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Early flu season accelerates; no peak yet, CDC says

LowDown

LowDown

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Early flu season accelerates; no peak yet, CDC says - Vitals

The nation’s early flu season continued to grow in the U.S. this week, with no sign yet of a peak in the spread of coughing, achy, feverish illness, health officials said Friday.

"I think we're still accelerating," said Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman.

Twenty-nine states and New York City reported high levels of flu activity, up from 16 states and NYC the previous week. Flu was widespread in 41 states, up from 31 states, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As of the week ending Dec. 29, 2,257 people had been hospitalized with flu, and 18 children had died from complications of the illness, CDC reported.
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It's gonna be bad. Get vaccinated.
 
This flu-season is particularly bad. I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated. In most states it's as convenient as going to the pharmacy and getting vaccinated by the pharmacist there without an appointment and minimal wait. I've given many immunizations this flu-season and have seen how the epidemic is impacting people.
 
LowDown said:
It's gonna be bad. Get vaccinated.
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It may be too late for me. I have something going on in my head already. From there it moves to the chest usually. Feels more like a sinus infection, but you never know since I have been visiting somebody in the hospital regularly for the last few weeks. I'll tough it out like a big boy (or collapse in front of a nurses station to bypass that whole sitting in the ER for days thing).
 
I know of at least two people in my classes that have required hospitalization due to the flue, and in a class of under 100 people, this is very substantial.
 
digsbe said:
This flu-season is particularly bad. I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated. In most states it's as convenient as going to the pharmacy and getting vaccinated by the pharmacist there without an appointment and minimal wait. I've given many immunizations this flu-season and have seen how the epidemic is impacting people.
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People are stupid when it comes to flu vaccinations.
Number 1 thing I here about it is, "The flu shot gives you the flu and I don't want to get sick."
Other things have been a mish mash of conspiracy theory and convoluted nonsense answers like, it weakens the immune system.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
People are stupid when it comes to flu vaccinations.
Number 1 thing I here about it is, "The flu shot gives you the flu and I don't want to get sick."
Other things have been a mish mash of conspiracy theory and convoluted nonsense answers like, it weakens the immune system.
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I completely agree. The "the flu shot causes the flu" statement is extremely common. I also get a lot of parents who think it's toxic and some who still think vaccines cause autism. I've also heard many others that say "I don't believe in any vaccines" and think it's all a scam for money. There is so much medical misinformation that floats around and largely it's due to the internet and Doctor Oz figures (not to bash everything he does, but he's a medical con artist). Many insurance companies pay for the flu shot, other times most pharmacies have a deal where you get coupons or discounts if you get your flu shot there and they are generally below $30 per vaccination. Those that are at risk for influenza complications should definitely get vaccinated. My grandfather is an elderly cancer survivor and this year I got to vaccinate him :mrgreen:
 
digsbe said:
I completely agree. The "the flu shot causes the flu" statement is extremely common. I also get a lot of parents who think it's toxic and some who still think vaccines cause autism. I've also heard many others that say "I don't believe in any vaccines" and think it's all a scam for money. There is so much medical misinformation that floats around and largely it's due to the internet and Doctor Oz figures (not to bash everything he does, but he's a medical con artist). Many insurance companies pay for the flu shot, other times most pharmacies have a deal where you get coupons or discounts if you get your flu shot there and they are generally below $30 per vaccination. Those that are at risk for influenza complications should definitely get vaccinated. My grandfather is an elderly cancer survivor and this year I got to vaccinate him :mrgreen:
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Someone told me that the vaccines having tracking devices in them. :shock:
Check this out too, these people vote......
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Someone told me that the vaccines having tracking devices in them. :shock:
Check this out too, these people vote......
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It's scary. What I don't understand is why people believe almost everything they read online except for the stuff that is posted in reputable science/medical journals. Why is some random guy's blog that has no experience in healthcare better and more reliable than the CDC or the medical experts?
 
digsbe said:
It's scary. What I don't understand is why people believe almost everything they read online except for the stuff that is posted in reputable science/medical journals. Why is some random guy's blog that has no experience in healthcare better and more reliable than the CDC or the medical experts?
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The CDC is like controlled by the government man, it's a conspiracy!!
Tin_Foil_Hat___Short_Version_by_Mirz123.gif
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
The CDC is like controlled by the government man, it's a conspiracy!!
Tin_Foil_Hat___Short_Version_by_Mirz123.gif
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What's ironic is that the "vaccines cause autism" myth actually was a conspiracy. If I remember correctly the guy that started that myth and did studies was working on developing his own vaccine formula and wanted to say that current vaccines contained things that may cause autism and that his formulation is safe. I believe the study was retracted from publication and his claims have been proven false.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
People are stupid when it comes to flu vaccinations.
Number 1 thing I here about it is, "The flu shot gives you the flu and I don't want to get sick."
Other things have been a mish mash of conspiracy theory and convoluted nonsense answers like, it weakens the immune system.
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This year's version of the vaccine is very mild. No side effects at all for me. YMMV.
 
I live in Canada.

So unfortunately for me only members of the Canadian Communist Party get vaccinated.
 
LowDown said:
Early flu season accelerates; no peak yet, CDC says - Vitals



It's gonna be bad. Get vaccinated.
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this.

it's also hitting Canada hard :

Thousands of Canadians struck by aggressive strain of flu virus | CTV News

my job encouraged people to get the shot, and provided it free of charge, but i would have paid for it. if you're not allergic to eggs, my advice is to get the shot.

and as i always add to these threads, i had severe respiratory problems as an infant which left me seriously at risk of infection as a kid. my parents were smart and got me the shot every year, or i likely wouldn't be here to type this message. my grandfather's sister passed away in the 1918 epidemic, and it's still considered a family tragedy. i am very grateful to have the option of the vaccine.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
People are stupid when it comes to flu vaccinations.
Number 1 thing I here about it is, "The flu shot gives you the flu and I don't want to get sick."
Other things have been a mish mash of conspiracy theory and convoluted nonsense answers like, it weakens the immune system.
Click to expand...

i can't count the number of people who claim they got the flu from the shot, even though it's unpossible. i ask them to describe the symptoms, and more often than not, they describe a stomach virus. then i explain that viral gastroenteritis is not influenza, but they refuse to accept that the vaccine didn't somehow cause "stomach flu." it's unreal.
 
LowDown said:
This year's version of the vaccine is very mild. No side effects at all for me. YMMV.
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My partner had the flu jab..there were no side effects..apart from he got the flu!!

I prefer to roll the dice..
 
No offense to all those proclaiming how great the flu shot is but I am required to get the flu shot every year. I got mine in October. In late November, early December, one of my sons got the flu, then my other one got it, then I got it. The flu shot doesn't prevent a person from getting the flu nearly as well as some like to proclaim. It may help some and some of the time. But I have had the flu shot for the last 14 years each year and have gotten sick at least 3 times in the last 6 years alone. I didn't have the flu shot growing up, and can only remember getting sick 2 or three times in my childhood.

I don't have a real problem with vaccines. I just think people make much too big of a deal out of them.
 
roguenuke said:
No offense to all those proclaiming how great the flu shot is but I am required to get the flu shot every year. I got mine in October. In late November, early December, one of my sons got the flu, then my other one got it, then I got it. The flu shot doesn't prevent a person from getting the flu nearly as well as some like to proclaim. It may help some and some of the time. But I have had the flu shot for the last 14 years each year and have gotten sick at least 3 times in the last 6 years alone. I didn't have the flu shot growing up, and can only remember getting sick 2 or three times in my childhood.

I don't have a real problem with vaccines. I just think people make much too big of a deal out of them.
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. What people fail to understand is that the shot will not be effective for all strains of the flue. They choose the worst, most virulent strains to make the vaccine. You can get the shot and still get the other strains. From what I have recently heard, they may have failed to include a strain that is rapidly spreading.
 
here's real-time data (updated weekly.) has some data on specific strains that are circulating :

Influenza A (H3N2), 2009 influenza A (H1N1), and influenza B viruses have all been identified in the U.S. this season. During the week of December 23-29, 2,346 of the 2,961 influenza positive tests reported to CDC were influenza A and 615 were influenza B viruses. Of the 1,234 influenza A viruses that were subtyped, 98% were H3 viruses and 2% were 2009 H1N1 viruses.

Since October 1, 2012, CDC has antigenically characterized 413 influenza viruses, including 17 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses, 281 influenza A (H3N2) viruses and 115 influenza B viruses.

All 17 of the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses were characterized as A/California/7/2009-like. This is the influenza A (H1N1) component of the Northern Hemisphere vaccine for the 2012-2013 season.
Of the 281 influenza A (H3N2) viruses, 279 (99%) were characterized as A/Victoria/361/2011-like. This is the influenza A (H3N2) component of the Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine for the 2012-2013 season.
Approximately 69% of the 115 influenza B viruses belonged to the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses, and were characterized as B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like, the influenza B component for the 2012-2013 Northern Hemisphere influenza vaccine. The remaining 31% of the tested influenza B viruses belonged to the B/Victoria lineage of viruses.

Since October 1, 2012, CDC has tested 39 2009 influenza A (H1N1), 526 influenza A (H3N2), and 226 influenza B virus isolates for resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors this season. The tested viruses showed susceptibility to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. High levels of resistance to the adamantanes (amantadine and rimantadine) persist among 2009 influenza A (H1N1) and A (H3N2) viruses. Adamantanes are not effective against influenza B viruses.
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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Situation Update: Summary of Weekly FluView
 
A couple of doses of Alka Seltzer cold and flu drink has taken care of mine. Every time I get the vaccination, I get a bad case of the flue! "(
 
It's impossible to get flu from a flu jab! It may not protect you from all variants, but it can even minimise the effect of those. What it can't do is infect you.

As for the MMR vaccine fraud, though Wakefield had undeclared conflicts of interest, I don't recall him actually working on an alternative vaccine. He was nevertheless struck off the Medical Register, and can no longer work as a doctor.
 
Manc Skipper said:
It's impossible to get flu from a flu jab! It may not protect you from all variants, but it can even minimise the effect of those. What it can't do is infect you.

As for the MMR vaccine fraud, though Wakefield had undeclared conflicts of interest, I don't recall him actually working on an alternative vaccine. He was nevertheless struck off the Medical Register, and can no longer work as a doctor.
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Sadly, not before Hot Blonde Idiot latched onto the idea and gave it a celebrity endorsement.
 
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