Should I Get A Flu Shot?

Sheik

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Dec 21, 2014
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703
I've been reading around the forum about vaccines and I haven't found solid answers. Are there potential negative effects of getting vaccinated for an adult? Is there any way of actually knowing if flu shots are effective?

Did you guys get a flu shot?
 

Salty

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Sep 8, 2015
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Obviously, that's a personal choice, and not necessarily an easy one given the ubiquity of misinformation in the medical mainstream. My simple, you could say Peaty, answer to that question is to focus on supporting metabolism rather than fighting the flu or any other virus, as I personally consider vaccination a significant metabolic stressor.

A more involved answer as to effectiveness would involve a much broader understanding of influenza and "influenza-like illness." From the Cochrane Collaboration http://www.cochrane.org/CD001269/ARI_vaccines-to-prevent-influenza-in-healthy-adults:

Over 200 viruses cause influenza and ILI [Influenza like illness], producing the same symptoms (fever, headache, aches, pains, cough and runny noses). Without laboratory tests, doctors cannot distinguish between them as both last for days and rarely lead to death or serious illness. At best, vaccines may only be effective against influenza A and B, which represent about 10% of all circulating viruses.

As for effectiveness in adults:

The preventive effect of parenteral inactivated influenza vaccine on healthy adults is small: at least 40 people would need vaccination to avoid one ILI case (95% confidence interval (CI) 26 to 128) and 71 people would need vaccination to prevent one case of influenza (95% CI 64 to 80). Vaccination shows no appreciable effect on working days lost or hospitalisation.

As to the quality of the studies themselves included in the Cochrane review:

The real impact of biases could not be determined for about 70% of the included studies (e.g. insufficient reporting details, very different scores among the items evaluated). About 20% of the included studies (mainly cohorts) had a high risk of bias. Just under 10% had good methodological quality.

Do I get a flu shot? No. There are better ways to support immunity, imo.
 

tara

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Mar 29, 2014
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I don't think there is an easy answer. I don't usually get a 'flu' shot, but I've chosen to take them sometimes - eg when swine flu was making the rounds. I think some people are so badly affected by flu that the downsides of vaccination are probably worth it. I assume that the more generally and metabolically robust you are, the easier to handle both vaccinations and 'flu'.
May only be effective against a small percentage of the relevant viruses, but they do target the 3 strains they consider most likely to dominate each season, I think.
 
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Sheik

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Dec 21, 2014
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703
I just got a flu shot. I feel sick now but my mommy was proud of me.
 

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