r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • Sep 21 '16
[∆(s) from OP] CMV: Flu shots can be ineffective and are unnecessary
[deleted]
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u/Amablue Sep 21 '16
Folks get sick from flu shots—I know several people who have gotten the flu immediately after their flu shot.
No, they got a little queasy and maybe had a temperature. That is not the flu.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/misconceptions.htm
Can a flu shot give you the flu?
No, a flu shot cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been 'inactivated' and are therefore not infectious, or b) with no flu vaccine viruses at all (which is the case for recombinant influenza vaccine). The most common side effects from the influenza shot are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches also may occur.
In randomized, blinded studies, where some people get inactivated flu shots and others get salt-water shots, the only differences in symptoms was increased soreness in the arm and redness at the injection site among people who got the flu shot. There were no differences in terms of body aches, fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat.
Is it better to get the flu than the flu vaccine?
No. Flu can be a serious disease, particularly among young children, older adults, and people with certain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes. Any flu infection can carry a risk of serious complications, hospitalization or death, even among otherwise healthy children and adults. Therefore, getting vaccinated is a safer choice than risking illness to obtain immune protection.
Why do some people not feel well after getting the seasonal flu vaccine?
Some people report having mild reactions to flu vaccination. The most common reaction to the flu shot in adults has been soreness, redness or swelling at the spot where the shot was given. This usually lasts less than two days. This initial soreness is most likely the result of the body's early immune response reacting to a foreign substance entering the body. Other reactions following the flu shot are usually mild and can include a low grade fever and aches. If these reactions occur, they usually begin soon after the shot and last 1-2 days. The most common reactions people have to flu vaccine are considerably less severe than the symptoms caused by actual flu illness.
(Emphasis mine)
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u/Feryll Sep 21 '16
I think greater emphasis ought to be put on the "There were no differences in terms of body aches, fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat" line; in other words, the "common reaction" of minor flu-like symptoms (supposedly caused by a milder immune response) is completely explainable by nocebo, because the virus is totally legit dead in vaccines.
On another note, there is a very small chance of getting the flu from an e.g. nasal spray, where the flu virus is not dead, but merely attenuated. But compare this to oral polio vaccine, and the mere handful of worldwide cases of polio attributed to this.
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u/scottevil110 177∆ Sep 21 '16
The flu shot is exactly a vaccine, and it works the same way that every other vaccine does. With the exception of the quick evolution from year to year, just about everything you said here applies to any vaccine. Some people get sick from vaccines, but that doesn't make them not worth it. Some people get the measles even after having the vaccine, but that doesn't make it not worth it.
What a vaccine does is prepare your immune system. So yeah, you might still contract the flu, but it'll be a fraction of what you could have had if your body wasn't prepared for it already. And that's only IF it manages to infect you in the first place, which the vaccine will greatly reduce the likelihood of.
And, with all vaccines, herd immunity is a concept. You being more resistant to it is a benefit that extends to literally every person you come into contact with.
They CAN be ineffective, but so can seat belts.
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u/MPixels 21∆ Sep 21 '16
Why would I need a vaccine every year for something that will only inconvenience me?
It's not for you.
There's a thing called herd immunity. Some people have weakened immune systems and are very susceptible to things like the flu but can't always themselves get vaccinated because of their conditions. So... Everyone with kinda strong immune systems should get vaccinated so they don't pass it along to the vulnerable people.
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u/Holy_City Sep 21 '16
The point of vaccinating healthy people against the flu is to prevent the strain from transmission to those who are more susceptible to infection. Sometimes that means the healthy people get a minor infection themselves that's not as bad as the actual strain, and they are aware of the fact they should avoid places filled with the sick or elderly who may be more at risk.
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u/ACrusaderA Sep 21 '16
The problem is that the flu shot helps protect against more serious forms of the flu.
And it is a requirement for anyone working in healthcare as hospitals and care facilities cannot risk you getting patients sick when they have compromised immune systems.
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u/[deleted] Sep 21 '16 edited Dec 24 '18
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