HN Explorer

Ask HN: Are you getting the flu shot?

7 points by ibejoeb ↗ HN
There's a lot of noise on both sides, and each side has its share of science and superstition. What's the consensus here? What factors did you consider? For me, frequent air travel, frequent subway use, and spending a lot of time out in public areas makes me feel at higher risk. On the other hand, perhaps I'm just building a tolerance :) Others I know have done it because it is a public health issue, and they want to participate. Thoughts?

11 comments

[ 234 ms ] story [ 355 ms ] thread
tokenadult
I had the actual flu once, at an inopportune time in my higher education studies, and that convinced me that I want to get the vaccine from now on. I have a family member who has previously suffered severe pneumonia, and in recent years had another family member (now deceased) who was paralyzed, so I have taken special care to make sure that all my family members get vaccinated against diseases that may lead to pneumonia, as flu often does. No one in my family has any history of bad reactions to vaccines, so it's all benefit and no detectable risk for us to be vaccinated.
Travis
There is no reason to not get the shot. I work in public health, with a lot of really smart folks who are both educated and well meaning. Don't trust me -- there is no science of a convincing magnitude that says flu shots are bad. The only ones out there say things like "there might be an association between x and the flu shot". Those studies are either epi studies (which can show correlation, but not causation in this situation) or lab slide studies, without any proven real world whole entity issues.

Plus, the injectable flu shot is dead, so it doesn't increase the chances of getting the flu. I firmly believe the nasal spray is fine as well (it's an attenuated virus, rather than just virus "corpses"), although I would get the injected (dead) vaccine if I had young kids or other severely immuno-compromised folks.

Long story short, get your flu shot.

Travis
Replying to myself with a clarification: there are cases where people have allergies to the flu shot. But that's going to be about the limit of negative reactions. It's safe.
ibejoeb
I'm leaning toward getting it.

The allergy argument begs the question, though. The CDC says that certain people should not get it, including "people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination" and "people who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine." That suggests that the vaccine potentially gives rise to afflictions that otherwise wouldn't be acquired.

Essentially, I should not get a flu shot if I'm allergic to eggs or flu shots.

iterationx
>>I would get the injected (dead) vaccine if

So you're getting the nasal spray vaccine?

Shooter
My wife works at a hospital and is required to get both the seasonal shot and the H1N1 shot in order to keep her job. She is also pregnant. Because of her pregnancy, they are giving her a different version of the shot that doesn't contain mercury. I'm not sure why the 'regular' shots have mercury in them. She polled about 20 physicians on whether she should get the shots (before they were mandatory), and it was almost equally divided between yes and no. Some of the doctors do not want them, and said they would have to be physically forced to get the shots themselves.

I have a compromised immune system, and I'm still not sure what I will do. I have always gotten sick immediately after getting a flu shot, so it makes it a tough decision for me - a game of odds.

ibejoeb
Interesting about the mercury. The CDC site, under "who should get the shot," states pregnant women as #2 on the list.
gcheong
Might be good to turn this into a voting poll? I plan to get both flu shots this year.
Avenger42
I plan to get both, assuming the H1N1 vaccine will be available here.
Mz
I'm not getting any shots. I have a compromised immune system, so a lot of people think I "should". But I take other precautions which work very well for me.