melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Just curious. :) I know it's only effective for three strains. I'm just curious how well it's working. We did not do the vaccine and never have. We have had the long, nasty flu (at least all the symptoms) these past 9 days. Sorry my wording was confusing. Hopefully I re-worded it okay. If not, let me know. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1pageatatime Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Just curious. :) We did not do the vaccine, and have had the long, nasty flu these past 9 days. Ditto, but we never get the vax, some years we've gotten the Flu, others we haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrganicAnn Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 That wording is very confusing. Are you asking if we got a flu shot, but also got the flu? Or are you asking, did you get a flu shot because someone you know got the flu and it was so bad. Or are you just asking if we got a flu shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Can't vote, cuz there's no option....know several that have had so-called flu (although so many just call it flu without ever really knowing), but not sure on their vaccination status. We never get the shot, and have only had the flu once about 5 years ago. Just me and DH got it that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Most everyone I know gets the flu shot (all of the active duty people and many, if not most of the family members), and I don't know anybody in my immediate circles who had the flu. That is despite the fact that there widespread flu in NC. So, I didn't vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 None of us got the vax or the flu. I really want to know how many of these cases I hear about are confirmed. Every time a Facebook friend gets the sniffles they cry flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 None of us got the vax or the flu. I really want to know how many of these cases I hear about are confirmed. Every time a Facebook friend gets the sniffles they cry flu. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I don't understand the question. I know lots of people who have had the flu. None of them were vaxed. (I work in a pharmacy that provides vaccinations. I know these people weren't vax'd because they usually comment on regretting that choice. I do not know anyone who had the flu shot who has had the flu. I am sure there are some (the shot doesn't cover every flu) but I don't know of any. I get vax'd each year despite other peoples illness, so that isn't a factor in my decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I didn't vote as mine would cancel itself out. I know people who have had the flu who have not been vaxed. I know people who have had the flu who have been vaxed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I found the wording confusing, too. My dad and stepmom get the vaccine every year and every year they get the flu right after the shot, like that week. We don't get the flu shot anymore, we did a few time when my oldest two were toddlers because they have asthma but then we stopped after two years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 What is tricky about this is that most "influenza like illnesses" that doctors test for influenza don't come back positive. So people may think they have influenza, shot or not, and actually have something else. I don't know of anyone with the flu so I didn't vote. We got flu (lab positive) last year with no vaxes and we're all vaxed this year. My son picked up something nasty in the fall. He (and my parents who also got it) are still coughing. I'd take the flu over whatever that thing has been. Nine days of influenza, though, sounds horribly miserable. I hope it ends soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I don't know anyone who has had the flu this year. DH says he doesn't either. Whooping cough, yes. Even a case of measles (EEEEEK!) but no flu or even influence-like stuff. Mostly just the usual light winter colds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 What is tricky about this is that most "influenza like illnesses" that doctors test for influenza don't come back positive. So people may think they have influenza, shot or not, and actually have something else. I was convinced that I had the flu last week and went to the doc. I had flu like symptoms. The swab was negative. This is a nasty illness, but it is evidently not the flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 That wording is very confusing. Are you asking if we got a flu shot, but also got the flu? Or are you asking, did you get a flu shot because someone you know got the flu and it was so bad. Or are you just asking if we got a flu shot? :iagree: I did not vote. But if it helps, we all got our flu shots in October. None of us have the flu. But hubby and I both came down with a bad bout of a COLD that quickly turned into bronchitis/fever/sinusitis/cough recently. Doc tested and it was not the flu... but it walloped us pretty good for 2-3 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I was convinced that I had the flu last week and went to the doc. I had flu like symptoms. The swab was negative. This is a nasty illness, but it is evidently not the flu. My niece apparently had the same virus. Everybody was convinced it was the flu, but her test was negative. If she hadn't gone to the doctor, everyone would have just assumed it was the flu when it wasn't. Self-reporting w/o a test is useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 My husband was the only one in our family to get the shot and he got the confirmed flu less than a week after getting it. He was sick for over 2 weeks and had to take a week off work. The man NEVER takes off work. He says he'll never get the shot again. Neither DS13 nor I have ever gotten the shot nor do we ever plan to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I work in our public high school and the flu is rampant around here (as per our local clinic - not just hearsay). Some who have had it have had the shot, most have not. It seem like (my conclusion) that the shot helps some, but it's definitely no guarantee. We never get the shot, so time will tell if my family succumbs. Middle son actually did get the shot this year since he's a college freshman. In another week or two we'll know if any of us got it while it's been in the area. People I work with have had it or have it now. I talked with one person Thursday and asked her if she's planning on getting the shot next year (having just had the flu). She's undecided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I get the flu shot every year. I never get the flu, or if I do, it's so mild that I don't recognize it as flu. Ditto my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 We had the shot and have not gotten the flu. However, I work in a preschool two mornings a week, and there are five staff workers who got the flu vaccine in September who have had confirmed influenza. We had a health care worker who came in and gave flu shots to many of the children and parents, and a number of those have been sick with "flu" but I don't know if they were confirmed via laboratory. I also know quite a few people who did not get the shot and got the flu. I'm glad we got the vaccine this year. We don't always, but with this much illness going around, I figure it provides protection, even if it is imperfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 I'm sorry the question was so confusing. Maybe that's what I get for trying to type so late in the day! lol I just wondered how well the shot was really working for people. At least around here where I live the virus we got is going around like crazy...we never did go to get swabbed and see if it's the flu, although we did have every flu symptom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 In a timely announcement, our news just said the shot is at 62% effectiveness right now. I'm not sure if that's overall, or just for our area (local news). It seems pretty low, but it's still something. I'm not sure how they got that number. I'm just repeating what was reported. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 In a timely announcement, our news just said the shot is at 62% effectiveness right now. I'm not sure if that's overall, or just for our area (local news). It seems pretty low, but it's still something. I'm not sure how they got that number. I'm just repeating what was reported. I'd heard that! I told my husband after the sickness we went through I'm tempted to get it, but my husband's feeling confident in still not getting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy5 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 We did not get the shot this year and every single one of us got the flu (Influenza A if that matters). We have never had the flu as a family ... must be very very contagious! I think I've only had the flu one other time in my life ... never felt so sick ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 We did not get the shot this year and every single one of us got the flu (Influenza A if that matters). We have never had the flu as a family ... must be very very contagious! I think I've only had the flu one other time in my life ... never felt so sick ever. We didn't get ours confirmed, but I also don't remember my family ever being so sick, especially at the same time! We all had come down it within 7 days of the first person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songsparrow Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I was vaccinated, and so far have not gotten the flu (knock on wood). My understanding is that if you get the vaccine, you will be 60% less likely to get the disease (when they have the correct strain in the vaccine), but if you do get sick, it should be more mild. The bigger issue, disease-wise, is that only 37% of the population actually gets the vaccine, which is not enough to reduce transmission rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 I was vaccinated, and so far have not gotten the flu (knock on wood). My understanding is that if you get the vaccine, you will be 60% less likely to get the disease (when they have the correct strain in the vaccine), but if you do get sick, it should be more mild. The bigger issue, disease-wise, is that only 37% of the population actually gets the vaccine, which is not enough to reduce transmission rates. That's interesting! I was wondering how many of the population actually get it. I would have thought more than 37% though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I get vax'd each year despite other peoples illness, so that isn't a factor in my decision. It's not a factor in my decision either. We get it every year anyway. We all had the shot. None of us have been sick. Many of my friends are anti-vax, and many of them got the flu - confirmed by a doctor. Others have said they have it, but have not been tested. I know one other family that gets the shot -they have not been sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I was very sick, ended up with Bronchitis. The doc said it could not have been the flu since I had the shot, but no one else in my household got sick (they also all had the flu shot). My dd's friend, who had unfortunately spent the weekend with us when I first got sick (happened while she was already here), did get sick the next week. This is the second time I've gotten the shot but probably had the flu. I think it doens't work for me, but it does work for my dh and kids. We will all still get shots next year. They were all very happy that they didn't get sick. And so was I because I needed all of them to be able to function while I could not. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garddwr Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I don't know of anyone with confirmed flu, so I can't vote. We've had plenty of other nasty viruses, but I don't think any of them were influenza. We did get the vaccine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ I meant online and IRL here. I know a couple people who claim flu but admit they never went to get swabbed. Flu-like illnesses really are not the same. That's like confusing Whooping Cough with bronchitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I've gotten the vaccine (as has my family) every year since I've been able to. I haven't had the flu since I was a child. Neither my kids nor my dh has contracted the flu in any years where they've been vaccinated. The one year that they weren't....they got the flu. It was an early outbreak year, and I hadn't had the opportunity to get them vaxed before it hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I meant online and IRL here. I know a couple people who claim flu but admit they never went to get swabbed. Flu-like illnesses really are not the same. That's like confusing Whooping Cough with bronchitis. I agree. I thought the percentage of people that were tested for the flu vs the number that have come back positive was an interesting statistic. A lot of people had colds/ viruses and not the flu. Only 32 percent have tested positive for the flu, according to that stat. Viruses can be nasty, they have landed ds in the hospital twice. I had a cold with bronchitis this winter, but it was not the flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissamomof5 Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 I've gotten the vaccine (as has my family) every year since I've been able to. I haven't had the flu since I was a child. Neither my kids nor my dh has contracted the flu in any years where they've been vaccinated. The one year that they weren't....they got the flu. It was an early outbreak year, and I hadn't had the opportunity to get them vaxed before it hit. Glad you've all been so well! That's wonderful. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 My 14yo was just diagnosed with the flu an hour ago. In fact, the pharmacy just called to tell me that they have her tamiflu ready, but they are going to have to call around to get the Zofran (for nausea). And now they just called me back to say that somebody else just declined their Zofran prescription, so now we can get it there after all. None of us have ever had a flu shot. This is the first time any of us have been diagnosed with the flu. Before kids, the place where I worked offered free flu shots. Without fail, the people who got the flu shot would start dropping like flies within a few days, while the rest of us were fine. Far more people missed work from the flu shot than from the actual flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Yes to the vax; no to the flu; 4 people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 I don't know anyone with the flu this year. I've gotten a flu shot about 50% of the time since age 20. I've never gotten the flu when I've had the shot. I've only had real, live flu 3 times, all years I didn't get the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy5 Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 We didn't get ours confirmed, but I also don't remember my family ever being so sick, especially at the same time! We all had come down it within 7 days of the first person. All 7 of us were sick within 5 days of the first person. It was like every day someone new was sick until all of us got it. Thankfully, the 8 month old had the most mild case of it - most likely from me being sick before she was and bfing her. I was so scared she would get a bad case of it ... the rest of us felt pretty miserable - especially me - went straight to my lungs for 2 weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneddmanybooks Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Yes to the vax (well, 2 of the 3 of us -- I think dh would prefer to get the shot but has been procrastinating). No, we have not gotten the flu, thankfully. We usually get flu shots every year; they seem to help. We have never had any sort of reaction/sickness after getting the flu shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 We always get the flu shot. No one has had the flu..ds had a cold this week, but definintely not the flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Dh got the shot and has not gotten sick. I did not get the shot and have not gotten sick. All three kids got it and two of them had aches and cranky pants for a day and a half; no vomitting, low fever. So we've had mixed results in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Dh got the shot and has not gotten sick. I did not get the shot and have not gotten sick. All three kids got it and two of them had aches and cranky pants for a day and a half; no vomitting, low fever. So we've had mixed results in our house. Very similar in our house. Both my kids came down with this same short, flu-like virus. DS3 had a flu shot - shorter fever, but runny nose after. DS4 did not have a flu shot - longer fever, but nothing afterward. I had a flu shot, DH did not, and neither of us have been ill. No one has had the nasty week-long virus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 We all got the vax and none of us have come down with flu... yet. One kid had a cold a few weeks ago. Now that I've said something, watch out, we'll all get sick tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 We all get the vaccine, none of us have had the flu. I’m exposed constantly at work. We are seeing a lot of it here, one day I had 10 people test positive in an afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caitilin Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 No vax, no flu yet (knock wood), 8 people.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Yes, I vax since I work around sick people. And so far, no flu even though I've been exposed to it this year over 50 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I had the flu in 1995, and it was horrible. I have had the flu vaccine every year since then and have not had the flu. Dh and ds(9) get the vaccine every year and neither have ever had the flu. Dd(7), however, has always had the vaccine, but has still had the flu 3 times (confirmed by testing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 No vax, no flu. Six people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookspr Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 My daughter had the flu shot and got influenza A two weeks before Christmas. She woke up on the second day with a 104.4 fever (she is 12) so we took her into the doctor that morning and she tested positive for the A strain. They prescribed Tamiflu, and within 12 hours the fever was gone and she felt so much better. Within 24 hours she just had a cough but no other symptoms. I'm not one to take drugs for headaches or colds, but Tamiflu really worked and I would not hesitate to take it instead of trying to deal with the high fever and hopefully the flu not turning into something more serious. You have to get to the doc within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, though, for Tamiflu to be effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 The flu is rampant here. No one in my house got the flu but we were all vaccinated in the early fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer67 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 All 5 of us got vaccinated in October. My husband and children got the flu a few days before Christmas. I got sick too but not nearly as bad as them. I think that was because I had been eating about 10 oranges, madarines & tangelos a day. My in-laws have a small citrus orchard and I was eating a lot of various oranges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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