From now on I will be having flu jab

[mattadelaide1975]

Hi Guys,

From now on I will be having the flu jab. At the start of the week, managed to get myself infected with Influenza B virus.

It has well and truly knocked the stuffing out of me. Until this week, I didnt believe in the flu jab, but now... I think I am converted.

2 and a half days in hospital, IV anti-biotics, steroids, lumber Puncture, and whatever else tests they decided to do.

Had constant chronic neck pain and headache since Monday, which is only just beginning to get better.

Since Influenza B is a infectious disease, I have to take a week and a half off work, which I cant really afford.

All this because I didnt believe in the flu shot :censored::censored:.

[Eevo]

its been running around adelaide

took our half our office and knocked them over quite hard.

[newhue]

glad to hear your back on deck. Can I ask you age? and Perhaps how would you rate your general fitness.

At 42 I don't give it any thought, but I am starting to realise I'm not as bullet proof as I like to think I am.

[richard4u2]

been having them every 2nd year for the last 20 years and been seen friends who don't have them laid up for days at a time crook as a dog but mention a flu jab no way known

[rrturboD]

Added bonus is 45% reduction in heart attack/complications for those >45 years old too!

[PhilipA]

Ha! I had one in February 2013 and I have had serious flu once since in July and I guess a bad cold as well in August.
You have to be exposed to the exact strain that you had the needle for.
You get it free over 65, but it only is effective if you are exposed to an unmutated strain.
Regards Philip A

[loanrangie]

The generic flu jab probably wouldnt have helped anyway.

[vnx205]

glad to hear your back on deck. Can I ask you age? and Perhaps how would you rate your general fitness.

At 42 I don't give it any thought, but I am starting to realise I'm not as bullet proof as I like to think I am.

Last time I visited my GP for a blood test in preparation for cataract surgery, she tried to talk me into a flu shot. I am old enough to be eligible for the free jab.

When I argued that I am pretty fit and healthy for someone my age as I regularly compete in 20km kayak races, she said it made no difference being fit. I don't know whether she meant it makes no difference to the likelihood of catching the flu or the severity of the symptoms, but she seemed quite convinced that it would be in my best interests to have the jab.

So I did what you would expect any male to do. I ignored her advice. :D I have made it this far through the flu season without succumbing. I guess some time in the near future, I won't get through the season unscathed and will understand why she recommended it.

[101RRS]

The flu is a lot rarer than many people think - what most people think is the flu is just a bad cold - in a lifetime most people will get the flu only once or twice.

The flu can kill and it does - if you get it you might be lucky and have to spend a week or two in bed at home but most people who get it need to be hospitalised.

The flu does not discriminate - young or old - get a jab and help stop it spreading and reducing the chances of getting the flu even further.

The other shot that older people should consider is the pneumonia jab - lasts 5 years but you can only have it twice in your lifetime so timing is critical.

Garry

[Eevo]

The flu is a lot rarer than many people think. in a lifetime most people will get the flu only once or twice.


i see this myth is still making its rounds.

[frantic]

Philipa this is another misconception people have, they think that the jab is like the shields on the uss enterprise (shields up Spock):D when in fact you still get infected by another person but because your body's immune system has been exposed to the virus ,will react far quicker and your illness will be greatly reduced.
Having worked exposed to the elements and numerous foreign crews changing over I've had the jab for 7 years and only had a few minor colds which could have been the flu.

[mattadelaide1975]

glad to hear your back on deck. Can I ask you age? and Perhaps how would you rate your general fitness.

At 42 I don't give it any thought, but I am starting to realise I'm not as bullet proof as I like to think I am.

Hi Jason, I'm 38. My general fitness is OK.... Can't run a marathon, but can do most things without being short of breath.

The doctor that looked after me at the hospital said that he had seen 5 other cases like mine in the last 2 weeks.

I'm still suffering slightly with headache and aches and pains, but should be back on deck mid next week.

Cheers everyone, and stay healthy.

Matt

[Bigbjorn]

I had the jab once. That was the worst winter I ever had with colds, sniffles, flu etc ending up in hospital for a week and ill for months afterwards. Never had one since and never been crook like that again.

[101RRS]

i see this myth is still making its rounds.

Not a myth at all.

[superquag]

I had the jab once. That was the worst winter I ever had with colds, sniffles, flu etc ending up in hospital for a week and ill for months afterwards. Never had one since and never been crook like that again.

Me too, some years ago and since then...have had several savage bouts of the flu, - the last one so bad that even SWMBO was genuinely sympathetic :eek::eek::eek:

Why ? - Because it was 'free' at work/peer pressure, very well advertised etc etc - and I blindly trusted the Medical fraternity...

Just co-incidence that my cardiac health went south afterwards... and found that most of the Nurses AND Doctors in the CCU had'nt and would'nt be jabbed, and had their reasons...:eek:

PS, Anyone ever read, or even seen the leaflet that comes with the 'Flu vaccine ?

[Chucaro]

I am 67 and have the flu jab every year and I cannot remember when I have my last flu. It works for me.
I also get the pneumonia jab even if I am one case in a million to suffer the rare side effect of intolerance to pain for several days.

[Bushie]

University of Adelaide

Of all vaccine preventable diseases, influenza is the number one cause of death. It is becoming increasingly recognised that influenza has a signi?cant impact on cardiac and respiratory deaths.Dept health & aging




Since the beginning of the year there have been 10,702 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza reported. Over the past fortnight there were 2,688 notifications, with almost a third reported from New South Wales (919).



Nationally, whilst influenza A remains the predominant influenza virus type, the proportion of influenza B continues to be higher than recent seasons. During the 2012 season there were very few notifications of influenza A(H1N1) pdm09. So far in 2013 whilst the majority of influenza A reports are unsubtyped, more than 10% of overall notifications have been reported as influenza A(H1N1) pdm09.

Annual flu deaths USA

63,730 annual deaths for influenza and pneumonia (NVSR Sep 2001); estimated 20,000 deaths from flu (NIAID)

Certainly as we get older the risk rises significantly.


Martyn

[numpty]

Tis true Martyn.

But...........the flu jab has been available to me for years through work and I have never availed myself of it and I have only had what could be determined as the "flu", once in my life.

Now 60 and I expect my aversion to the jab may not last forever. :(

[ugu80]

According to the Department of Health and Ageing the annual death rate by influenza in Australia is 2,500 to 3,000 persons. Not such a rare event, I'm afraid.

[PhilipA]

I sometimes wonder how many of the people who are deemed to have died of influenza would die of something else within a short time anyway.

For example there was a flurry of news a few weeks ago that Morticians were complaining that not enough people were dying because the winter this year was so mild in sydney.

Undoubtedly if it gets very hot some of the people who would have died normally in winter will die in summer, and of course that will be due to climate change.LOL
I guess a proportion of the people that die will be healthy but I reckon that the majority will have weak systems and maybe die anyway in the short to medium term.
I am not advocating anything here , just pointing out that while 2500 to 3000 are deemed to have died by statistics, it may be that influenza contributed and was the "final straw" but maybe not the primary cause.

Regards Philip A

[DiscoMick]

Anyone who works around people should definitely have it. Certainly reduces the severity of the flu/colds, in my experience.

[bidds]

"One man's meat is another man's poison". I'm firmly of the belief that despite demonstrable similarities, we are all quite different and will respond to things like this differently.

You should go with whatever works for you.

For me, I've observed zero correlation between getting/not getting jabbed and the likelihood of succumbing to the flu in a given season; I've had it many times through work. You can throw all sorts of statistics at me but the only relevant statistics are my own.

[101RRS]

For me, I've observed zero correlation between getting/not getting jabbed and the likelihood of succumbing to the flu in a given season; I've had it many times through work. You can throw all sorts of statistics at me but the only relevant statistics are my own.

The vaccination does not work against bad colds.