According to Google, Seattle is experiencing the most intense flu season since 2009-2010’s freakishly early fall peak. Forget AIDS, Mars Hill — save Capitol Hill from the flu.
Fortunately, if you are not already sick, you might have time to do something about it. For those well-insured or with $30 to burn, this “vaccine finder” reports nine options across Capitol Hill and First Hill where you can get poked or sprayed to fend off the main strains predicted to make us sick this year. Meanwhile, King County is providing access to free flu clinics. By the way, if you have stopped by a local provider for your vaccine, let us know how it went in comments.
You can also help by staying the hell home if you do get sick. Fortunately, Seattle’s new paid sick leave law went into effect last fall.
Got up my nose at Group Health a few months ago (have been getting flu shot each year for 3 years now). No bid deal. No side effects. Got the flu about a month ago anyway. However, it was nowhere near as intense as some friends of my friend’s flu experience. Quite mild, actually. Bottom line for me? Totally worth it.
Some research that shows annual flu shots decreasing natural immunity: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22643217/
Direct quote from an insert of one flu vaccine (read the fine print, folks): “There have been no controlled trials adequately demonstrating a decrease in influenza disease after vaccination with FLULAVAL.”
Also, consider: The CDC is reporting that the current seasonal influenza vaccine is effective in 62% of patients to prevent flu. This means that 38% of Americans who get the vaccine still contract influenza. But the CDC isn’t reporting the some 30% of adverse reactions to the vaccine – 6% of which are far more serious than the flu itself. The 2011 CDC’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System website reported 51 deaths caused by the flu vaccines, along with 232 life threatening events, 116 permanent disabilities, 739 hospitalizations, 109 prolonged hospitalizations, 4,039 ER visits, and 6,221 “not serious” reports. According to the NVIC – fewer than 1% of all adverse vaccine reactions are ever reported.
What happened to increasing natural anti-virals (like garlic, oregano, ginger… things you can enjoy by eating, instead of by way of injection) and taking care of yourself during flu season? Another important note: those under chiropractic care consistently show a greater immune response than their non-adjusted counterparts. Old article, but worth the read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mj-wegmann/3-sure-fire-stra.
Using your own figures-
For every 100 people who get the vaccine:
62% = 62 people it will be effective
38% = 38 people will get the flu anyway
30% = 30 will get a side effect
6% of 30 = 1.8 will get a side effect worse than flu
So of every 100 people, 1.8 will be worse off than if they didn’t get the vaccine, whereas 62 will not get the flu at all (but presumably would have). And 100-1.8 = 98.2 people will be either better off or at least no worse off.
So the odds are:
** 98.2/1.8 = 54 times better you’ll be at least none the worse off
** 62/1.8 = 34 times better it will work, than that you’ll be worse off.
Sounds like a pretty compelling case to get the vaccine, doesn’t it?
You just want more business for your witch doctor chiropractic work…
And the rate of side effects is VASTLY overestimated by CHS Chiro, based upon both my own personal experience and all published data.
The Country Doctor is also providing flu shots.
Got my flu shot at Walgreens a 3 or 4 months ago.
Despite having the entire world sick around me and working in a bar on the hill on Friday and Saturday nights, I still haven’t gotten sick,….and I see a lot of people on a daily basis.
People who avoid flu shots out of some bizarre superstition are as ignorant of the relevant statistics as those who buy lottery tickets.