I went to pick up a prescription today and they asked. I said yes. I usually get one at the grocery store because they give me a gift card that I use for candy. But the drug store was more convenient. Fortunately I have jelly bellies at home.
@RiotDemon@tinamarie1974 I got mine at the beginning of February of this year, because a friend of my mother’s caught a horrible flu and demanded that everyone she knew get the shot. And then this worldwide pandemic started, and it seemed like an even better idea. A lot of places were out, because it was close to the end of the season, so I got it at the grocery store. I’ll probably do it there again for that sweet 10% coupon. Anyway, you were not late. I was late.
I prefer not to risk Guillain-Barre syndrome. So far my hospital allows us to sign a waiver and we can refuse it. I’m a bit concerned they won’t let us do it this year with increased precautions due to Covid-19.
@cinoclav
Your much more likely to get Guillain-Barre syndrome if you come down with the Flu than getting it from the vaccination. Per the CDC:
There have been several studies of the risk of GBS after flu vaccine and CDC monitors for GBS during each flu season. The data on an association between seasonal influenza vaccine and GBS have been variable from season-to-season. When there has been an increased risk, it has consistently been in the range of 1-2 additional GBS cases per million flu vaccine doses administered.
@Nyc_Tattoo@robson Yes, I’ve had the flu vaccine. At one point I didn’t have the option. No, I do not trust the CDC numbers at all when it comes to GBS. I’ve known several people who have had it, including one I worked with who was laid up in a rehab for six months and still has an altered gait thanks to it. I’ve worked in healthcare long enough to know that those numbers don’t seem right. I certainly haven’t spoken to a million people that have had flu shots. The percentage from my experience had been much higher. At my age I’m much more willing to risk the flu than GBS especially with the advantage of a pretty strong immune system, most likely due to my job. When I’m retired and not as strong I’ll reconsider the flu vaccine.
If you aren’t interacting with lots of “spreaders”, aren’t in the under 20 or over 50 age groups, and are going to be social distancing anyway, I don’t think your view is unreasonable.
While NYC noted the CDC says the GBS risk varies from ±2 ppm each flu shot/season, I didn’t catch the base rate, just the deviation. That’s kind of important to leave out if you’re trying to show low risk in quoting CDC numbers, yes?
Me, I don’t trust any of you fuckers not to be spreading flu virus like Corona (living in a red state “hot zone”), so I’m shooting me up some of dat flu vaccine next month. For me, my wife has gotten the flu very late, in March, and since the protection seems to last only about 6 months, getting it later is a better choice for us. Well, earlier now - they keep moving this up like school start days keep moving up to start HS football practices earlier.
If everyone is social distancing and masking, I’m 100% certain that can only help keep flu rates down. However, that’s a huge, I mean yuuuuge, IF.
What will be problematic for the public is to understand that flu rates of spreading are much higher than Corona and folks, being 'Muricans, won’t get that, and think if they didn’t get Corona, they won’t get the flu.
@mike808 Simply put, I work around an awful lot of sick people and I don’t tend to get sick. It’s pretty much an ongoing joke for any of us that work in hospitals that we’ve built up our immune systems due to all the exposure. Just as they say kids that are not normally exposed to germs and viruses tend to have weaker immune systems.
I absolutely agree that numbers should be down due to Covid precautions. Even though there’s still a ton of idiots out there whining about ‘their freedoms being taken away,’ there should be enough to help the situation.
@cinoclav
I totally agree with you. My mom had Gillian barre and until they diagnosed it we thought she was dying. The side effects of the disease are horrible and the treatment is not fun either. My moms also a nurse at a hospital and has never gotten a flu shot bc of it.
These Jackasses on here have no idea what it’s like to actually have it and are only thinking about themselves. They can’t even empathize with your situation, which is horrible. They just wanna throw numbers and data from the CDC at you. I don’t believe in all the CDC data either from my own personal experiences. Anyway just wanted to say good for you for sticking up for what you believe in!
@cinoclav@mike808@Nyc_Tattoo@robson
Unless you’ve ever been diagnosed with Gilian barre or have had an immediate family member who has and been there to witness it you have no room to talk and throw CDC bullshit at someone who has and is thinking about their self and own safety when you can’t even empathize with their situation. Save the CDC lecture for something you actually no what your talking about, please.
@Star2236 I’m sorry your mom went through all that. Don’t be too harsh to the people here. Most just mean well! But thank you. I’m a bit anxious about whether we’ll be forced to get the shot this year. I know the odds of GBS are still low but no odds beat low odds any day in this case.
@cinoclav@Star2236 Get the flu shot, don’t get it, make the decision for yourself. You know your risk tolerance. But I have a problem with publicly accusing the CDC of fraudulent data based on anecdotes. It’s dangerous. That’s what is happening with childhood vacines and autism.
@cinoclav@sammydog01
Sorry I meant no harm against that situation. Totally agree with you there. Having a bad and took it out on the wrong people. Sorry again.
@medz@sammydog01 Depends. Are we doing astronomical fall, meteorological fall, basing it on what the leaves are doing, if the geese have started showing up, or is the Halloween store open yet? The answers by me are: no, no, leaves are changing and falling, saw a bunch of geese today, pretty sure the Halloween store is open. So by a preponderance of the evidence, if it’s not fall it might as well be.
PS The free broadcast movie channel showed a spooky movie last night where Richard Burton was killing people with his mind, that’s another in the “yes” column.
@medz@RiotDemon@sammydog01 Ah, I work next to an empty space which has been a Halloween store for the last three seasons (or four?). I think they opened yesterday, but closed before I got off work? All I know is, the hours are posted on the door and there’s stuff nicely arranged inside, so it’s official. You must have very ambitious Halloween store proprietors!
@medz@mossygreen@RiotDemon My funko pop Halloween countdown calendar came Sunday. It has 13 days and I’m trying to decide if I should do the 13 days right before Halloween or maybe open a couple a week leading up to Halloween and watch the movie that the pop is from. I COULD EVEN START NOW AND WATCH ONE MOVIE A WEEK!
This summer was a disaster. I’m ready to call it fall. I had my first cup of pumpkin spice Starbucks coffee this morning. It was good. I just ordered another case of k-cups.
@medz@RiotDemon@sammydog01 Can you limit yourself to one a week? I was once going to e-mail a friend of mine one sonnet a day from H.P. Lovecraft’s Fungi From Yuggoth, but ended up doing three a day and finishing in a week and a half.
@medz@mossygreen@RiotDemon@sammydog01
Sammydog please start a thread and have it be the Halloween funko of the week. I would find the reveal fun and the thread is likely to prompt all sorts of fun conversation
@medz@sammydog01 I refuse to believe it is fall when the temperatures are still in the 90’s, leaves are green and the autumnal equinox is still over three weeks away.
@medz@mossygreen@RiotDemon@sammydog01
Starbucks already has. I don’t call it fall till the weather cools down, can’t go on the lake anymore (August is still summer and same with the first half of September) Labor Day is a big lake day for us in Michigan. Last week of September (depending on weather) and October is fall here.
I am required to get one every year for my job. I can fill out a waiver explaining why I’m not getting one, but that is discouraged and I want one anyway.
That said, I wait as long as I can and get my shot the last week it is offered at my work. I always feel they offer the shot too early, and it’s been shown to be more effective in first few months after shot.
End of October means I’ll be good when flu at its worst. Vaccination in August just means I’m not well protected in February when it’s raging hardest.
I usually get it mid September using Dads birthday as my reminder . Due to everything this year I thought wise to aim for earlier to help prevent spread.
I refuse. The used to make it with eggs, which I had anaphylactic reactions to… Then they told me it was safe and encouraged me to get it… I did once. Only once, and never again. I was sick for 3 weeks after the shot. then a month later I caught the flu and was sick for 3 weeks again. That one time ruined it forever… Other Vac’s sure… but never again will I get the flu shot… Pisses me off to no end that people push this so hard.
@sohmageek flu doesn’t completely eliminate chance of getting flu. I think it’s 60-70% effective usually.
That said, if you get vaccinated and still catch the flu you’re going to get it a whole less weaker than if you hadn’t been vaccinated. Still worth getting the shot for most people.
And you are the exact reason people on the fence about getting it should get one. Some people (you, my daughter) can’t get vaccinated, so those of us who can should get one. Not just for ourselves but also to protect those who can’t. If we don’t get it, we can’t spread it to you.
@OnionSoup@sohmageek
Yes the flu shot is based on the strongest strain of flu from the year before. That doesn’t mean it can’t mutate or new strains develop that were not vaccinated against. I’ve gotten the flu horribly bad in years I’ve had the shot.
I got mine, Saturday. I try to get it every year. I had the flu in the early 80’s, so bad that I was in bed for a week. Pretty sure that a flu that bad would kill me, now.
@yeld I had a similar experience in spring '86 - caught a bug while on business in Europe and the chills and fever started the night I got back home. It was the sickest I have ever been. I was in my late 20’s and fairly healthy then - still reasonably healthy but I don’t know if I would survive something like that now.
@macromeh@yeld I have only had flu twice in my life. Once as a college senior (had not done a flu shot) and I was pretty sick for about a week and then during chemo where I was sick for 6 weeks (had had the flu shot but my counts were so low it didn’t do much good). Do not wish to repeat either experience ever again. So I always get a flu shot early Oct unless the flu season is early. I am hoping with this mask thing fewer will get the flue since the masks will block some of that two.
@macromeh@yeld some strains of flu are bad for older people and some are worse for younger people at the height of their health.
The swine flu for example a while back now:. It hit young people particularly hard, it wasn’t so much the flu that killed people it was the body’s own immune response to it. The stronger your immune response the worse it hit.
@Kidsandliz dtr said the flu shot is effective for about 6 months so the risk is greater if you get the flu when covid-19 is still rampant rather getting the flu at the end of flu season after you have already gotten a covid shot. So best to be uncovered at end of flu season after getting a covid shot than now with no covid shot.
I got my super-strength old folks shot today; Publix gives you a $10. gift card to take it. Cost me nothing. My arm hurts, so I shall take the weekend off. I wasn’t planning anything anyway.
Haven’t gotten mine yet, but will and will definitely have some candy or chocolate after.
@Ignorant I will definitely eat some chocolate and I might get a shot beforehand.
I went to pick up a prescription today and they asked. I said yes. I usually get one at the grocery store because they give me a gift card that I use for candy. But the drug store was more convenient. Fortunately I have jelly bellies at home.
@sammydog01 because of the shutdown I now carry a jelly belly everywhere I go. I need to work it back off again.
Before end of month I suspect.
Not yet. Is it that time already?
@RiotDemon I thought the same thing. This year has been a waste
@tinamarie1974 last year I got mine on black Friday. I guess I was late?
@RiotDemon unless you caught the flu you were not late
I usually get mine at work, so that is not happening this year
@RiotDemon @tinamarie1974 I got mine at the beginning of February of this year, because a friend of my mother’s caught a horrible flu and demanded that everyone she knew get the shot. And then this worldwide pandemic started, and it seemed like an even better idea. A lot of places were out, because it was close to the end of the season, so I got it at the grocery store. I’ll probably do it there again for that sweet 10% coupon. Anyway, you were not late. I was late.
I prefer not to risk Guillain-Barre syndrome. So far my hospital allows us to sign a waiver and we can refuse it. I’m a bit concerned they won’t let us do it this year with increased precautions due to Covid-19.
@cinoclav
Your much more likely to get Guillain-Barre syndrome if you come down with the Flu than getting it from the vaccination. Per the CDC:
There have been several studies of the risk of GBS after flu vaccine and CDC monitors for GBS during each flu season. The data on an association between seasonal influenza vaccine and GBS have been variable from season-to-season. When there has been an increased risk, it has consistently been in the range of 1-2 additional GBS cases per million flu vaccine doses administered.
@cinoclav Have you ever had a flu vaccine? You’re probably more likely to get struck by lightning than get GBS. Just sayin…
@Nyc_Tattoo @robson Yes, I’ve had the flu vaccine. At one point I didn’t have the option. No, I do not trust the CDC numbers at all when it comes to GBS. I’ve known several people who have had it, including one I worked with who was laid up in a rehab for six months and still has an altered gait thanks to it. I’ve worked in healthcare long enough to know that those numbers don’t seem right. I certainly haven’t spoken to a million people that have had flu shots. The percentage from my experience had been much higher. At my age I’m much more willing to risk the flu than GBS especially with the advantage of a pretty strong immune system, most likely due to my job. When I’m retired and not as strong I’ll reconsider the flu vaccine.
@cinoclav @Nyc_Tattoo @robson
How, exactly does one measure a “pretty strong” immune system?
If you aren’t interacting with lots of “spreaders”, aren’t in the under 20 or over 50 age groups, and are going to be social distancing anyway, I don’t think your view is unreasonable.
While NYC noted the CDC says the GBS risk varies from ±2 ppm each flu shot/season, I didn’t catch the base rate, just the deviation. That’s kind of important to leave out if you’re trying to show low risk in quoting CDC numbers, yes?
Me, I don’t trust any of you fuckers not to be spreading flu virus like Corona (living in a red state “hot zone”), so I’m shooting me up some of dat flu vaccine next month. For me, my wife has gotten the flu very late, in March, and since the protection seems to last only about 6 months, getting it later is a better choice for us. Well, earlier now - they keep moving this up like school start days keep moving up to start HS football practices earlier.
If everyone is social distancing and masking, I’m 100% certain that can only help keep flu rates down. However, that’s a huge, I mean yuuuuge, IF.
What will be problematic for the public is to understand that flu rates of spreading are much higher than Corona and folks, being 'Muricans, won’t get that, and think if they didn’t get Corona, they won’t get the flu.
@mike808 Simply put, I work around an awful lot of sick people and I don’t tend to get sick. It’s pretty much an ongoing joke for any of us that work in hospitals that we’ve built up our immune systems due to all the exposure. Just as they say kids that are not normally exposed to germs and viruses tend to have weaker immune systems.
I absolutely agree that numbers should be down due to Covid precautions. Even though there’s still a ton of idiots out there whining about ‘their freedoms being taken away,’ there should be enough to help the situation.
@cinoclav
I totally agree with you. My mom had Gillian barre and until they diagnosed it we thought she was dying. The side effects of the disease are horrible and the treatment is not fun either. My moms also a nurse at a hospital and has never gotten a flu shot bc of it.
These Jackasses on here have no idea what it’s like to actually have it and are only thinking about themselves. They can’t even empathize with your situation, which is horrible. They just wanna throw numbers and data from the CDC at you. I don’t believe in all the CDC data either from my own personal experiences. Anyway just wanted to say good for you for sticking up for what you believe in!
@cinoclav @mike808 @Nyc_Tattoo @robson
Unless you’ve ever been diagnosed with Gilian barre or have had an immediate family member who has and been there to witness it you have no room to talk and throw CDC bullshit at someone who has and is thinking about their self and own safety when you can’t even empathize with their situation. Save the CDC lecture for something you actually no what your talking about, please.
@Star2236 I’m sorry your mom went through all that. Don’t be too harsh to the people here. Most just mean well! But thank you. I’m a bit anxious about whether we’ll be forced to get the shot this year. I know the odds of GBS are still low but no odds beat low odds any day in this case.
@cinoclav @Star2236 Get the flu shot, don’t get it, make the decision for yourself. You know your risk tolerance. But I have a problem with publicly accusing the CDC of fraudulent data based on anecdotes. It’s dangerous. That’s what is happening with childhood vacines and autism.
@cinoclav @sammydog01
Sorry I meant no harm against that situation. Totally agree with you there. Having a bad and took it out on the wrong people. Sorry again.
Usually get it in the fall
@medz It’s fall, isn’t it?
@medz @sammydog01 Depends. Are we doing astronomical fall, meteorological fall, basing it on what the leaves are doing, if the geese have started showing up, or is the Halloween store open yet? The answers by me are: no, no, leaves are changing and falling, saw a bunch of geese today, pretty sure the Halloween store is open. So by a preponderance of the evidence, if it’s not fall it might as well be.
PS The free broadcast movie channel showed a spooky movie last night where Richard Burton was killing people with his mind, that’s another in the “yes” column.
@medz @mossygreen @sammydog01 I was at a Halloween store today. They’ve been open a while!
@sammydog01 where are the pumpkins?
@medz @RiotDemon @sammydog01 Ah, I work next to an empty space which has been a Halloween store for the last three seasons (or four?). I think they opened yesterday, but closed before I got off work? All I know is, the hours are posted on the door and there’s stuff nicely arranged inside, so it’s official. You must have very ambitious Halloween store proprietors!
@medz @sammydog01 In the candy aisle.
@medz @mossygreen @RiotDemon My funko pop Halloween countdown calendar came Sunday. It has 13 days and I’m trying to decide if I should do the 13 days right before Halloween or maybe open a couple a week leading up to Halloween and watch the movie that the pop is from. I COULD EVEN START NOW AND WATCH ONE MOVIE A WEEK!
This summer was a disaster. I’m ready to call it fall. I had my first cup of pumpkin spice Starbucks coffee this morning. It was good. I just ordered another case of k-cups.
@medz @mossygreen @sammydog01 one a week! One a week!!
I heard Dunkin is supposed to roll out their fall stuff any minute now if it hasn’t happened already.
@medz @RiotDemon @sammydog01 Can you limit yourself to one a week? I was once going to e-mail a friend of mine one sonnet a day from H.P. Lovecraft’s Fungi From Yuggoth, but ended up doing three a day and finishing in a week and a half.
@medz @mossygreen @RiotDemon @sammydog01
Sammydog please start a thread and have it be the Halloween funko of the week. I would find the reveal fun and the thread is likely to prompt all sorts of fun conversation
@medz @sammydog01 I refuse to believe it is fall when the temperatures are still in the 90’s, leaves are green and the autumnal equinox is still over three weeks away.
@medz @OnionSoup
@medz @mossygreen @RiotDemon @sammydog01
Starbucks already has. I don’t call it fall till the weather cools down, can’t go on the lake anymore (August is still summer and same with the first half of September) Labor Day is a big lake day for us in Michigan. Last week of September (depending on weather) and October is fall here.
I am always rewarding myself with candy, flu shot or not.
I usually get mine in October.
@FightingMongoos me too.
I am required to get one every year for my job. I can fill out a waiver explaining why I’m not getting one, but that is discouraged and I want one anyway.
That said, I wait as long as I can and get my shot the last week it is offered at my work. I always feel they offer the shot too early, and it’s been shown to be more effective in first few months after shot.
End of October means I’ll be good when flu at its worst. Vaccination in August just means I’m not well protected in February when it’s raging hardest.
I usually get it mid September using Dads birthday as my reminder . Due to everything this year I thought wise to aim for earlier to help prevent spread.
@CaptAmehrican Good point! I try to go before t-shirt weather ends but don’t always make it. This year I’ll go earlier.
I refuse. The used to make it with eggs, which I had anaphylactic reactions to… Then they told me it was safe and encouraged me to get it… I did once. Only once, and never again. I was sick for 3 weeks after the shot. then a month later I caught the flu and was sick for 3 weeks again. That one time ruined it forever… Other Vac’s sure… but never again will I get the flu shot… Pisses me off to no end that people push this so hard.
@sohmageek flu doesn’t completely eliminate chance of getting flu. I think it’s 60-70% effective usually.
That said, if you get vaccinated and still catch the flu you’re going to get it a whole less weaker than if you hadn’t been vaccinated. Still worth getting the shot for most people.
And you are the exact reason people on the fence about getting it should get one. Some people (you, my daughter) can’t get vaccinated, so those of us who can should get one. Not just for ourselves but also to protect those who can’t. If we don’t get it, we can’t spread it to you.
@OnionSoup @sohmageek
Yes the flu shot is based on the strongest strain of flu from the year before. That doesn’t mean it can’t mutate or new strains develop that were not vaccinated against. I’ve gotten the flu horribly bad in years I’ve had the shot.
I got mine, Saturday. I try to get it every year. I had the flu in the early 80’s, so bad that I was in bed for a week. Pretty sure that a flu that bad would kill me, now.
@yeld I had a similar experience in spring '86 - caught a bug while on business in Europe and the chills and fever started the night I got back home. It was the sickest I have ever been. I was in my late 20’s and fairly healthy then - still reasonably healthy but I don’t know if I would survive something like that now.
@macromeh @yeld I have only had flu twice in my life. Once as a college senior (had not done a flu shot) and I was pretty sick for about a week and then during chemo where I was sick for 6 weeks (had had the flu shot but my counts were so low it didn’t do much good). Do not wish to repeat either experience ever again. So I always get a flu shot early Oct unless the flu season is early. I am hoping with this mask thing fewer will get the flue since the masks will block some of that two.
@macromeh @yeld oops too not two although it would be dealing with 2 things LOL
@macromeh @yeld some strains of flu are bad for older people and some are worse for younger people at the height of their health.
The swine flu for example a while back now:. It hit young people particularly hard, it wasn’t so much the flu that killed people it was the body’s own immune response to it. The stronger your immune response the worse it hit.
I’m in my early forties now and still have never had the flu (or if I have, it was mild enough to be shrugged off and not get tested for).
I’m a little worried that if I do get the flu I could get hit hard being an adult getting it for first time. Yeah. I get the shots.
Usually get mine in October so it is effective until the end of the flu season, but my doctor said I should get it in September this year.
@Felton10 Why Sept this year instead of Oct?
@Kidsandliz dtr said the flu shot is effective for about 6 months so the risk is greater if you get the flu when covid-19 is still rampant rather getting the flu at the end of flu season after you have already gotten a covid shot. So best to be uncovered at end of flu season after getting a covid shot than now with no covid shot.
@Felton10 thanks
I’ll get mine this week. It takes a couple weeks to become effective anyway.
Mine will come thru work at the hospital. No word when that will be yet…
I got my super-strength old folks shot today; Publix gives you a $10. gift card to take it. Cost me nothing. My arm hurts, so I shall take the weekend off. I wasn’t planning anything anyway.