5 ms·

Not nitpicking or trying to be an idiot but shouldn't it be the vulnerable individuals that get the shot? It seems that the only people I know who get vaccinat

Not nitpicking or trying to be an idiot but shouldn't it be the vulnerable individuals that get the shot? It seems that the only people I know who get vaccinated for something as benign as the flu are: nurses, teachers, children, elderly. Everyone else simply take one or two day off during flu season in the event that they do catch it (most don't). Am I missing something? I have never been vaccinated for it and asking around me, nobody at my current place of employment did either.

wes-k 9y ago
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm > Children younger than 6 months are too young to get a flu shot. > People with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. This might include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients. See Special Considerations Regarding Egg Allergy for more information about egg allergies and flu vaccine.
opportune 9y ago
Vaccines aren't perfect - you can get vaccinated for certain diseases/strains (such as the flu) and still get them. It's the aggregate of vaccines that stops transmission and prevents disease outbreaks. That's what a lot of people (including other people that replied to my comment) don't understand about vaccinations - they reduce the chance of acquiring a disease. It's still entirely possible to get vaccinated, spend a lot of time around infected people, and get sick. The entire point of herd immunity is to make disease less likely to spread between individuals so that outbreaks don't occur in the first place. Even though the vaccine this year is less effective than normal at preventing the spread of flu, it's still pretty effective, and in a way that means that collectively it's more important to get vaccinated this year.
apendleton 9y ago
Some nontrivial percentage of the time, though, the vaccine doesn't take, and this becomes more likely in immunocompromised people (e.g., the elderly). Those people might end up protected from ending up getting infected even though the vaccine won't end up helping them if the people they interact with are also vaccinated and had better luck. As for nobody at your place of employment getting vaccinated: these days that seems pretty surprising to me, but maybe it's a regional thing or something? My office brings in a nurse to do everybody at once.
8ytecoder 9y ago
Evolution has provided viruses with an incubation period - the time required for the virus to develop in the host - during which you don't feel sick but you can be spreading it to the others.
russdill 9y ago
It seems like healthy people that tend to power through the flu are the ones most prone to spread it far and wide, especially to those most vulnerable.
Simon_says 9y ago
The flu is a little bit more than a slight inconvenience. I've had it before and felt horrible for 3-4 days. I'd gladly pay $30 per year for a 30% lower chance of experiencing that again.

wes-k 9y ago

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/whoshouldvax.htm > Children younger than 6 months are too young to get a flu shot. > People with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine. This might include gelatin, antibiotics, or other ingredients. See Special Considerations Regarding Egg Allergy for more information about egg allergies and flu vaccine.

opportune 9y ago

Vaccines aren't perfect - you can get vaccinated for certain diseases/strains (such as the flu) and still get them. It's the aggregate of vaccines that stops transmission and prevents disease outbreaks. That's what a lot of people (including other people that replied to my comment) don't understand about vaccinations - they reduce the chance of acquiring a disease. It's still entirely possible to get vaccinated, spend a lot of time around infected people, and get sick. The entire point of herd immunity is to make disease less likely to spread between individuals so that outbreaks don't occur in the first place. Even though the vaccine this year is less effective than normal at preventing the spread of flu, it's still pretty effective, and in a way that means that collectively it's more important to get vaccinated this year.

apendleton 9y ago

Some nontrivial percentage of the time, though, the vaccine doesn't take, and this becomes more likely in immunocompromised people (e.g., the elderly). Those people might end up protected from ending up getting infected even though the vaccine won't end up helping them if the people they interact with are also vaccinated and had better luck. As for nobody at your place of employment getting vaccinated: these days that seems pretty surprising to me, but maybe it's a regional thing or something? My office brings in a nurse to do everybody at once.

8ytecoder 9y ago

Evolution has provided viruses with an incubation period - the time required for the virus to develop in the host - during which you don't feel sick but you can be spreading it to the others.

russdill 9y ago

It seems like healthy people that tend to power through the flu are the ones most prone to spread it far and wide, especially to those most vulnerable.

Simon_says 9y ago

The flu is a little bit more than a slight inconvenience. I've had it before and felt horrible for 3-4 days. I'd gladly pay $30 per year for a 30% lower chance of experiencing that again.