Are we being infected with the flu?

Every year the government in the USA tells us we should get a flu shot. They even give them out to anyone for free. That is very good but what I do not understand is how do they know which strain of flu is going to infect the entire population months before it happens. There are thousands of types of flu viruses and some even mutate over time. So how is it the government knows the exact type of flu that is going to spread unless they spread it themselves months after they inoculate those who want to be inoculated?

Just curious.:shrug:

 

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That's why I haven't received a flu shot in years, nor will I ever receive one again. The whole concept is bullshit, and I've seen its adverse effects first-hand.


Kadark

 

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But is the government actually the ones spreading the flu?

 

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They don't know! Don't you remember just a few, couple, of years ago when they produced the wrong vaccine because they "thought" it would be a different flu?

If you want to know how they do it, it's this way ...and it's a very top secret scientific method ...they guess!

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Baron Max

 

cosmic its a guess, epidemology predicts the most likly strain as flu season begins and produces a vacine to that but in the end they could be way off the mark. However it can also be that they get it right but a second strain comes up to take its place
Nothing is perfect but a guess is better than no protection

 

No.

The vaccine offers pretty good protection against a few selected strains of the influenza virus, somewhat good protection against strains closely related to the selected strains, and only marginal protection against more-or-less unrelated strains.

The government (actually, the World Health Organization) guesses which strains of flu will become virulent well in advance of the next flu season. How far in advance? The drug manufacturers need a six month or so lead time to produce the vaccine.

While the guess is based on a lot of studies, field surveys, and the like, it is still a guess. The influenza virus has a shoddy copy mechanism, making it evolve quickly. Usually it takes a year or more for a new strain to become widespread, but sometimes new strains take hold within one season. The shot doesn't do much good if this happens, or if the researches simply guessed wrong on which existing strains would become widespread. Last year was a double whammy: The WHO guessed wrong about the existing strains and a new strain popped up mideason.

 

So then getting a flu vaccination is a 50/50 proposition at best.

 

I've heard of people getting the shot and then getting sick anyway. I got the flu a few months ago and I felt like I was dying, but I didn't so I don't get vaccines. But I guess if you aren't very healthy or a new super-flu evolves it could very well kill you. I guess getting the shot wouldn't really do any harm would it?

 

As others have said, it's a guess. They use computer models and population genetics to simulate what strain is most likely to spread.

How selfish of you. You could end up being the vector of a strain that, while only a mild inconvenience to you, kills someones elderly mother, grandfather, or child.

No.
Though we do get infected with it by inoculation

Just because you lack the ability to understand their models doesn't make it a secret.

Maybe. That's a made up number there. You probably meant to say "so it's a gamble with a more than insignificant risk". The answer to that, of course, is yes.

I'd say for an old geezer like you, it's definitely worth the small amount of risk of adverse effects from an inoculation than not getting one.

The shot not only protects you, but protects other people. Tons of old people and the infirm and the young die every year from influenza, due to exposure to those that just get sick.

 

Which is why young children, people with asthma and the elderly should get the shot. Doctors won't even give me a shot, they say it would be a waste when it could be used on someone who really needs it. And I'm not going to force them to give me a vaccine I don't need, when someone more at risk can have it.

 

Roman thats exactly why so many ambos and other health care workers get it. Its an inconveniance to a young healthy ambo but if infected they could end up killing someone

 

I've only had a flu shot twice and both times I got the shots, I got the flu!:shrug: So today I have not taken a flu shot for over 10 years now and as yet have not contracted the flu.

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cosmic, my grandparents have both had the flu shot religiously and as far as i know nither of them have ever gotten sick from it. Its not a huge risk mate

 

I understand but in my eyes I've tried it and it didn't work for me, that doesn't mean it won't work for others, just not for me. I also wanted to say that in the ten years that I have not taken a flu shot many of the people that I knew who did....got the flu anyway!

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As i said, its a best guess as to which strain will come but i have to tell you, i would rather have an adverse reaction to a flu shot than get bird flu and im YOUNG (and in health so probably one of the second to die as well if it becomes pandemic

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)

 

Again , thank you for voicing your concern, that is appreciated but I will either get the flu or I won't..... without the shot. :itold:

 

But let me say again that the flu has to start from somewhere, right, so who is the person or agency in volved with spreading the flu ??

 

actually i herd a theory that virus's like the pandemic flu could have drifted in from space concidering they strike fast and generally with no warning and burn out just as quickly

apart from that there is mutation, species jumping ect which could be responcable. I HIGHLY doubt there are any morons in labs somewhere breeding up these diseases

 

The "person or agency" spreading it are international travelers. The VAST majority of flu comes directly from Asia.

And to add a little more intelligence and fact to this discussion, consider the following:

It's MUCH, MUCH more than just a guess or computer modeling. The WHO and the U.S. CDC spends millions each and every year trudging across much of Asia, gathering statistics and taking and analyzing blood samples. It has LONG been known to science that flu originates primarily from the practice of keeping swine and poultry together on farms and allowing them to co-mingle. And that practice is very common throughout most of Asia.

Those scientists work hard to identify the one or two strongest types most likely to spread next season and provide virus samples to all the various drug makers who produce the vaccine.

 

That's pure, unadultrated nonsense, Asguard!

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We have known for a LONG time where the flu originates. Read my post just prior to this one.