I am not that old, but old enough to remember when only the very old or weak took flu shots. Why do we all seem to need them now? Are they really necessary for healthy people? When did it change? Have we become weaker? Have the flu strains become stronger? Or is someone (drug companies, government, the usual suspects) profiting somehow by preying on our fears?
I’ve never had one, matter of fact I haven’t really been sick since I was 13. (mumps) When I was a kid I used to get bad tonsils. But I never had them out.
The one time I thought I might have the flu (everyone else did) I went to a walk-in clinic told the doc to give me a shot of penicillin and some B vitamins. I then went home and spent the rest of the weekend taking care of my family. Other than some sinus problems and an occasional headache I don’t get sick.
and I’m 42 now. 
(injuries excluded of course)
Because a lot of people die from the flu. In the great flu Pandemic of 1918, between 20 and 40 million people died of the flu. That’s more than in all of WW I. Annual flu mortality is generally in excess of 30,000 people in recent years.
So people still die of the flu. It’s a serious illness. And even if a healthy person is not that likely to die from it, it has serious complications such as pneumonia. Which also kills.
The economic impact is also great, as the average case of influenza removes the patient from work/school for at least a week.
And the more people who are immune due to flu shots, the more people there are who won’t be passing the virus on to others.
QtM, MD
Also the Spanish Flu of 1918 predominantly killed young healthy adults. It could happen again.
Qad you’re right on the mark…only problem is the fact that they have to guess at what flu strain mutation to innoculate for the next season and that’s a bit tough. It’s not like they know ahead and have one ready and waiting. But still, without them the casualties would probably skyrocket. I was just saying that I don’t get one.
onion Are we weaker? I don’t think so. Are the flu strains tougher? Yes I’d say so. As germs, viruses, bacteria etc. mutate or evolve, what they are doing is becoming more resistant to the treatment or antibiotics used to fight the previous generation. Thus the next strain is stronger. That’s why people raise so much hell about antibiotics abuse and doctors are so adamant about patients taking the full course/prescription when they are needed.
I don’t have any figures handy but a lot of people get the flu and other stuff because of the innoculations. That’s just the gamble we take. It is far fewer though than the numbers we’d see if everyone just stopped. I also have the advantage of not being around a lot of people for the most part.
I don’t what good my post is but maybe it’ll make sense to somebody. 
Still, telling folks to NOT get a shot isn’t exactly dealing with the problem of a shortage on a large scale, IMHO.
Of the people I know, I suspect they avoid taking the flu shot because they’re actually afraid of needles.
Of course, they rationalize by saying “but I never get the flu”. Maybe, you don’t get the flu because everyone else around you got immunized…
It reminds me of the current trend of young mothers questioning the doctor’s advice to give the polio vaccine to their infants: “BUt I don’t know of anyone who has polio, or even heard of anyone who knows anyone who has polio, so why should my kid take a medicine with potential side effects?”>… sigh…
You’re thinking, “well, if EVERYONE around me is already immunized, what are the chances the virus will find ME?” Have you ever seen plants growing in the unimaginable little cracks along the sea of cements in the highways? Nature, in it’s unrelenting cycle of life, will find even the smallest, most recluse environments to reproduce, reproduce, reproduce.
Look, in a regular year with regular shot supplies, follow your doc’s advice (which is probably to go get a flu shot).
I healthy and 44. I get a flu shot every year simply because I don’t want to get the flu.
I was lucky enough this year to get one early, before the shortage was announced.
Thank you, QtM - I’ve often wondered why people get flu shots, even though I knew that influenza is quite a bit more dangerous than people give it credit for.
I generally don’t get flu shots. I’m not getting one this year - I’m following directions and hoping my dose goes to someone who really needs it. But perhaps I will in the future. Thanks for the food for thought.
I hope nobody’s directing their comments my way. When I said, I don’t get sick I wasn’t kidding. My wife and daughter both have/had MD we were constantly dealing with something. We were at hospitals every week. I nursed a lot of people back to health and like I said, I haven’t been ill since I was 13 years old. I’ve never had a cavity… I’ve got perfect vision… and never broken a bone despite my ignorant attempts in my younger days to do so. I’ve had several injuries but always heal very quickly and thoroughly. I can’t explain it, other than I was raised on a farm and we ate nothing that was processed and I have worked VERY hard my whole life. I don’t take medications, the doctors always have given me a clean bill of health with a very astonished look. The last dentist that checked me out was amazed. All I can say is that I’ve always had to be strong for my family.
Afraid of needles? I’ve had more damned needles stuck in me than a friggin pin cushion. Not getting sick doesn’t mean not getting hurt. I’ve had no less than a thousand stitches. And should’ve been a hell of a lot more, I just said to hell with going to the hospital several times.
I’ve been cut through and/or stabbed in several places, been in some bad ass wrecks, and even shot a couple of times. I’ll tell ya about drowning some time. I should be dead. But my loved ones all die instead.
Sorry if that’s over the top folks. It’s been one of those weeks. I think I’ll go now. take care t/k
and sorry 'bout the hijack onion guess I needed to get that offa my chest, no offense intended y’all.
Such as my great-grandfather, who left behind a wife, who spoke no English, and five daughters. And no life insurance.
This is why I’ve never gotten flu shots- I have a phobia of needles. I don’t rationalize it, that’s just the way it is. Fortunately, there’s an alternative now for those of us who are too scared of needles to get a flu shot. I got FluMist last year, though, and still got the flu- stupid wrong flu strains in the flu vaccine… :mad:
Ok, but does the evidence indicate that flu shots save lives? What was the average yearly death rate per capita from flu before flu shots were available, and what’s the average yearly death rate per capita from flu since they became available? This is GQ after all; I’d like to see some solid numbers that support the contention that flu shots are effective at reducing deaths from flu.
World Health Organization’s position on influenza vaccine
that link also contains lots of references to studies in reputable journals documenting the efficacy in an elderly population.
Ok, but that doesn’t answer my question. I’m wondering what the real world results are of widespread use of flu vaccines. Like I asked before, what were the per capita flu-related death rates before use of the vaccine, and what have been the per capita flu-related death rates since use of the vaccine became widespread. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not one of those anti-vaccine nuts, I’m just curious as to what the actual results of the vaccine usage are.