Fall in line for your flu shot
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20131031/OPINION/131039674/1065/fall-in-line-for-your-flu-shot&template=fairfaxTimes

The leaves are beginning to change color, the stores are filled with Halloween decorations, and temperatures are finally starting to dip. Fall has arrived in Virginia and that means it’s also the beginning of flu season.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. The illness causes missed work and school days. In 2010, Americans missed 100 million work days due to flu-related illness, resulting in more than $10 billion in costs to companies’ bottom lines.

The best way to protect yourself and reduce your chances of getting the flu this year is to get a flu vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control, everyone who is at least 6 months of age should get a flu vaccine. It is increasingly important to get vaccinated for people who have certain medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or chronic lung disease, pregnant women, young children under 5 and people 65 and older.

Despite the evidence and recommendations, thousands of Virginians won’t get vaccinated this year. Not only does that put your own personal health and well-being at risk, but it increases the chances of your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors getting sick too. Consider the following:

• Getting the shot will not give you the flu. According to the CDC, the flu shot vaccine is made with either inactivated flu viruses (and therefore not infectious) or with no flu vaccine viruses at all. Many people report experiencing flu-like symptoms after getting the vaccine, such as muscle pain or weakness, but these symptoms go away after a day or two, and are much less severe than the actual flu.

• Young, healthy people get the flu, too. Influenza does not discriminate against age or healthy habits. Just because you’re young or don’t typically get sick doesn’t mean you can’t catch the flu. According to the CDC, people who have the flu can spread it to others from as far as six feet away. You can also catch the flu from someone who has yet to exhibit any signs or symptoms of being sick.

• The flu shot is not expensive. In most cases, the cost of a flu shot is covered by your health insurance plan, whether you buy health insurance on your own or are covered through your employer, through Medicare or Medicaid. More employers are now offering free onsite flu shot clinics at the office. If you get the flu, the cost of treating it and the potential for missed days of work or school far exceed the cost of the vaccination.

• Getting the flu shot vaccine is fast, easy and convenient. Getting a flu shot takes no more than five minutes. Most neighborhood pharmacies even offer walk-in options, so you don’t need to make an appointment. If you are unemployed or your employer doesn’t offer flu shots, you can go to your primary care doctor or nearby wellness clinic, most retail pharmacies or contracted flu shot providers. To find a list of flu shot providers near you, visit www.publichealth.va.gov/flu.

Make your and your family’s health a priority this year by getting a flu shot.

Catherine E. Palmier.

The writer is Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare’s Northeast and Southeast regions.

Many people report experiencing flu-like symptoms after getting the vaccine, such as muscle pain or weakness, but these symptoms go away after a day or two, and are much less severe than the actual flu.

Also fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

"...but it increases the chances of your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors getting sick too."

It's generally 50-50. Last year's vaccine was a failure.

no thanks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Many people report experiencing flu-like symptoms
> after getting the vaccine, such as muscle pain or
> weakness, but these symptoms go away after a day
> or two, and are much less severe than the actual
> flu.
>
> Also fever, fatigue, and loss of appetite.
>
> "...but it increases the chances of your family,
> friends, co-workers and neighbors getting sick
> too."
>
> It's generally 50-50. Last year's vaccine was a
> failure.


Those vaccines aren't even flu vaccines anyway, they contain mercury and lithium designed to make you agreeable and docile.
I haven't had a flu shot in 6 years now and I haven't gotten sick once

They contain 3 strains of flu that were going around in Asia during the summer.

Because of the high failure rate of the vaccine, there are calls to scrap the protocol and design a new flu vaccine.

It stands to reason that they would put some load on your immune system. Make sure you're feeling well rested and your system is clear of cold or flu before you go in for a shot. I've gotten sick from the shot almost everytime I've had it.

>
> Those vaccines aren't even flu vaccines anyway,
> they contain mercury and lithium designed to make
> you agreeable and docile.
> I haven't had a flu shot in 6 years now and I
> haven't gotten sick once


But don't eat too much canned tuna because of the mercury, just inject mercury right into your blood! You forgot that they contain aluminum too. For some vaccines they culture the viruses in the tissue of dead monkeys. Can't wait to have a stranger of questionable training stab me with that in the back of a Walgreens!

Know how you avoid getting sick? Eat healthy, take vitamins, wash your hands frequently and stay away from sick people who disregarded #1-3 I just mentioned.

Dont forget the formaldehyde! Flu shots are mostly poisonous and toxic, I havent had one for years and I hardly get sick. About once a year. Do what the above poster mentions, exercise and eat right and you'll be fine!

40+ years. No one in my family has ever had a flu shot. No one has ever had flu. Last year, colleague at work with wife and 2 kids got flu shot. ALL 4 of them got the flu. I'll take my chances....