This year's flu

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
According to the Centers for Disease Control, this year's flu vaccine is only 33% effective. They missed the main strain causing influenza this year. Not only that, the strain they missed is a nasty one.

My BFFs are celebrating their new lives as newlyweds (they've been partners for 32 years) by sharing the miseries of being down with the flu).

Mum, who has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lands in the hospital with the common cold, is freaking out. Me? I'm taking the usual precautions and keeping my fingers crossed. I haven't had the flu in years, but when I do get it, I invariably at least get bronchitis that takes weeks to clear up, if not pneumonia.

Please follow the CDC recommendations for sanitation, hand-washing, avoiding crowds as much as possible, etc., and try to stay well, folks. They are already closing schools in some areas due to high absenteeism rates.

High risk groups are children, those with suppressed immune systems, those with chronic illnesses, including diabetes (oh joy), those with respiratory diseases, and the elderly.

The flu is already widespread throughout much of the country with the peak expected in February.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
LDM, that's right. They screwed up this year! From 5% to 20% of the population is expected to get the flu this year and according to the CDC it is already widespread in much of the US.

So far, they are not closing schools in my town, but are in many areas in the US. I rec'd a letter in the mail from my local hospital asking patients to NOT go to the ER with the flu unless suffering from a list of symptoms including high fever, difficulty breathing, etc, or if suffering from a list of concurrent illnesses,

They are also saying they are anticipating a shortage of Tamiflu in some areas.

I know in my case that if I get the bronchitis, it is bacterial and needs antibiotics, and I need inhalers and such for the difficulty breathing and codeine cough syrup so I can sleep. Other than that, it's just a case of getting over it, which takes time.

My way of differentiating between a bad cold and the flu is body aches, high fever, and chest symptoms.
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I went ahead and got the flu shot anyway, since I'm a substitute teacher and get many different strains of colds/flu/etc. breathed on me. I'm just crossing my fingers.
 

runawaybunny

Administrator
Staff member
I got the flu last year and was miserable unable to do much out of bed because of a fever that lasted for over 2 weeks.

Because of that experience when my doctor asked if I wanted a flu shot at my last appointment I said yes and got my first ever flu shot this year.

No reactions to the flu shot. No problems. Then I read they predicted this year's flu shot wrong. Of course...
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I got my flu shot in early October on a routine doctor's visit, just like every year. it was before they knew the virus had mutated this year. All I can do is practice good hygiene and hope for the best.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Well, great...jeesh. I got my flu shot but now I hear it's pretty useless.

Ok, knocking on wood here and crossing my fingers, eyes and toes...I haven't had the flu since I was in my early 20's. It is so rare, I remember having it. So...can maybe we go one more year without it????

Bah...sometimes I wonder if they know what they are doing.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
What happened with this year's vaccine was that the main virus in the vaccine mutated after the vaccine was developed. It takes several months to develop,test, and manufacture the vaccine.

There is no way that they can get a new vaccine ready in time. All we can do is practice good safety measures. The biggest one of all is to not touch our faces when/after being out and around.

The two methods of transmission are breathing in the virus when someone coughs or sneezes near you and touching one's eyes, nose, or mouth after touching a surface that an infected person has recently touched.

We obviously can't avoid the first method, but we can avoid the second to a large degree.

Though I hate the stuff with a passion because it tears up my skin, I am carrying a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me, and using it. I am sanitizing shopping carts before use.

I am doing my errands as early as I can to avoid crowded stores and lessen the chances of getting coughed or sneezed on. I am avoiding places where children gather.

Healthiest regards to everyone.

toK
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Yeah, and studies have shown that it's not what kind of soap you use, or even IF you use soap, so much as it s the mechanical action of washing that flushes the bacteria and viruses from the skin.

The antiseptic soaps are actually bad for you and lead to resistant bacteria and viruses. I just use regular soap and water.

This year is the first year I've had a couple of colds in ages, and they were mild.
 

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I was getting frequent bad sinus infections last year. I had nine in a 12 month period. Had bronchitis twice. They occurred primarily when we travelled to visit our grandson, who happens to live in an area where there are more allergens AND we also tended to do more shopping when we visited...Walmart and that sort of thing.

Well, I totally changed things. I started washing my hands carefully and VERY often...several times a day and always before eating and after being with our grandson. I use the wet ones wipes on shopping carts and then use one to clean my hands after shopping. We bought a really good air purifier for where we stay. I always take vitamins, but now have added lots of vitamin C when we travel and if I don't feel well or if our grandson is sick, I take zinc and an Indian based medication called Umka (plus the extra Vit. C and my usual vitamins). If my nose is stuffy, I use the Neil medication wash.

Knock on wood and crossing myself, I only got one minor sinus infection for the last many, many months (probably close to a year now) and that was with many more trips to see our grandson than usual. Actually, what happened is my husband had a bad cold that one instance and I let my guard down. I KNOW these things are working.

I have one doctor saying I absolutely should take the flu shot and another saying I absolutely should not. The second doctor is a functional medication doctor worried about the additives to the shot. I have many neuro and autoimmune problems etc. I was having trouble making up my mind, but the lack of efficiency of this year's shot made up my mind for me: no shot for me this year.

Might take it next year but I hope and pray they remove or at least lesson the questionable adjuvants. (Think that's the term) and, of course, I hope and pray next year's shot is much more efficient.
 
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