Flu Shot ??

Midwest4me · Oct 25, 2008

Of course I am--it's just good judgement!

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2008

I used to not get the Flu vaccine. Then SARS hit, and I realized how easy it is to be exposed to something and not know about it. So now I get it every year.

I've never had the flu, and the flu vaccine hasn't really changed anything but then again you never know what's coming through those doors at you!

HappyPediRN · Oct 25, 2008

Influenza still results in thousands of deaths in the US, most of them children, senior citizens and those who are immune compromised.
It is not usually the flu that kills, it's complications of the flu. If you've seen babies and small children die from complications of the flu (I have), you would never want to see a single child take that chance.

When you say thousands of people die from influenza, are you talking over the years, last year, in the United States, worldwide? Can you please show me the resource for your statistics? According to the CDC website the total # of pediatric deaths r/t influenza for the 07-08 year was 10 and statistics are not available for an actual # of deaths for adults aged 18 and over, and information is not available as to whether or not those who died from influenza had been vaccinated for it.

From the CDC website, "As of February 9, a total of 10 pediatric deaths among children with laboratory-confirmed influenza had been reported to CDC through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for the 2007--08 influenza season. Ages of children who died ranged from 4 months to 14 years, with a median of 5.5 years."

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 25, 2008

I got mine a week ago. I get one every year. I would hate to think that I put my patients, neighbors, etc. at risk because I was spreading the virus around.

RaspberryTX, RN · Oct 25, 2008

When you say thousands of people die from influenza, are you talking over the years, last year, in the United States, worldwide? Can you please show me the resource for your statistics?

"Using new and improved statistical models, CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States." (emphasis are mine)

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r030107.htm

core0 · Oct 25, 2008

"Using new and improved statistical models, CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States." (emphasis are mine)
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r030107.htm

This is the more telling statistic:

"83 deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza infections have occurred among children aged

"Of the 63 cases aged 6 months and older for whom vaccination status was known, 58 (92%) had not been vaccinated against influenza according to the 2007 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations. These data are provisional and subject to change as more information becomes available."

Cause meet effect.

David Carpenter, PA-C

RaspberryTX, RN · Oct 25, 2008

"Of the 63 cases aged 6 months and older for whom vaccination status was known, 58 (92%) had not been vaccinated against influenza according to the 2007 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations."
Cause meet effect.
David Carpenter, PA-C

Yep!!

OregonGal · Oct 25, 2008

Yep. First time ever. Got it last Thursday :) I was influenced by my immunization class (I'm a nursing student) and also the reality of our exposure risk.

DeepFriedRN · Oct 25, 2008

"A greater proportion of deaths associated with influenza illness and slightly higher rates of influenza-related hospitalizations in children 0-4 years occurred during the 2007-08 U.S. flu season than was measured during each of the previous three seasons."

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/season.htm

I know that lots of people don't get the shot, and lots of people get the flu and just get sick for while and then get better....but for me and my family I just don't want to test any odds. Had a coworker lose her twenty-something son to the flu last year. He was perfectly healthy, but got sick with the flu, and it took him..and no, there were no weird underlying or comorbids, just the flu. It happens way more than anyone thinks, at least according to our ID doc..

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 25, 2008

are you getting a flu shot this year. if not....why ?
:heartbeat praiser

yup. already had mine. our hospital has a policy that if you don't get a flu shot, you must wear a mask in any patient care area at all times from nov 1-apr 1. so i got the flu shot and the colored name tag to prove it.

HappyPediRN · Oct 25, 2008

This is the more telling statistic:
"83 deaths associated with laboratory-confirmed influenza infections have occurred among children aged
I just wanted to add that the 83 deaths are worldwide, 10 of them occurred in the U.S.

RaspberryTX, RN · Oct 25, 2008

I just wanted to add that the 83 deaths are worldwide, 10 of them occurred in the U.S.

Those are only lab confirmed cases. And, those are only the lab confirmed cases that actually were reported to the CDC. The actual number is most likely significantly higher. Please keep that in mind. There are scientifically proven reasons behind the CDC's recommendation of children receiving flu vaccines.