@musicalsilver

[trtlcrzy]

Please school us on the flu vaccine musicalsilver.

[leahks77]

Haha I was coming here to do the same thing. Share your smarts with us!!

[musicalsilver]

I get so nervous when people tag me ... I was worried my under toilet-papering ways were getting me kicked off the board or something ;-)

I can do a general kind of overview ... and if anybody has specific follow up questions, I'll clarify whatever.

First: disclaimer. I am not a medical doctor! I am Philosophical Doctor of the Ph.D. variety. My degree is in genetics and molecular biology, I now work in infectious diseases, and my personal research focuses on bacteria, not viruses.

That being said, I've gone through virology, work with virologists, and avidly attend seminars about all kinds of virologic topics. So I'm not leading you all wrong here - it's as correct as current science allows.

Background:
The flu. There are four different types: A, B, C, and D. A and B cause seasonal flu.

A is broken into subtypes based on two different proteins, which we'll just call H and N. Different varieties of these proteins make for different types of flu and are given numbers (18 Hs and 11 Ns). For example, many of you may have heard of the H1N1 strain that caused trouble in 2009. Currently there are two main subgroups circulating - H3N2 and H1N1. Each of these can evolve into sufficiently unique strains which can cause trouble. The 2009 strain of H1N1 is again a great example.

B is mostly just referred to by a lettered lineage.

The flu vaccine that most folks get is trivalent which means it covers three strains - an H1N1, an H3N2 (both As), and one B. The quadrivalent vaccine adds in an additional B.

The vaccine is rejigged every year in anticipation of what the predominant circulating strains will be and how good of an immune response a particular strain evokes.

For example, next year's vaccine will be for a newer H1N1 strain because the current one doesn't work as well in middle aged folks (it still works, mind you, just not as well as it used to).

There's a lot of grief given over years where the vaccine doesn't work as well, but it averages about 60% effective. That's as effective as seat belts are in preventing serious injury in motor vehicle accidents.

And because I'm just throwing everything in here ... even though your immune response to the vaccine decreases with age, it still greatly reduces serious complications/hospital interventions when you get to be elderly.

I'll leave it there for now!

[trtlcrzy]

Thanks for all that info! What would your argument be for someone who is on the fence about getting the vaccine, either for themselves or their baby? musicalsilver

[kellybenelly83]

THe seatbelt analogy is great! Thanks for all the info!

[tkford216]

Oct 12, 2016 16:21:33 GMT -5 trtlcrzy said:

Thanks for all that info! What would your argument be for someone who is on the fence about getting the vaccine, either for themselves or their baby? musicalsilver

And to be more specific, someone who is worried there could be potential, maybe unknown, harm in giving it to someone so tiny, especially since the vaccine is reconfigured each year and not something tried and true like the other standard vaccinations.

[musicalsilver]

Oct 12, 2016 18:52:34 GMT -5 tkford216 said:

Oct 12, 2016 16:21:33 GMT -5 trtlcrzy said:

Thanks for all that info! What would your argument be for someone who is on the fence about getting the vaccine, either for themselves or their baby? musicalsilver

And to be more specific, someone who is worried there could be potential, maybe unknown, harm in giving it to someone so tiny, especially since the vaccine is reconfigured each year and not something tried and true like the other standard vaccinations.

The only thing that's changing about these vaccines are itty bitty tiny tiny pieces of the dismantled flu itself. All of the other vaccine production methods, preservatives, and adjuvants (things that make your immune system mount a stronger/more effective response) are all the same. So all the rigorous testing and of things that could have potentially been cause for concern have been fully vetted and found to be safe.

As for general arguments - there is no reason not to get one. There are only benefits! See my seatbelt analogy. You wear one of those (presumably), so why not afford yourself similar protection from the flu?

You literally cannot possibly get the flu from the vaccine.

Yes, your arm might be sore for a day or two.

Obamacare covers flu vaccines so you shouldn't have to pay (and counties generally run reduced price clinics if you don't have health insurance). Canada's got its healthcare system slightly more together than ours so I have to imagine they're pretty much free there (speculation only).

So cost should not be an issue. And with most drug stores and even grocery store pharmacies offering them, you could do it while out running errands and "cost" you minimal time.

And even if it's not a great year for the vaccine you can still reduce severity of illness if you do get the flu (not 100% of the time, mind).

I do better responding to specific concerns ... but I hope that at least helps some in the more general sense!

[musicalsilver]

www.scarymommy.com/flu-shot-excuses/?utm_source=popsugar.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_facebook

Hope that link works. A timely artcle to pop up on my newsfeed.

[swivelchair5]

My husband got his flu shot yesterday and they gave him this cool pen. I am going to take it to work.

[lilrubberduckie]

Yes flu shots (and all routine vaccines) are free in Canada I think the only shot I ever paid for was a hep a shot before going to Mexico (25$)

[leahks77]

Oct 13, 2016 6:56:41 GMT -5 musicalsilver said:

www.scarymommy.com/flu-shot-excuses/?utm_source=popsugar.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange_facebook

Hope that link works. A timely artcle to pop up on my newsfeed.

This made me smile. I would get along well with this nurse. I wish she worked with me

[alwaysnc4me]

Thanks, musicalsilver, even though I am oodles late to this!!!!!!!!!!!