Flu shot & COVID vaccine, who is getting it or not?

**bjl584** · 09-11-2020, 02:43 AM

I'll be getting my flu shot in the next couple of weeks
I don't think that they are going to have a vaccine for Covid this year.
I'd actually like to get tested for antibodies.
I think that I may have had Covid last January and was asymptomatic

**rennigade** · 09-11-2020, 02:53 AM

I wont get the covid vaccine, nor will most of us be able to anyway. First round will go to first responders/doctors/nurses/etc...or high risk folks.

Flu shot...ill probably get it again. I received it the last 3 years

**QuarterMillionMan** · 09-11-2020, 03:23 AM

Originally posted by rennigade View Post

I wont get the covid vaccine, nor will most of us be able to anyway. First round will go to first responders/doctors/nurses/etc...or high risk folks.

Flu shot...ill probably get it again. I received it the last 3 years

Good point! First responders takes precedence over Jane or John Doe.

**kork13** · 09-11-2020, 04:06 AM

It's never a choice for me as a military member -- any vaccines they tell me to get, I have to get. Fly every year, and if they prioritize national security folks in with nurses/docs (I saw that somewhere), I could be one of the early one to get it.

But, there's no reason I wouldn't get them regardless, and my family always gets the normal vaccines as well.

**Like2Plan** · 09-11-2020, 04:38 AM

I always get the flu shot. My Dr's office didn't have it when I went in for a physical a couple of weeks ago, so I will either go back or get it from a local pharmacy when I notice they have it. (Last year, I got the 2 Shingrix shots- to prevent shingles--it is a new, improved vaccine from what was previously available.) So, when the Covid vaccine comes out, I will follow guidance from Dr. Fauci/etc.

**myrdale** · 09-11-2020, 05:47 AM

On their show Bull****, Penn and Teller had one episode that did an excellent job dismissing the risk associated with vaccines as compared to the consequences of not taking them.

Personally I plan on getting the vaccine as soon as it is readily available. I am not so much concerned about protection from this strand, but from future strands several years down the line.

I think alot of peoples concerns about vaccines in general come out of ignorance.

First, you can't get sick from a vaccine. You will not catch the flu from it. Second, it takes some time for your immune system to process the vaccine. 6 - 8 weeks? If you're exposed in that time you could still catch it. Third, vaccines are not necessarily 100% effective. 85% maybe? Fourth, vaccines are only going to work against the strains they are made for. If they produce a vaccine for A, but the actual virus is B, it probably isnt going to help as much. Lastly, not all vaccines last forever.

**disneysteve** · 09-11-2020, 06:17 AM

Everybody - EVERY SINGLE PERSON 6 MONTHS AND OLDER (unless you have a legit medical exemption) - should absolutely get a flu shot every year. This year it is far more critical than ever due to the dual presence of flu and Covid. I haven't gotten mine yet as we're awaiting our supply but if it doesn't come in the next week or two, I'll just go over to CVS and get it there. We are required to be vaccinated at my job. In fact, they don't even allow religious exemptions (which are crap). If you have any patient contact at all you must have a flu vaccine.

I don't expect a Covid vaccine until early 2021 at best. When it is released, assuming the scientific community feels it is safe and effective, I'll certainly get one.

**ua_guy** · 09-11-2020, 06:19 AM

I will get the flu shot, have been getting it yearly for a long time. Company provides it for free. They are urging people to get it before Thanksgiving, which for America tends to be the next big social gathering event. Seemingly smart advice.

Covid vaccine...yes, when it is available.

I'm tired of the rhetoric and conspiracies. I take vaccines to preserve my lot in life. It's worked well for almost 4 decades now. That's my answer.

**disneysteve** · 09-11-2020, 06:26 AM

Originally posted by myrdale View Post

First, you can't get sick from a vaccine. You will not catch the flu from it. Second, it takes some time for your immune system to process the vaccine. 6 - 8 weeks? If you're exposed in that time you could still catch it. Third, vaccines are not necessarily 100% effective. 85% maybe? Fourth, vaccines are only going to work against the strains they are made for. If they produce a vaccine for A, but the actual virus is B, it probably isnt going to help as much. Lastly, not all vaccines last forever.

A few comments and clarifications:

1. You can absolutely get sick from a vaccine. Yes, it is impossible to catch the flu from the flu vaccine but you can get ill or have anything ranging from a mild to a more serious vaccine reaction. Vaccines aren't without risk, just like every other medical treatment. However, that risk should not deter you from getting vaccinated.

2. It takes about 2 weeks for the immune response to occur after vaccination.

3. The efficacy of a vaccine varies and is partially user-dependent: how strong is your own immune system? If you are elderly, you are less likely to get a strong immune response. If you are immunocompromised for any reason, your response may be less robust. Of course, that's why those two populations are high on the list of those who should be vaccinated - any protection is better than none. It's also why herd immunity is so vital. The more people who are vaccinated, the less likely those compromised individuals are to come in contact with a sick person.

4. There can be some cross reactivity with vaccines, so the vaccine may not only protect you from one strain, or even one disease. There's been some evidence with Covid that people who previously had other vaccines may be showing some immunity to Covid. With some vaccines like chicken pox or shingles or flu, we typically find that people who still contract the disease tend to get more mild cases than those who were not vaccinated.

5. You're absolutely right that the immunity granted by some vaccines doesn't last forever. That's why the recommendation for the tetanus vaccine, for example, is to get one every 10 years. There are other vaccines that had booster doses added years after they were introduced once long term data became available and we saw immunity levels waning.

GET YOUR FLU SHOT!

When the Covid vaccine hits the market and is available, get that too!

**disneysteve** · 09-11-2020, 06:29 AM

Originally posted by bjl584 View Post

I'd actually like to get tested for antibodies.
I think that I may have had Covid last January and was asymptomatic

Even if you had Covid (confirmed or not), you will still need to get the Covid vaccine. The immunity we are seeing in recovered patients is low level and not necessarily long lasting, maybe 3-6 months or so. Obviously, we don't have long term data yet. But the immunity from the vaccine will be much more robust and, hopefully, much longer lasting.

**cypher1** · 09-11-2020, 06:41 AM

Flu shot yes, Covid vaccine no. Once the vaccine is available, if I had my way I'd let the first responders, elderly and those with preexisting health conditions as priority to receive. Or let the politicians and professional athletes be the guinea pigs for first wave vaccine, since they'll probably end up getting first anyways.

**disneysteve** · 09-11-2020, 06:42 AM

Originally posted by cypher1 View Post

Covid vaccine no. Once the vaccine is available, if I had my way I'd let the first responders, elderly and those with preexisting health conditions as priority to receive.

That's very likely what will occur. I've already heard talk of that being the case until the supply ramps up to be sufficient to vaccinate the general population.

**bjl584** · 09-11-2020, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

Even if you had Covid (confirmed or not), you will still need to get the Covid vaccine. The immunity we are seeing in recovered patients is low level and not necessarily long lasting, maybe 3-6 months or so. Obviously, we don't have long term data yet. But the immunity from the vaccine will be much more robust and, hopefully, much longer lasting.

I don't want tested so I can avoid the vaccine.
I was hoping to donate plasma

**LivingAlmostLarge** · 09-11-2020, 09:58 AM

we got flu shots on Tuesday this week our family. No to covid vaccine. I'm a huge proponent on vaccines and have worked in vaccine development before. I am not convinced that this rapid development has been thoroughly vetted nor am I willing to risk myself or my kids. I feel like instead we have political pressure to get a vaccine. So no way and no how are we going to go get it first round and I'm going to wait and see the data and I'd prefer europe or canada to get a vaccine. I don't trust the US government right now. I feel like the FDA is going to approve everything Oct 22 and they are scaling up for vaccine that might be terrible. Good business decision bad medical one.

But I'm not an anti-vaxxer by a long shot.

Flu shot & COVID vaccine, who is getting it or not?