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

[~bs]

Soap and water is probably best.

I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in my truck for times that I don't have access to a sink.
(after pumping gas at the gas station for instance)

Many scientists have said repeatedly that soap and water used correctly is better. Some people might not believe them, but I do. Hand sanitizer is better than nothing though, that's for sure!

[AJSimon]

I'm getting the Covid vaccine as soon as it's available. I'm hoping it's before Christmas, since I'm visiting my mother, who's 73 with asthma and a heart condition, and so probably wouldn't survive a bout with it. I doubt it'll be available by then, though.

I've never gotten a flu vaccine. No principled reason - I'm just lazy. But I probably should, just to be on the safe side.

[disneysteve]

But I will say that the somewhat ironic thing is that with all the disinfecting, social distancing, mask wearing, etc, it'll likely cause the flu season to be very mild this year, and cause flu deaths to plummet.

It makes me wonder if many of the precautions we're currently taking with covid should be standard practice.

I've been saying this for weeks. If people continue to wear masks, avoid large gatherings, and clean their hands regularly, overall illness will be greatly reduced. There's a reason why urgent care has been dead since March. Virtually no ear infections, strep throat, sinus infections, bronchitis, or pneumonia for the past 6 months. Those are all illnesses that are transmitted through respiratory droplets. And hopefully, it will continue right through flu season. And just maybe, people will get the hint that those masks aren't so bad after all and wearing them will be normalized going forward, at least during flu season.

[Captain Save]

I don't know when it happened but we've become a nation of people who think their personal opinion carries more weight than scientific evidence and proven facts. It's really sad. It's a big reason why the US is in the position it is now with COVID, as well as plenty of other issues.

I think what people call "facts" is the real problem ... the fact is the data... 2 "experts" can look at the data on the same study and have 2 different conclusion. The problem is that people think that the conclusion is the "fact" .. the data is. and at the end of the day .. .no study can account for all variables.

When it comes to personal each individual should make their own decision and be accountable for it. They can use the data to for themselves. It's great to seek council from experts in the field because a lot of these things may go over your head but at the end of the day, you have the responsibility to take care of your own health, body, education, future etc...

[Snicks]

Absolutely. I don't think Trump understands that the more he pushes for a vaccine before election day, the more he makes intelligent people afraid to get it. I hope that none of the pharma companies would actually bring out an untested vaccine just to placate him but at this point, anything is possible.

Why would an "intelligent" person be afraid to get a vaccine that Trump "pushes"? He doesn't test, approve or make vaccines. Sorry that just sounds silly.

[disneysteve]

Why would an "intelligent" person be afraid to get a vaccine that Trump "pushes"? He doesn't test, approve or make vaccines. Sorry that just sounds silly.

And then there’s https://www.biospace.com/article/tru...cine-guidance/

[QuarterMillionMan]

I got a record of my flu shot from my insurance company. What does the 3 years mean? Does it mean the protection last for 3 years?

[disneysteve]

I got a record of my flu shot from my insurance company. What does the 3 years mean? Does it mean the protection last for 3 years?

It definitely doesn’t last 3 years. You need a new flu shot every year. I’m not quite sure what the 3 means on that statement.

[ua_guy]

It definitely doesn’t last 3 years. You need a new flu shot every year. I’m not quite sure what the 3 means on that statement.

Could it be for ages 3 and up?

[cypher1]

Could it be for ages 3 and up?

I just did a quick google search and came up with that as well. For quadrivalent vaccine approved for 3years old and above, per https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/quadrivalent.htm

[MooseBucks]

No and no

[~bs]

And then there’s https://www.biospace.com/article/tru...cine-guidance/

People tend to get worked up about random things that trump says, but many times, what he says isn't reality. I dont wan to take the vaccine initially mostly because of how new it is, myself being non-high risk, and others needing the vaccine more (limited supply). I could care less what trump pushes or not.

In reality, other countries are approving and manufacturing vaccines as they see fit. Russia and china are already innoculating their populations with experimental vaccines. The US wants to do more thorough testing before releasing, which is generally GOOD and their prerogative, but there are obvious drawbacks behind delaying a vaccine if it is effective and has low side effects. Personally, I would would not be opposed to letting high risk individuals make their own decision on whether or not to take one of these stage 3 vaccines. If people encounter complications out of the norm, then the treatment can be halted. I think it's weird that the FDA is allowing emergency use of unproven hydroxychloroquine (and arguably ineffective) treatment and not an experimental vaccine that is shown to promote strong immune response and low side effects in trials. But hey, I'm not a doctor or researcher or government agency worker.

[disneysteve]

I think it's weird that the FDA is allowing emergency use of unproven hydroxychloroquine (and arguably ineffective) treatment

The FDA revoked the EUA for hydroxycholoroquine over 3 months ago (June 15). It doesn't work and has serious potential side effects.

[Like2Plan]

Personally, I would would not be opposed to letting high risk individuals make their own decision on whether or not to take one of these stage 3 vaccines. If people encounter complications out of the norm, then the treatment can be halted. I think it's weird that the FDA is allowing emergency use of unproven hydroxychloroquine (and arguably ineffective) treatment and not an experimental vaccine that is shown to promote strong immune response and low side effects in trials. But hey, I'm not a doctor or researcher or government agency worker.

hydroxychloroquine has a long standing record of known side effects since it was used as an antimalarial drug for many years. I don't think it is anything to take lightly, either because in some people there are significant heart related side effects--which is why it was recommended to only take under a Drs strict supervision. I read the protocol at one of the Seattle hospitals where they were using it they first took a base line EKG and then another after treatment was started to make sure it wasn't doing more harm than good. https://www.advisory.com/daily-brief...27/coronavirus
(And, as it turned out it was doing more harm than good. )

On the vaccine side of things--vaccine can cause significant side effects. When they did the swine flu vaccine back in 1976, there was a higher than normal number of Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases. they stopped the vaccination program after 25% of the population was vaccinated. They don't know for sure what caused this, but one possible explanation (from the Discover Magazine link below):

"Due to the urgency of creating new immunizations for a novel virus, the government used an attenuated “live virus” for the vaccine instead of a inactivated or “killed” form, increasing the probability of adverse side effects among susceptible groups of people receiving the vaccination."
https://www.discovermagazine.com/hea...e-flu-outbreak

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...sco-180961994/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_swine_flu_outbreak

I don't know much about the coronavirus vaccine, yet. I believe if the process is allowed to follow its normal course of development that it will be reasonably safe--as safe as that flu shot I take every year. One of the things they are testing in these trials in addition to efficacy is safety. ( I'm not sure there is a short cut for that.) But, I trust Dr. Fauci. I will wait to see what guidance he gives.

[~bs]

hydroxychloroquine has a long standing record of known side effects since it was used as an antimalarial drug for many years. I don't think it is anything to take lightly, either because in some people there are significant heart related side effects--which is why it was recommended to only take under a Drs strict supervision. I read the protocol at one of the Seattle hospitals where they were using it they first took a base line EKG and then another after treatment was started to make sure it wasn't doing more harm than good. https://www.advisory.com/daily-brief...27/coronavirus
(And, as it turned out it was doing more harm than good. )

On the vaccine side of things--vaccine can cause significant side effects. When they did the swine flu vaccine back in 1976, there was a higher than normal number of Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases. they stopped the vaccination program after 25% of the population was vaccinated. They don't know for sure what caused this, but one possible explanation (from the Discover Magazine link below):

"Due to the urgency of creating new immunizations for a novel virus, the government used an attenuated “live virus” for the vaccine instead of a inactivated or “killed” form, increasing the probability of adverse side effects among susceptible groups of people receiving the vaccination."
https://www.discovermagazine.com/hea...e-flu-outbreak

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...sco-180961994/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_swine_flu_outbreak

I don't know much about the coronavirus vaccine, yet. I believe if the process is allowed to follow its normal course of development that it will be reasonably safe--as safe as that flu shot I take every year. One of the things they are testing in these trials in addition to efficacy is safety. ( I'm not sure there is a short cut for that.) But, I trust Dr. Fauci. I will wait to see what guidance he gives.

Good points! And it is encouraging that so many companies have trial vaccines in the works, so it seems like a matter of when, not if it's released to the general public. Shows what can be accomplished when the world's best minds and countries tackle a problem!