re: The Flu Vaccine - Pushing Hard

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All I stated was that:

1. I graduated Medical School.
2. I had a patient under our teams care that died of GBS.
3. That the entire medical team concluded it was a result of the Flu shot.
4. The CDC lists the flu shot as a cause of GBS.

As an aside, this patient's case was even presented in a grand rounds where the Chairman of the Department said it was why he "never" gets the Flu shot and never will.

Sorry that you dont agree. I am confused by your tactics.

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You need to find a new chairman of the dept if he is afraid to get a flu shot over GBS fears....
Flu killed 80,000 americans in 2017.
GBS is rare and only affects like 3000-6000 Americans a year, most fully recover.

Per the same CDC that you cited
cdc
"When there has been an increased risk, it has consistently been in the range of 1-2 additional GBS cases per million flu vaccine doses administered".


CDC only attributes 1-2 increased cases of GBS per million flu vaccinations given... for a syndrome that occurs at the highest estimate of 6,000 a year and is less fatal than flu.

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The flu doesn't always make someone feel like they are dying. Some people don't get the flu very often or at all. Some people really don't need to get a flu shot. My experience with the flu and flu shot out weigh any study or data based on a vast segment of the population. For those of you more prone to getting sick, get the flu shot.

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Again....it isn’t just about how healthy YOU are. It’s about those around you. You may get the flu and be ok. But what about your 4 month old you cared for? The 4 month old too young to get a flu shot. What about the elderly family members you visited? Or the friend you hung out with that has other severe medical issues going on?

Yes...flu shot isn’t 100% effective. But I would much rather have a small chance of preventing myself getting the flu and preventing having to deal with knowing that I may have given the flu to someone else that it could cause serious health issues for(even death).

And btw....completely healthy people die from the flu every year. Why take the risk if you have something available that can better the odds.

If you are ever around babies, children, old people, or the immune compromised (so basically if you have a family or have friends that have families)......get the flu shot.

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Yet, you have no basis for telling people to get the shot other than, "It might protect you", which is what you've been told.

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No I have a great basis for that. Its well supported that vaccinations are effective and boost immune response. But Its ironic that you think I am only repeating "what I have been told" then you say the reason why you believe what you believe, is completely reliant on what you have been told.

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Now, the only adults I hear about getting it are ones that had the shot.

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Do you have a chart from say....2010 to 2018 showing the total number of cases of the flu in the US by age group? On the same chart, I'd also like to see the total percentage of people (by age group) who got vaccinated

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that chart would only tell you that they give more flu shots to people in age groups that are susceptible to flu. You should look for a chart with prevalence of infection in those vaccinated vs unvaccinated (by age group). This chart would show you vaccines are more effective than not.

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The amount of mercury in them makes this literally false

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From the CDC:

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Most single-dose vials and pre-filled syringes of flu shot and the nasal spray flu vaccine do not contain a [thimerosal] preservative because they are intended to be used once.

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This board is a cesspool of ignorance sometimes.

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The amount of mercury in them makes this literally false

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Wait till I tell you about the amount of chlorine and sodium in table salt.

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Is it just me or is it weird how hard they're pushing the flu vaccine?

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It's a public safety initiative. It's definitely a good thing to get.

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How strong is the evidence?

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couple of meta analyses summarized if you're interested

For every 30-70 treated, you prevent a case (depending on the year, how good the vaccine is, and my cursory glance at the NNT data).
This means that in my office, we probably prevent a case a day, roughly.
You're preventing more than you harm with it.

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I've never had one and never gotten the flu.

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Imperfect analogy, but that's not dissimilar from saying, "I don't wear a seatbelt and have never gotten in a car wreck"

My wife thought that when our daughter got the mmr vaccinations

Our little girl had those symptoms indicative of it but it cleared up quickly

Everyone’s immunity is different but it’s not just protecting yourself. It’s also about your loved ones and others