| Tuesday, November 01, 2005 |
| Flu shot misconceptions :( |
I hope I'm not talking to the wall. Actually, even if I am, just writing about this topic makes me less aggro. :) I just wanted to humbly set the record straight about certain misconceptions. I'm a people-person to the core and I always like to help people when I can, and I love seeing people healthy and happy. That's why I feel so frustrated when some folks seemingly shoot themselves in the foot regarding flu shots.
First a bit of background. I got my flu shot today. I've had them every year since 1990, when I started college. Taking a full-time courseload was hard enough -- missing a week due to illness would make it almost impossible to catch up! (Plus I have asthma, which makes flu even less fun!) In the 15 years I've been a flu shot "customer," I'm happy to say I've probably only been gripped by the "grippe" 2 or 3 times. And one of those I think was in the middle of summer, so it's not like the vaccination failed me there! *chuckle*
Just for the record, it is IMPOSSIBLE for a flu shot itself to make you sick with any of the virus strains contained in the shot. That's because the viruses in the serum are DEAD. It's true that once the flu season gets going later, you might not have 100% immunity to these viruses, but you certainly can't get sick with them now! It's also true that some other disease vaccines contain LIVE viruses, and perhaps even old-school flu shots contained live viruses once upon a time. (The semi-new "Flu Mist" nasal vaccine also does). However, all current needle-injected flu shots do NOT contain live viruses, and have not for years.
Yes, it IS possible to feel "ill" after a flu shot, but that's NOT the flu. That's an immune system response, because our immune systems perceive all viruses (even dead ones) as a "threat". So they make antibodies against them, which is how vaccines offer protection. And so, some folks may have a slight fever, slight body aches and slight fatigue for a few days after the shot. There's nothing wrong with these sensations. We've come to associate them with being "sick", so some folks assume that whenever they feel those, they're sick. Not true when those sensations accompany a flu shot, because the viruses are DEAD. (As for me, all I generally have is a sore arm muscle).
And now to address the concerns of folks who come down with a TRUE viral illness within a few days of receiving a flu shot (not just an immune system response). The virus responsible for your illness was in your body BEFORE you got your shot. Perhaps you were doomed to come down with that virus anyway. Or perhaps your immune system might have fought it off, had the immune system not become "preoccupied" in making antibodies against the flu shot viruses (and perhaps engaging in an immune system response as well). However, please know that what you came down with was NOT a virus contained in the shot.
I felt so helpless/frustrated recently when a senior citizen I know told me she never gets flu shots because she feels "sick" after them. I asked if she was allergic to eggs, because THAT is a reason to avoid the shots. Since the viruses are cultured in a medium whose ingredients include eggs, doctors warn anyone allergic to eggs to stay away from flu shots. Of course, this senior was not allergic to eggs. She just doesn't like how she feels for a couple of days after a flu shot.
I tried explaining (in a much abbreviated way!) the points I just raised in this blog entry, but it was like talking to a wall, or to a mule. :( Seniors are especially vulnerable to complications from a nasty case of the flu, which is why they're always at the top of the list of shot recipients (along with folks who have chronic illnesses, who work in hospitals, etc.) The fact that this senior refuses the shot is beyond me.
If this entry causes even ONE person to get the shot who otherwise might not have, I will be extremely happy! :) Remember -- "the life you save may be your own!"
Today I am feeling  worried and  frustrated. |
posted by ScaryShari @ 8:08 PM   |
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| 3 Comments: |
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Very educational! When I had mono, for about a year plus recovery time, I couldn't get the flu shot, but I don't know if this was because it was back in the live virus days (~1994) or because my immune system was already fighting too much.
Oddly enough, one of the reasons the mono lasted so (freaking) long was because I got the flu just before the end of the proverbial "you'll recover in 3-4 weeks" period. (Scoff.) How well I remember the joy of puking up my antibiotic (I also had a serious throat infection), washing it off, and having to swallow it again - NICE!
Sure wish I'd had a flu shot before getting mono - so, even if people aren't afraid of flu, they might consider the shot to be a worthwhile precaution in case it complicates some other future illness.
That said, I still don't get flu shots. Why? Hmm... And I had two aunts die in the 1918 epidemic and everything. But I just don't. The flu only ever bothers to hit me if it can do so at the worst possible time, which gives me the opportunity to feel heroic for a little bit, then bore people with stories about it later. Like, last year I got the flu my second week in my new job, so there I was, 103.5 and somewhat incoherent, teaching class - now you know that was some quality education! :)
True, it may kill me, but battling viral invaders is my equivalent to the rock climbing or bungee jumping. But the rest of you aren't allowed to steal my "thing" - so go get your shots!
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Why am I not surprised that the only person who found as much to say about flu shots as I did, is the other Shari? *grin*
I mean that in a truly complimentary way, because I am an "equal-opportunity rambler". Not only do I enjoy discoursing about many different topics, but I also enjoy reading other people's discourses!
I've never yet found someone who wrote something so long that I got bored, as long as it was interesting and truthful (and amusing also helps). *chuckle* Your writings have all of those good attributes, which is why I love reading 'em. It must be another example of our shared Shariness! :D
And now the hour is nigh 10 p.m., so I'm going to take my melatonin. (whee fun!)
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We get flu shots every year because of Ricky's cystic fibrosis. Because he's in a high risk group, Andrew and I get the shot too. And Dave gets it because he's an RN and works with sick people. :) Ricky has only had the flu once and it was several months after he had the flu shot (which evidently didn't cover this particular strain). Luckily the doctor prescribed Tamiflu which may or may not have helped. Last year I didn't have a shot because of the shortage (luckily Dave and the boys did) and thankfully I didn't get sick (I have asthma too).
Now after saying all of that I wanted to emphasize the importance of people getting their flu shots. And I want to thank you for putting some of those misconceptions to rest. :)
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 - Name: ScaryShari
- Location: South Bay Area, California, United States
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Very educational! When I had mono, for about a year plus recovery time, I couldn't get the flu shot, but I don't know if this was because it was back in the live virus days (~1994) or because my immune system was already fighting too much.
Oddly enough, one of the reasons the mono lasted so (freaking) long was because I got the flu just before the end of the proverbial "you'll recover in 3-4 weeks" period. (Scoff.) How well I remember the joy of puking up my antibiotic (I also had a serious throat infection), washing it off, and having to swallow it again - NICE!
Sure wish I'd had a flu shot before getting mono - so, even if people aren't afraid of flu, they might consider the shot to be a worthwhile precaution in case it complicates some other future illness.
That said, I still don't get flu shots. Why? Hmm... And I had two aunts die in the 1918 epidemic and everything. But I just don't. The flu only ever bothers to hit me if it can do so at the worst possible time, which gives me the opportunity to feel heroic for a little bit, then bore people with stories about it later. Like, last year I got the flu my second week in my new job, so there I was, 103.5 and somewhat incoherent, teaching class - now you know that was some quality education! :)
True, it may kill me, but battling viral invaders is my equivalent to the rock climbing or bungee jumping. But the rest of you aren't allowed to steal my "thing" - so go get your shots!