205
D_House

D_House

Footballguy
Flu season is back! Please answer and discuss. Poll option criticism and schtick welcome.

As for me - I get the flu shot at work because its required at work. Only reaction I’ve had is a sore deltoid. If work didn’t require it I probably wouldn’t get it as I don’t have regular health care.

 
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I'm skeptical I would get it if it weren't free and done literally across the hallway from my office. I dont know if I would prioritize it if I had to exert more effort. I know I should though. Only upside and no down side to doing it. 

 
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MAC_32 said:
I'm skeptical I would get it if it weren't free and done literally across the hallway from my office. I dont know if I would prioritize it if I had to exert more effort. I know I should though. Only upside and no down side to doing it. 
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My wife is a nurse and usually brings them home and shoots up the family. Also work usually offers them in office for free. If not for those options, I'd never get one, mostly cause I wouldn't be motivated to find one.

 
Never got one until i started caring for 90+yo peeps a few years back. Just seemed like the right thing to do. Nothing special to report

 
Flu vaccination isn't just to prevent the immunized individual from getting the flu. Enough people need to be vaccinated to establish herd immunity. This number is variable depending on the contagion of the infecting strain, but the goal is ~80% coverage of the general population.

Despite recommendations for near universal vaccination, we never get that level of coverage. Moreover, vaccine efficacy is relatively poor, typically in the range of 40-60%. And the vast majority of people who get the flu are asymptomatic. But the very young, elderly and people with chronic medical conditions are at higher risk of severe complications of influenza, including death. Plus it increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke and asthma/emphysema exacerbations, even after the initial symptoms of flu have resolved. Influenza morbidity/mortality statistics don't account for all of these, and it very likely flu is under diagnosed, so it's hard to gauge its overall impact.

The vaccine is very safe, cheap and doesn't cause the flu. While I think a good argument can be made for healthy individuals living in a vacuum to opt out of vaccination, almost all of us are exposed to high-risk groups. Working in healthcare, it is a no-brainer for me. 

 
Got my first one a month ago.  No reaction other than a sore arm for about 3 days.  By PCP nurse sort of talked me into it as I was on the fence.  Had the flu about 10 years ago and it was pretty rough.   Plus turning 50 in 2020 so I figured why not.

 
Given the nature of the flu and all the various strands and all the various vaccinations it seems like nothing more than Russian Roulette to me.  I don't get it.  Only time I've ever had it was just prior to my kid's birth which was right in the middle of flu season.

 
Had no choice while in the military. Went 20+ years without ever getting the flu. So, once I got out, I kept right on getting it. Flu free for 33 years, so I'm pretty convinced it's effective.

 
I get one at my physical. 10-ish years ago I got the "swine flu", whatever that crazy flu was that year. Brutal. Got a flu shot the next year and every year since. No flu. I wash my hands like a crazy person though.

 
I typically get them when they are offered at work. Even if they are not 100% effective, they tend to lower flu severity if you do get it. Plus kids in school means lots of avenues of exposure. 

 
The Commish said:
Given the nature of the flu and all the various strands and all the various vaccinations it seems like nothing more than Russian Roulette to me.  I don't get it.  Only time I've ever had it was just prior to my kid's birth which was right in the middle of flu season.
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Why do you liken it to Russian Roulette? The vaccine isn’t always effective, typically on the magnitude of 40-60%, but it almost never kills people.

 
ChainsawU said:
How do you know when you have the flu, as opposed to just like a cold or sore throat or something.
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If you're uncertain, it's not the flu. 

The biggest giveaway is achiness. Don't typically get that with a cold, even a bad one.

 
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ChainsawU said:
How do you know when you have the flu, as opposed to just like a cold or sore throat or something.
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To be certain, you need to be tested. 

Murph said:
If you're uncertain, it's not the flu. 

The biggest giveaway is achiness. Don't typically get that with a cold, even a bad one.
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Most flu is asymptomatic. Some is like a regular cold. And some is more severe. Muscle aches are not part of the definition of an influenza-like illness (ILI).

ILI = fever + cough or sore throat. That’s it.

 
The Commish said:
Given the nature of the flu and all the various strands and all the various vaccinations it seems like nothing more than Russian Roulette to me.  I don't get it.  Only time I've ever had it was just prior to my kid's birth which was right in the middle of flu season.
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I think this is a good illustration of @Terminalxylem's point above.  Not trying to call you out personally here or place blame, but here you (and likewise many of us) acknowledge the risk in not getting it and potentially exposing your newborn to a virus that could do serious harm or even cause death and get the shot for that reason.  Yet outside of that particular scenario with your own baby it's a yawn and a pass yet you may end up interacting with other newborns or elderly that could have serious repurcussions from the virus while carrying it in those years you don't get that shot.

Again I'm meaning to use "you" in a general sense here with this particular example as I just think it's something that many of us don't think about.  Yeah I don't usually get the flu anyway so why inconvenience myself and have a sore arm for 2 days and if it works out such that I get the flu once every 10 years than I'll just have a crappy week and move on.  But we don't really think about how that 1 in 10 years we get the flu we could hand it off to someone for whom the consequences are much worse than just a crappy weak.  Even with the flu shot not necessarily helping every year if it means we get it 1 in 20 years instead of 1 in 10 that is still a big difference in how it affects the population when we multiply that by 300 and whatever million people we have in this country.

It's kind of like voting to me.  Individually sure my one vote probably isn't going to matter just like my one flu shot probably isn't going to matter.  But collectively those individual choices add up quickly.

 
I never got one until I got the flu 7-8 years ago (brutal). 

So, I started then, but now it's a must. I don't really have a plan for what happens if I get really sick. Likely would have to close the restaurant for a few days.

I offer to pay for it for the girls at work. They don't take me up on it, of course. 

 
FreeBaGeL said:
I think this is a good illustration of @Terminalxylem's point above.  Not trying to call you out personally here or place blame, but here you (and likewise many of us) acknowledge the risk in not getting it and potentially exposing your newborn to a virus that could do serious harm or even cause death and get the shot for that reason.  Yet outside of that particular scenario with your own baby it's a yawn and a pass yet you may end up interacting with other newborns or elderly that could have serious repurcussions from the virus while carrying it in those years you don't get that shot.

Again I'm meaning to use "you" in a general sense here with this particular example as I just think it's something that many of us don't think about.  Yeah I don't usually get the flu anyway so why inconvenience myself and have a sore arm for 2 days and if it works out such that I get the flu once every 10 years than I'll just have a crappy week and move on.  But we don't really think about how that 1 in 10 years we get the flu we could hand it off to someone for whom the consequences are much worse than just a crappy weak.  Even with the flu shot not necessarily helping every year if it means we get it 1 in 20 years instead of 1 in 10 that is still a big difference in how it affects the population when we multiply that by 300 and whatever million people we have in this country.

It's kind of like voting to me.  Individually sure my one vote probably isn't going to matter just like my one flu shot probably isn't going to matter.  But collectively those individual choices add up quickly.
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I get it....you don't know that I am essentially a hermit.  I work from home and the only real interaction I have with the outside world is the baseball team I coach and my church.  It's kind of sad if I think about it, but to the point...I am obsessed with washing my hands and I am around few people outside my immediate family.  Should I ever get the flu or even a bad cold, I usually quarantine myself to the guest room of the house.  I certainly don't go anywhere.  My kids are 12, 7, 2....the oldest two get the flu shot every year and my oldest has probably had the flu 4-5 times.  My youngest a couple.  I don't know if that means they'd get the flu every single year if they didn't have the shots or not, but they seem to get it frequently regardless of getting the shot.

 
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FreeBaGeL said:
I think this is a good illustration of @Terminalxylem's point above.  Not trying to call you out personally here or place blame, but here you (and likewise many of us) acknowledge the risk in not getting it and potentially exposing your newborn to a virus that could do serious harm or even cause death and get the shot for that reason.  Yet outside of that particular scenario with your own baby it's a yawn and a pass yet you may end up interacting with other newborns or elderly that could have serious repurcussions from the virus while carrying it in those years you don't get that shot.

Again I'm meaning to use "you" in a general sense here with this particular example as I just think it's something that many of us don't think about.  Yeah I don't usually get the flu anyway so why inconvenience myself and have a sore arm for 2 days and if it works out such that I get the flu once every 10 years than I'll just have a crappy week and move on.  But we don't really think about how that 1 in 10 years we get the flu we could hand it off to someone for whom the consequences are much worse than just a crappy weak.  Even with the flu shot not necessarily helping every year if it means we get it 1 in 20 years instead of 1 in 10 that is still a big difference in how it affects the population when we multiply that by 300 and whatever million people we have in this country.

It's kind of like voting to me.  Individually sure my one vote probably isn't going to matter just like my one flu shot probably isn't going to matter.  But collectively those individual choices add up quickly.
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Good post - I have parents and in-laws in their 70s and my Grandmother is still alive.  It just makes sense to get it if I’m going to be around them.

 
The Commish said:
I meant in terms of "getting the flu" is like "getting the bullet"...not that it would kill me :mellow:  
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I'm still not following. Are you saying getting the flu is so unlikely you think vaccination isn't worth the effort?

In Russian roulette, the likelihood of getting the bullet is 1 in 6. The attack rate of flu is around that number some seasons, but much higher (sometimes over 50%) for epidemic strains of the virus in certain subpopulations, including young healthy adults as recently as 2009.

Would you play Russian roulette differently if you had to pull the trigger once for yourself, spin the barrel and then aim and fire at a couple other people?

 
Typically don't get it b/c 1) never have had the flue and 2) it doesn't seem that effective.   Job was offering it this year down the hall from where I sit so figured why not if its not costing me anything.

 
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It is offered for free where I work and highly encouraged. I have never gotten the flu shot and doubt I ever will. 

They are guessing at what strain to vaccinate you against and they are more wrong then right. I have also never vaccinated my kids for the flu. I am not an anti vaccine guy. I do get all the ones where they know wtf they are doing or at least seem to.

In my humble opinion flu vac may be a money grab.

 
prosopis said:
It is offered for free where I work and highly encouraged. I have never gotten the flu shot and doubt I ever will. 

They are guessing at what strain to vaccinate you against and they are more wrong then right. I have also never vaccinated my kids for the flu. I am not an anti vaccine guy. I do get all the ones where they know wtf they are doing or at least seem to.

In my humble opinion flu vac may be a money grab.
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Does your opinion differ for other vaccines? 

 
Terminalxylem said:
I'm still not following. Are you saying getting the flu is so unlikely you think vaccination isn't worth the effort?

In Russian roulette, the likelihood of getting the bullet is 1 in 6. The attack rate of flu is around that number some seasons, but much higher (sometimes over 50%) for epidemic strains of the virus in certain subpopulations, including young healthy adults as recently as 2009.

Would you play Russian roulette differently if you had to pull the trigger once for yourself, spin the barrel and then aim and fire at a couple other people?
Click to expand...
That's forego the analogies....seem to be mucking up the point.  Essentially, the bold is correct...minus the "effort" part.  It's not difficult for me to get, I just don't see the point.  With a little bit of "process" sprinkled on top that seems illogical to me.  As I said, I work from home and pathetically have little contact with the outside world.  If I get the flu, I am truly (for all intents and purposes) a dead end for it spreading.  That said, I haven't had the flu since I was in middle school (knock on wood).

 
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D_House said:
Flu season is back! Please answer and discuss. Poll option criticism and schtick welcome.

As for me - I get the flu shot at work because its required at work. Only reaction I’ve had is a sore deltoid. If work didn’t require it I probably wouldn’t get it as I don’t have regular health care.
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My company gives me a free one and contributes to my HSA when I do it.  Free to me and cash in my pocket; how can you turn that down?

 
It's been required by my employer until a couple years ago.

Now I get a $10 gift card for getting one.

And my daughter's doctors told us to get one. She's immune compromised, we do what they say.

 
Never got one and the people in my life that have gotten the vaccine have all gotten the flu and then have told me its because the vacc doesnt cover  all strains of the flu. I'll just continue to eat healthy and take my apple cider vinegar every day. 

 
Not always. But pretty regularly.  This year was highly recommended as my father un law is undergoing cancer treatments so the family was advised to do so.  
I get regular allergy shots so have it done in that office.

 
When I get in my 70's I'll start thinking about it.. otherwise...Every year.. Get your Flu Shot!!!!!!! Death is waiting if you don't!!!!!! Then Spring comes and "report that last year's Flu shot was 25% effective 🎊

 
Buddy Ball 2K3 said:
Never got one and the people in my life that have gotten the vaccine have all gotten the flu and then have told me its because the vacc doesnt cover  all strains of the flu. I'll just continue to eat healthy and take my apple cider vinegar every day. 
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Professionally, I have this discussion multiple times a day, five days a week, from mid-September through January.

Those people in your life did not catch the flu because they received the vaccine. They would have gotten the flu anyway, and likely had a less severe illness because they did receive the vaccine.

And eating healthily is great but it will not prevent you from catching the flu anywhere nearly as effectively as a flu vaccine, even if it's not a perfect match.  Why not do both.  :shrug:  

 
The Dreaded Marco said:
Professionally, I have this discussion multiple times a day, five days a week, from mid-September through January.

Those people in your life did not catch the flu because they received the vaccine. They would have gotten the flu anyway, and likely had a less severe illness because they did receive the vaccine.

And eating healthily is great but it will not prevent you from catching the flu anywhere nearly as effectively as a flu vaccine, even if it's not a perfect match.  Why not do both.  :shrug:  
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Not saying it caused the illness, but it didnt prevent it. I have been around people with it an never got it.  Am I lucky  :shrug:

 
Buddy Ball 2K3 said:
Not saying it caused the illness, but it didnt prevent it. I have been around people with it an never got it.  Am I lucky  :shrug:
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You are a lucky man---having Influenza is awful.  

I recommend getting the vaccine anyway, as it does lessen the severity of the illness.  And as I tell my patients every day, any % protection is a lot better than 0%. 

 
Wow other to all. 

I get it usually b/c it seems smart. Some years I forget or don’t have time. I get it at a local grocery store that gives them out. I’m not required. 

 
Has anyone here ever had the Flu?  It is so miserable I felt like I was going to die.  My femur bones felt like they were broken as I tried to sleep in bed.  Crazy bad dreams.  So much pain.  Constant coughing to the point my ribs felt broken.  Diarrhea to the point you I couldn't trust a sneeze or cough.  Vomiting so hard it felt as if my ###### was connected directly to my esophagus.  Night sweats, night freezing.  So much pain

So yeah I get the flu shot and pray I never get the flu again. 

 
I never get this one.  I don't get sick much and this is no sure thing to work either.

I guess there isn't a big downside though.  All these flu stories have me rethinking the game plan this year

 
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