why is the push so relentless?

[Smallsteps]

https://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2019/10/21/1068985_get-your-flu-shot.html

I understand the flu can be deadly especially for those with other health issues, with that being said, I do not see if the flu shot is the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread why EVERY year the PUSH/ ADS gets more and more relentless.
It should sell itself with out all the drama.... ....without constant signs / ads and articles that never seem to end.
This is what i hate about fall MORE then pumpkin spice that in my opinion tastes like cardboard.

Also the ads are very misleading IMO more FREE FREE FREE................ until you read the fine print free..... IF...... your insurance covers it without any co-pay. otherwise you can get them for price ranges i have seen $15 to 40. Do not tell me this is about health...... this is big business for the pharma crowd.

If a person wants one great get one ... if a person does not want one, let it go.
Every year in the past we have gotten a shot we felt like HELL all winter.... no thanks. Yet i am told that is all in my head no one gets sick (BS).

The effective rate of vaccine in the last few years has been around 20%...... yet we were told get one anyway it "might" help make it less severe if you get it.

What other product with such a low success rate is continually and relentlessly pushed??? .
What other product would you buy anyway on a MAYBE you could use it?

[disneysteve]

Sorry, but you're just plain wrong here. The anit-vax crowd makes me more insane than any other conspiracy theorists there are.

The flu shot CAN NOT give you the flu. It is IMPOSSIBLE. You may feel a little achy for a few days after getting the shot but that's about it.

The flu shot IS the single best thing along with washing your hands a lot that you can do to keep yourself and others around you healthy throughout the season.

The flu causes billions of dollars of lost productivity each year due to absenteeism. Folks typically miss (assuming they don't drag their contagious butts into work anyway) at least 4 days and often a week or so. Kids miss tons of schoolwork. Parents have to take off to care for sick kids. And billions are spent treating the flu with doctor visits, and prescription and OTC meds.

The effectiveness of the flu shot varies year to year depending on which strains are in the vaccine and which strains actually circulate. This year for the first time all of the available vaccines are quadrivalent meaning they cover 4 strains. Previously, many were trivalent and only covered 3 strains. So hopefully that will translate to a higher efficacy rate.

EVERYONE 6 months of age and older SHOULD get a flu vaccine EVERY season.

The reason they push it so much is because there is so much anti-vax sentiment out there and people spreading all kinds of insane theories that they need to be in everyone's face 24/7 to get people to do the right thing. I'm 100% in favor of employers offering it free to all of their employees (I got mine last week), churches and synagogues doing flu shot clinics (ours does), pharmacies asking every customer if they've gotten theirs, and any other possible way to maximize the vaccination rate. The more people get vaccinated, the easier my job will be the next 6 months. So if for not other reason, get your flu shot to preserve the sanity of your friendly neighborhood urgent care doctor.

Oh, and I saw my first positive flu case last night so the season is upon us. If you haven't gotten your vaccine yet, do it NOW!

[bjl584]

Steve is the doctor, so I'm inclined to believe him.

All that I can tell you from my viewpoint is that I have been getting a flu shot every year for the past 10 years or so, and I haven't gotten the flu once during that time.
The shot is free through my insurance, takes a few minutes, and is relatively painless. Why not get one.

[Smallsteps]

Sorry, but you're just plain wrong here. The anit-vax crowd makes me more insane than any other conspiracy theorists there are.

The flu shot CAN NOT give you the flu. It is IMPOSSIBLE. You may feel a little achy for a few days after getting the shot but that's about it.


Oh, and I saw my first positive flu case last night so the season is upon us. If you haven't gotten your vaccine yet, do it NOW!

i am not pushing an anti vax thing...
.I did NOT say i got the FLU from the shot ...................but it was months of feeling ill/ cold like symptoms and achy not for a "couple days" but MONTHS.
I got shot in NOV started feeling better end of February, took all my energy was barely functional.
I will NEVER take another one.

Why is the only answer is "it is impossible to get the flu from the shot" .......... not all those that got sick after the shot said they had FLU. Many people i know had what seems like a never ending cold that does not respond to average cold treatments. DH was worse then me and he is almost never sick he will not get another one either.

. I can personally tell you i would take a week of flu over 3+ months of feeling like crap. I tried again ( years later) SAME result.

From the preliminary guesses i have read, this year is not expected to be that much more effective.

I see what you are saying about the push so in general people are TOO stupid to know their own body and health and what preventative measures should be taken so they need constant not just friendly reminders but hassled to change their mind.

Maybe if people were Smarter about their OWN health your job would be easier too.

[disneysteve]

Sorry, not all of my comments were directly in response to your post but more general info.

If you personally have had a bad reaction to a flu vaccine, and more than once, than YOU shouldn't get one. No argument here. There are certainly people who are allergic or otherwise intolerant of the vaccine. And that makes it even more important for everyone else to get theirs if they can. You are at higher risk because you can't get a vaccine so you want everyone around you, family and friends and coworkers, to get theirs.

Yes, people by and large don't do the right thing on their own whether we're talking about healthcare or personal finance or anything else. Those constant reminders are vitally important. And even folks who are good about taking care of things need reminders. I'm grateful that my eye doctor sends me a text every year when my check up is due. Many folks, especially those who are in good health, may not see a doctor on any regular basis so they won't get a flu shot on a routine visit. They need to make a special trip. It's a whole lot easier to get one in the course of your daily routine - my wife got hers last week at Target. No need to schedule an appointment or work around your job or other responsibilities. Just get it whenever it's convenient. The more places you can easily get one on the spot, the more people will do it.

[kork13]

Steve obviously is the resident expert, and everything I've seen syncs with what he said.

With most vaccines, one big argument is for 'herd immunity' -- if 90%+ (or whatever) of the population are inoculated against a disease such as the measles, the 5% (again, fake number) of people who medically cannot get it due to immunodeficiency, allergy, or whatever else are effectively protected, because the measles virus doesn't have enough warm bodies susceptible to the disease, so it can't spread effectively, and anyone who is exposed to the virus either never gets sick, or if they do, they aren't able to spread the disease to anyone else around them.

The flu is a slightly different story because it mutates so rapidly and effectively, and there are simply a ton of different flu strains out there (though I'm sure it theoretically could experience a similar herd immunity effect if the vaccine covered the most prevalent strains *just right*). However, even if the vaccine doesn't cover exactly the right strain that occurs in a given year, if it's got a "close relative" (actual strain is very similar to the vaccinated strain), the body is still able to combat the actual strain more effectively than without any vaccination. The result is either lower transmission rate among the population, or reduced symptoms (duration or intensity), or potentially both.

The body's immune system is truly incredible. If it knows how to fight off a disease, it can and will do so with ease. Preventative vaccines teach the immune system exactly how to defeat the specific strains of the flu (or other diseases), so that if/when exposed to that disease, you can fight it off. Without being vaccinated, it's basically the same situation as Indonesian pygmies armed with rocks & sticks trying to fight off the full force of the US Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines, all at once.

As for why you feel sick after a flu shot, there's a variety of potential reasons. 1) Yes, it could very well be psychosomatic -- you deeply believe that it's going to make you sick, so you get sick. 2) When you get a vaccine, your immune system goes into overdrive as it learns to defeat the disease(s) introduced in the vaccine -- this "learning" process can make you feel cruddy. Additionally, it's also possible to get sick with an unrelated disease while your immune system is focused on reacting to the vaccine (takes about 2 weeks). 3) Ever considered the fact that the flu virus (and others) are constantly going around throughout the winter, and your body is fighting them off? As in #2, when your immune system is stressed, it pulls energy resources from your body and heightens your immune response (mild fever, mild congestion, etc.) in order to fight off those diseases. Rather than getting a full-blown case of the flu, you only feel mildly ill but never really get sick. 4) Seasonal Affective Disorder manifests in a wide variety of ways, and it affects a huge portion of the population (even if widely undiagnosed). Some of the symptoms? Low energy, sluggish, sleep problems, appetite changes, difficulty concentrating.
But no, it is literally impossible to get sick from the flu vaccine -- the virus is DEAD, and the flu is not a zombie virus that suddenly arises from the dead to infect the poor suckers who got the flu vaccine.

As bjl said...it's free or nearly free with most insurance plans, it does nothing but significantly lowering your risk of serious illness, and it's virtually painless. No reason not to get it.

[disneysteve]

However, even if the vaccine doesn't cover exactly the right strain that occurs in a given year, if it's got a "close relative" (actual strain is very similar to the vaccinated strain), the body is still able to combat the actual strain more effectively than without any vaccination. The result is either lower transmission rate among the population, or reduced symptoms (duration or intensity), or potentially both.

As bjl said...it's free or nearly free with most insurance plans, it does nothing but significantly lowering your risk of serious illness, and it's virtually painless. No reason not to get it.

Yep. Getting the flu shot lessens symptom severity and reduces risk of flu complications like pneumonia even if you do end up contracting the flu. Better to get a mild case than a full blown case.

As for coverage, the flu vaccine is one of the preventative measures required to be covered with no copay under the ACA. So if you have insurance, any insurance, your flu shot is free to you. If you don't have insurance, shop around. There are 4 flu shots available this year and they are all equally effective. Get the cheapest one you can. Paying $30 or $40 now sure beats losing a week of income later.

[rob62521]

We get flu shots every year due to allergies and asthma and now that DH is a senior.

However, i agree with the part of the post by small steps that it is misleading when you see all the free signs. I kept wondering why I had to pay for mine and finally called the insurance company...it is free if I get it at the doctor's office, but not at a place like Walgreens or CVS. So, made the appointment and got the shot. A sore arm is far better than being way too sick to even want to get up.

Every year after the first of the year, it seems our health department will offer truly free flu shots to those who haven't gotten them already. So like disneysteve said, shop around.

[disneysteve]

it is misleading when you see all the free signs. I kept wondering why I had to pay for mine and finally called the insurance company...it is free if I get it at the doctor's office

That's a great point. Yes, flu shots are free for everyone who has insurance, but that doesn't mean you can go anywhere. As with most other services under your insurance, there is a network of preferred providers. The place giving you the vaccine needs to accept your insurance.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

This is just an aside, but if I knew a household whose members were all feeling fluish despite not having flu, I would suggest that have any gas appliances have a safety check. My own mother and also my next door neighbors both had this happen to them. For Mom, it was a leak at the water heater; for the neighbors, it was a leak at the kitchen stove. When I first moved to this city I remember hearing of a group of men who met in a church basement to play cards and they all died from a gas leak that must have started small but increased quickly while they were there. (I think they had been drinking, too.) Serious stuff.

[Fishindude77]

Got my flu shot the other day,
I'm a believer.

[disneysteve]

I would suggest that have any gas appliances have a safety check.

And every home should have CO detectors. Put one near the bedrooms and another anywhere near a gas appliance - kitchen, basement, etc.