Flu shots anyone?

Started by orthomyxo
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I believe that the only time anyone should need a flu shot is if:
-People compromised by something (disease),
-babies
-old people

I generally don't see why people 18-65 actually need flu shots, I think of super resistant bacteria around, and this is why I think it happens.
 
GrantN said:
I believe that the only time anyone should need a flu shot is if:
-People compromised by something (disease),
-babies
-old people

I generally don't see why people 18-65 actually need flu shots, I think of super resistant bacteria around, and this is why I think it happens.
Click to expand...
the flu is a virus.

people 18-65 who are frequently around the above risks groups (like those who work in hospitals, schools or have young children) should get vaccinated to provide another layer of protection for those high risk groups.
 
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That's a really sad, but also a really interesting case. I'm really curious as to how a flu shot would cause dystonia (don't know - autoimmune?). Could be an interesting project.

Anyway, what's really sad is that now many people will be deterred from getting the vaccine, and one is more likely to have issues with the swine flu than a neurological disorder. There's actually another clip somewhere where Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carey, etc. backed her up right away and pushed their anti-vaccine cause as well. It's unfortunate that now there are schools in some parts of California with Measles outbreaks...
 
GrantN said:
I believe that the only time anyone should need a flu shot is if:
-People compromised by something (disease),
-babies
-old people

I generally don't see why people 18-65 actually need flu shots, I think of super resistant bacteria around, and this is why I think it happens.
Click to expand...
:laugh: @ your ignorance. Do some independent research and you will see that low voluntary vaccination rates of health care workers lead to increased mortality in hospital patients and nursing home residents.
 
GrantN said:
I believe that the only time anyone should need a flu shot is if:
-People compromised by something (disease),
-babies
-old people

I generally don't see why people 18-65 actually need flu shots, I think of super resistant bacteria around, and this is why I think it happens.
Click to expand...

:laugh:

The flu is caused by a virus, and when you get to medical school you will learn the term "herd immunity." Until then, might I recommend you don't hand out medical advice 🙂
 
MarinaS said:
Anyway, what's really sad is that now many people will be deterred from getting the vaccine, and one is more likely to have issues with the swine flu than a neurological disorder. There's actually another clip somewhere where Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carey, etc. backed her up right away and pushed their anti-vaccine cause as well. It's unfortunate that now there are schools in some parts of California with Measles outbreaks...
Click to expand...

Yeah I actually ran across Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey on Larry King spouting all of that, I was screaming at the TV. 🙂
 
even as a med student it's pretty freakin difficult to get a swine flu vaccine around here. but last week i was able to get the "flumist." I got it last Thursday and I've noticed no reactions...i feel fine. And I thought it would be pretty uncomfortable to get something sprayed up my nose but actually it wasn't that bad. I was expecting a light mist but it was more like a heavy liquid--still ok though.

I got my seasonal flu shot a long time ago. i will do whatever to try and prevent myself from getting the flu.


I think it's great how they are giving the swine flu shots for free at the health department, etc. I know the whole flumist thing used to be like a premium option that insurance wouldn't cover, etc.

I was talking to a 3rd year friend...she was caring for a patient for an entire week only to find out that the patient has now come down with swine flu. Having the flu can really knock you out especially as we are approaching midterms, etc.
 
7starmantis said:
Yeah I actually ran across Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey on Larry King spouting all of that, I was screaming at the TV. 🙂
Click to expand...


Our friends who just had a baby asked my boyfriend and I to read The Sanctity of Human Blood by [Dr.] Tim O'Shea (anti-vaccine book) because we both work in research and they knew we were pro-vaccine so they wanted to see how we would respond to this "well researched book".

I haven't read the book yet but I looked it up online...it's written by a chiropractor, not an MD. The reviews published on his website in support of it are mostly from dentists and chiropractors. I looked up a few of the MDs...one was sanctioned for prescribing herbal medicine to young girl with no evidence of any history or records taken before treating her...when she died 2 days later he falsified a history and records. Another founded the American Quack Society...and a third lost his license after a variety of complaints...I stopped looking after that because it seemed hopeless.

After reading through some of the highlights on his website (linked above) like...
What is the Germ Theory and why does the medical establishment
ignore the errors inherent in it?
childhood obesity linked to vaccines?
I'm not sure I'm actually going to be able to make it through the book...

This guy is worse than Jenny McCarthy because he's just taking advantage of and preying on people's fears ($99 admission for the vaccine seminar presented worldwide several times a year). JM is just a misguided mother who wanted to explain what was wrong with her son...I don't agree with her and I think she sounds like an idiot, but it's way more understandable than people like this.

Needless to say I was a little disappointed in our friends...I really thought they were smarter than this but I guess it just goes to show you that love of a child and fear can trump intelligence and reasoning.

 
GrantN said:
I believe that the only time anyone should need a flu shot is if:
-People compromised by something (disease),
-babies
-old people

I generally don't see why people 18-65 actually need flu shots, I think of super resistant bacteria around, and this is why I think it happens.
Click to expand...

You generally think like a PRE-med. What about health care providers? Jebus. How about the people interacting with your list of immunocompromised, babies and old people?

You think super resistant bacteria are around because of... influenza vaccinations? MRSA is cause by a viral vaccination?
 
Duluth said:
You generally think like a PRE-med. What about health care providers? Jebus. How about the people interacting with your list of immunocompromised, babies and old people?

You think super resistant bacteria are around because of... influenza vaccinations? MRSA is cause by a viral vaccination?
Click to expand...

C'mon guys, this is after all a pre-med forum. I'm sure the guy didn't mean flu was a bacterial disease (at least I hope not), trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. 🙂

Either way its not hard to simply correct and not be a jackass. He is on a PRE-med forum after all. Plus we all know that MRSA isn't caused from viral vaccinations but VRSA might be... 🙄
 
I think flu shots and all the flu medications are a giant fraud. Unless you are immunocompromised or suffer a strong reaction to flu based on your haplotype, it is no big deal. You can also get an autoimmune disease from your vaccine and you dont even know what they put in those vaccines or medications. And why do medical students drink cold orange juice when they have a flu? I had a sore throat in the past weeks so now I am immune to flu and Ive had all kinds of flu every year of my life.
 
dikoerastenie said:
I think flu shots and all the flu medications are a giant fraud. Unless you are immunocompromised or suffer a strong reaction to flu based on your haplotype, it is no big deal. You can also get an autoimmune disease from your vaccine and you dont even know what they put in those vaccines or medications. And why do medical students drink cold orange juice when they have a flu? I had a sore throat in the past weeks so now I am immune to flu and Ive had all kinds of flu every year of my life.
Click to expand...

??? 🙄
 
dikoerastenie said:
I think flu shots and all the flu medications are a giant fraud. Unless you are immunocompromised or suffer a strong reaction to flu based on your haplotype, it is no big deal. You can also get an autoimmune disease from your vaccine and you dont even know what they put in those vaccines or medications. And why do medical students drink cold orange juice when they have a flu? I had a sore throat in the past weeks so now I am immune to flu and Ive had all kinds of flu every year of my life.
Click to expand...


LOL niceeeee
 
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Thought I'd resurrect this recently dead thread, in light of some new information I had stumbled across. Her symptoms seemed awfully odd to me, though I confess, as a premed, to an extraordinarily limited relevant knowledge base. Something wasn't adding up.

Today, I came across the following, from Orac over at Respectful Insolence:


I'm not a neurologist, which made me reluctant to take this on, but right from the beginning something didn't seem right. I had never heard of a case of dystonia that looked anything like the above, particularly the part where walking backwards reversed (if you'll excuse my word choice) her jerky motions or where she could run but not walk. Moreover, it seemed highly unlikely that a vaccine could cause such a problem.
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He goes on to quote Steve Novella, a neurologist who did a fairly extensive post about the issue.
Relevant passage:

The movements and symptoms that Ms. Jennings displays on the public videos I have seen (linked to above) are not compatible with the diagnosis of dystonia, or any other movement disorder. Dystonia is one type of involuntary contraction of muscles. It can be reduced or exacerbated by certain movements or positions, and there are "task specific" dystonia, such as writer's cramp, that come out only with certain activity. Jennings does not display the type of movements that are consistent with dystonia. Her speech and movement are, however, very suggestive of a psychogenic disorder.
This also seems to be the consensus opinion of experts who have viewed this case. The Dystonia Medical Research Foundation had this to say about the case:
Because of the concern of individuals with dystonia as to whether or not to get a flu shot because of this reported case, we have sought the opinion of dystonia experts on this case. Based on the footage that has been shared with the public, it is their unanimous consensus that this case does not appear to be dystonia.
​
The one news report that I saw that actually consulted an expert for their opinion was Fox News. Leigh Vinocur, and emergency room physician, was interviewed and relayed the opinion that the neurologists she consulted were of the opinion that Jennings' symptoms were consistent with a psychogenic disorder. In other words – her symptoms are not neurological, they are psychological. This does not mean she has any insight or voluntary control over her symptoms – they are involuntary and "real" – just not neurological in origin. Symptoms such as this are not uncommon reactions to emotional stress in some individuals. Given the evidence presented, I think this is a reasonable opinion.
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Unfortunately, though predictably, anti-vaxxers have jumped all over this as an example of the terrors of vaccination.

I guess people are idiots sometimes.
 
The CB2 receptor is immunosuppressive to NK cells, macrophages, and T cells. It also increases the expression of Th2 helper cells vs. Th1 inducing hypersensitivity and blockade of cell mediated immunity. This can reduce tumor surveillance. When you combine that with smoking and lung irritation it is not going to improve the body's defenses.

On another note, activation of CB receptors is required to induce skin cancer development in response to UVB light.

On the plus side, it seems to induce apoptosis in some tumor cells.
 
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