Flu Epidemic Winter 2013

[Mazmaz]

Been hearing lately in the news that this year is one of the worst flu epidemics across Canada and the U.S., with a stronger strand out there fucking people up and healthcare professionals are recommending people to get the vaccine.

I've personally never gotten the flu before and it's never occurred to me to get the flu vaccine, but with all this talk, I've been wondering if I should. Have you ever gotten the flu vaccine? Did you get sick from it/developed any complications? Would you get it now? Is it all media hysteria?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/...lu-season.html

Flu continues to spread across Canada, with 107 new outbreaks reported in the first week of the new year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Most of the new outbreaks occurred in long-term care facilities. Fifteen regions in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador reported widespread flu activity. Localized flu outbreaks were reported in 20 other regions.

The agency said the incidence of people reporting flu-like symptoms was "above the expected range for this time of year."

Lab tests confirmed 3,864 cases of flu in the week ending Jan. 5. In that week, PHAC said 95 people were sent to hospital due to flu — 69 of them children.

This week, health officials in Alberta said flu and norovirus caused capacity issues at hospital emergency rooms, emergency rooms across New Brunswick are seeing growing numbers of patients complaining of influenza-like symptoms and Toronto Public Health reported a spike in flu cases.
Flu widespread in 47 states

Health officials say flu is more widespread across the U.S., but the number of hard-hit states has declined.

Flu season started early this winter, and includes a strain that tends to make people sicker.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday said flu was widespread in 47 states last week, up from 41 the week before. The number of hardest hit states dropped to 24 from 29.

So far, 20 children in the U.S. have died from the flu. The CDC said flu and pneumonia caused 7.3 per cent of deaths in the week ending Jan. 5. That's just above the epidemic threshold of 7.2 per cent.

There is no running tally of adult deaths, but the CDC estimates that the flu kills about 24,000 people in an average year.

[Stromgarde]

From what I've been reading this year's flu strain has been particularly widespread, causing greater public awareness and resulting in shortages of vaccine supplies. Have you never had the flu before? I have, and it sucks. Went to go get vaccinated myself earlier today, but if you feel like being an idiot and getting laid out for a week knock yourself out. That being said, it takes about 2 weeks from the day of vaccination to acquire immunity so I wouldn't waste too much time if you're seriously considering it.

P.S. fatalities resulting from flu are mostly infants and elderly if that's what you're worried about

[Cream Soda]

Never gotten a flu vaccine; never gotten a flu.

As with any other season, 0 fucks given(and by 0 fucks, I mean literally. Don't avoid contact with sick people in any way and have/would again share the same plate/cup as someone with the flu).

Won't be getting the vaccine and won't get sick either.

[Churchill]

I don't get sick due to superior breeding/genes.

[myreality]

Don't listen to Cream Soda, that guy can eat some plain ramen and shit out a complete balanced meal that would sell at a fitness center.

Barring Cream Soda's mysterious genes, take into account that the flu vaccine is most likely from last years flu strains. Getting the flu vaccine is usually a good idea to prevent getting sick from a lot flu strains out there but not generally the new one going around. If your a healthy teen/adult i would recommend to just suck it up and save your money, It will suck for a few days but that is all. The pain from getting a shot will last longer than the flu.

[Cream Soda]

Don't listen to Cream Soda, that guy can eat some plain ramen and shit out a complete balanced meal that would sell at a fitness center.

Barring Cream Soda's mysterious genes, take into account that the flu vaccine is most likely from last years flu strains. Getting the flu vaccine is usually a good idea to prevent getting sick from a lot flu strains out there but not generally the new one going around. If your a healthy teen/adult i would recommend to just suck it up and save your money, It will suck for a few days but that is all. The pain from getting a shot will last longer than the flu.

Oh, I wasn't suggesting it to anyone else, lol. Was just answering the question I was asked in the OP :D

[Plow]

If I was doing shit where I was interacting with a lot of people I would, but I'm relatively safe at least until someone close to me gets it and doesn't tell me lol.

But yeah, the flu fucking sucks. Hard.

[noblemountain]

I don't get sick due to superior breeding/genes.

Either this, or the army pumped me so full of drugs that I am unbreakable.

[Churchill]

Stan the man wanted us to take steroids but he got denied

[The Stig]

I would if recommended. If I have children they're getting it straight away.

Otherwise I've not seriously been sick for the last 8~ years. A combination of vitamins/somewhat average well eating, common sense about good hygiene and avoiding crowded areas (except on my commutes from and to work) helped I suppose.

The only cases where I've been off work (twice in 10~ years) would've been I ate something wrong and I kept shitting (runny) or vomiting out what I put in. But I recovered within a day.

I like to think I have superior genes. People at work get sick all the time it fucks me off and I wonder what the hell they do to get it.

[test123]

You get a few days off work when sick. It is like an extra vacation.

[Mizango]

I have in the past, as well as my daughter. Shits gravy. Seriously though, CS should make a Youtube channel on boosting your immune system. My boy is HILARIOUS and keeps it 100, but if you were to see his hijinks on FB, his bowls and eating utensils (screwdrivers for chop stick type shit) and getting his Fossil on in a monsoon, you would have no doubts that his white cells just go around preemptively DDTing niggas off the top turnbuckle even before a bitch ass viruses get a chance to be noticed.

Put it like this, if there were ever a Zombie outbreak, my money is on him being the cure for it. He is legend, fuck what ya heard.

[Bregor]

I probably should get the vaccine, I work in a comm center with lots of shared consoles and God only knows what these assholes bring into the office. But I've never had the flu, probably won't get the vaccine, and probably won't get sick.

Every time I see one of those "ZOMG THE FLU IS SUPER STRONG THIS YEAR!!!!!11" stories on the news, I'm wondering what pharma company is making the vaccines and how much they're pushing the press to hype their product. I don't even know how much it costs or if my medical insurance lets me get one for free. Seems like too much hassle for a very small chance of getting the flu.

[noblemountain]

I'm convinced that growing up dirt poor in an Alabama trailer park made my immune system iron clad. I have eaten street food in every 3rd world shithole I've been too and never gotten parasites or even a tummy ache. Bathed in the Ganges, ate mystery meat in Beijing, lived off the land for 6 months in Mongolia several times, drank out of wells in Honduras...you name it. lol

@Church: I'm surprised it got denied honestly.

[Mizango]

Oh my shit is good too, its more of a preventative thing. The only time ive ever gotten sick from the Flu was my 7th grade year and I sort of know it now. Drank from a teammates water bottle during a game, who just happened to be sick, and BAM!

Havent had it ever since, but wife gets shots for free and we go after office hours or what not. Win Win

[Psion]

Only ever got the flu once when i was little, temp got up to 106 at one point and my mom freaked out, dumping me in a tepid bath to cool me down. I think my body freaked out over that, because i almost never get sick from anything now, lol. Never gotten the flu again either, and the last two times I did get sick these last few years, both were bronchitis. -,-

[Cream Soda]

I have in the past, as well as my daughter. Shits gravy. Seriously though, CS should make a Youtube channel on boosting your immune system. My boy is HILARIOUS and keeps it 100, but if you were to see his hijinks on FB, his bowls and eating utensils (screwdrivers for chop stick type shit) and getting his Fossil on in a monsoon, you would have no doubts that his white cells just go around preemptively DDTing niggas off the top turnbuckle even before a bitch ass viruses get a chance to be noticed.

Put it like this, if there were ever a Zombie outbreak, my money is on him being the cure for it. He is legend, fuck what ya heard.

lol'd so hard

[Stromgarde]

ITT herd immunity = superior genes

Don't get it if you don't want to, and odds you probably won't get sick but one time spending a week nauseous and emptying my guts into a bucket was enough for me to not want to bother taking an unnecessary chance of it happening again.

[Xno Kappa]

I don't get sick due to superior breeding/genes.

.

[Mizango]

lol'd so hard

So true. lol