Is it worth getting a flu shot? And how can you better protect

Dont rub your eyes. The eyes are the biggest entry point for infection.

The flu this season is mild, but lasts long and is very infectious. Its worth getting a shot if you havent already.

Over here in europe only old/sick people get flu shot.

>>7655158
>Is it worth getting a flu shot?

Yes.

>And how can you better protect yourself against a flu?

See above.

Doesn't a flu vaccine initially weaken your immune system?

>>7655158
The only time I've ever experienced flu symptoms, was after having a flu shot.

My opinion of them wasn't very high to begin with. After my field trial with a sample size of 1, I lean towards that they either have some utility for a segment of the population I'm not aware of, or they're some kind of scam. They're advertised and pushed awfully hard, and given out for free! Gosh, how thoughtful. First they look out for my teeth, and now they keep me safe from the flu. Glad I could contribute to herd immunity or something...

There's also the possibility that it's just one of many pointless things we're in the habit of doing, and just haven't stopped pretending yet.

Get your immune system to recognize all the pathogens and don't worry about a thing ever again.

Get the shot, even if you are young and healthy, for the sake of those who are not.

>>7655176
No, this is false.

>>7655180
>they either have some utility for a segment of the population I'm not aware of
Yes, people who would die if they got a serious flu. See >>7655166

>>7655185
>this
>collectivism best ivism

>>7655180
You probably already had the flu, it had nothing to do with the shot.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/10-flu-myths

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Never got a flu shot. I've just kept away from sick people and crowds in general. Last flu I got was in 2012 after going to a con in a major city. Future cons I've brought hand sanatizer and washed a bunch, no problems.

>>7655194
I don't buy it. I'd never had the flu before, nor have I ever had it after. And yet a mere day and a half afterward, I end up with flu symptoms.

The likelihood of another source mimicking flu symptoms is fairly low, but can't be meaningfully assessed either. The likelihood I had the flu anyway is also very low. I don't live in a city, and the symptoms passed too quickly.

I don't know how they're made. I don't know what's in them. A lot of them still use thimerosal, and my faith in other humans beings is very low. All weighed together, I'm thoroughly unconvinced. Sorry Harvard, your attempt to dispel myths has been found wanting.

>>7655176

No youre just injecting some form of attenuated virus into your body and if your immune system sucks youre gonna get sick from it

>>7655221
>I don't buy it. I'd never had the flu before, nor have I ever had it after. And yet a mere day and a half afterward, I end up with flu symptoms.

It's actually a listed and common side effect that you get flu-like symptom after the vaccine. The vaccine after all contains flu-like antigens and will trigger your immune system. But these should be transient and hopefully as a tradeoff you won't get the real deal.

Vaccination is a form of immunotherapy, it mobilizes your immune system to intensively start antibody production. Your immune system is also a extremely potent collection of weaponized cells and their associated products and can easily kill you in a very short time; a lot of the symptoms of disease is actually caused by your immune system "blowing shit up" and not by the infectious organisms themself, if your immune system fails to recognize a pathogen you're going to have quite minor symptoms for a short while before you face circulatory collapse and die in a rather silent and calm manner.

So would you rather have mild flu-like symptoms that pass quickly or worse that lasts a long time?

>>7655158
He's getting a tattoo you morans

>>7655267
This. It's not uncommon to see a flu-like reaction that lasts a day or less.

If there was a vaccine that prevented your child from getting autism, do you think people would prevent their kids from getting it for fear of vaccines that cause autism?

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Herd immunity, said the shepherd, but fails to tell you how many infections come from vaccine strains, not wild strains, and how often they only affect the vaccinated. They want a needle in everybody because a compromised immune system promises big business.

Publishing package inserts is illegal because copyright.

>>7655185
>giving a shit about randoms who dont give a shit about you.

>>7655158
Not for me, because I tend to faint like a little bitch when I get needled and I'd rather not do that. You might want to go for it though.

>>7655194
no, people have reactions to vaccines. It doesn't mean they're bad, but in the case with the flu if you know you usually have reactions, it's sometimes favorable to risk having a chance at the flu, than a 100% chance of some mild flu symptoms. it's why i didn't get the H1N1 shot, because nobody around me had H1N1, and the meningitis vaccine made me feel like absolute death for a week.

>>7655158

It's a free country where flu shots are concerned. I missed one or two some years ago, but now I get them regularly of my own accord. Unscientific, but I haven't had any flu that I"m aware of in the past several years (a few colds, though).

I actually felt noticeably "stiff" all-over following this year's shot, and the site of injection ached quite a bit longer (a little over a day, I'm usually over any ache within an hour or two).

I'm always curious about the batch after I've had it. The nurse confirmed that I was "quadrivalent" this year, while the batch given to the more vulnerable (very young/old) is "trivalent". I think a previous shot was trivalent - this jargon refers to the number of families of flu virus against which the vaccine is expected to offer protection.

I've been meaning to do a little reading on the history of the flu shot, specifically. I've heard it reported that they just kinda roll the dice from year to year, depending on what the data is doing.

>>7655329
Don't vaccine your kids then. They'll die and you can thank Darwin. Faggot.

>aspiring pharmacist
>taking immunology this semester
>still have never gotten a flu shot

Not because I don't believe in it - I know the history of the vaccine, how it's made, pretty much everything the anti-vaxxers don't. I just never get around to it and luckily never have gotten it. I'm waiting until thanksgiving break so if I do have a reaction I won't miss any exams.

>>7655737
>kinda roll the dice
Pretty much. They go off of the data from the previous year and estimate how active that strain will be the next year. That's a reason why the healthy people are getting the quadrivalent so there's even more protection.

After falling victim to the flu last year i definitely am getting the flu shot. Probably this Saturday.

Holy shit was it fucking miserable. Nonstop coughing. i lost some gains due to being bed ridden and the lack of appetite. Missed classes which caused me to lose an A in chem. I would go to bed freezing cold and somehow wake up drenched in sweat. To combat the chills i would sit under a shower for an hour multiple times a day. Never again.

It's only worth it if you're in a high risk group i.e if you're too old/young and/or if you have pulmonar disease or a weakened immune system.

>>7655158
If you don't really go out often or have limited contact with people then you may be safe. Just practice good hygiene like washing your hands often. Don't get it if you're neet masterrace.

If you're in school then yes. I highly recommend it

I found taking zinc 50mg a day boosted my immunity. I remember planning for a trip to travel around South America with two of my companions. Neither of them took any zinc but I took it daily 2 weeks prior and continued to do so during our trip. 3 days in, they started to get diarrhea and express symptoms of a stomach flu. I on the other hand just had a slime stool than normal and felt a minor fever.

That was way back then but every now and then when I remember I will pop a zinc pill

>>7655176
Don't listen to those other guys, while it doesn't weaken your immune system in any easily measurable way, you do have to dedicate a very small portion of your white cell population and energy to create the plasma cells necessary for immunity.

So yes, a teeny, tiny bit.

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>Dress warm

I've heard that getting the flu can actually be healthy since the virus targets your weak cells. Is it true?

>>7655267
>So would you rather have mild flu-like symptoms that pass quickly or worse that lasts a long time?
Considering that in 25 years I've never had the flu, and am not around many people, I'm inclined to choose neither.

Seems like pretty solid risk assessment.

never got it. ain't been sick in 6 years at least. i use public transport all the time, but never public keyboards