I keep seeing people say this....

Please I do not mean this in a snarky way at all but I am very curious...

I see people say "everyone we know (or whatever wording) got the flu and got the flu shot".

Were these cases where people were actually tested and told the test shows you have x strain and that strain was covered by the shot? I have heard several conversations recently where people said they doctors were saying the shot was accurate and others saying the opposite so it made me curious (some of the people commenting were doctors).

I see it a lot and was wondering. In my circle there is a lot of flu so I have been hearing a lot that had the flu -didn't get the shot but it was a strain covered and a small few who had the flu and the shot but said they were told it was not a strain covered.

Also curious...do your peds automatically test for flu? Do they test at all or say sounds like the flu? We have never been tested at our ped but back in the fall the ped said oh she isn't sick enough for it to be the flu ( she was pretty sick but at the time I don't think it was the flu). Also if one child is sick some said their peds tested all the kids in their whole family (sick or not) does yours?

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

I don't think most people realize that the shot doesn't protect you from getting the flu, it protects you from getting very sick from it. Unless it's a totally different strain than what they based the flypu shot on.
My ped does the nose swab if the kids are really sick .

Message edited 1/12/2013 5:18:36 PM.

I keep seeing people say this....

I think there's a lot of factors here.

- from what I understand, if you were exposed to flu and didnt come down with symptoms yet, and still got the shot, you weren't covered

- some people believe they have the flu but its really a cold, and are telling everyone, but they haven't had official diagnoses

- some doctors arent testing all patients and going by text book symptoms and declaring they have a strain of the flu

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

Thank you. Seems I am hearing so many different stories. I do know that it seems like everyone is sick with something even it isn't the flu. It made me think about what other peds did when moms were saying when one was sick with the flu that they tested their other kids even those with no symptoms. One tested positive and then never showed any symptoms other than crankiness, but no fever etc.

I keep seeing people say this....

People don't know what the heck they are talking about 90% of the time.

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

I think for a lot of people, if they know one or two, all of a sudden it's "everyone I know".


I also agree about bad colds or 24 hour bugs being lumped into that same category.


(Now watch I come down with it ).


I'll come back and let you guys know though so I can be one more of many!

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

I keep seeing people say this....

most of the people I know that have had the flu have said they got a flu shot. I didn't think to ask about strains, if their doctor
tested them, etc, because I honestly don't care. Just going by what I heard

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

I think anytime someone sneezes or farts lately they cry flu. It helps them get attention on FB and helps feed the frenzy which a lot of people thrive on.
That's what I think.

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

I keep seeing people say this....

I got e flu this season right after sandy hit and got tested for it bc I requested it. I had the severe form they are talking about on the news. I thought I was going to die. 104 degree temp for 4 days and couldn't lift my head. Thank God my kids didn't catch it!!! I wa told that if I got the flu shot I would have had flu like symptoms but not as severe as I had.

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

My dd is 18 months & had the flu shot. The day before christmas eve she woke up in the am burning up had a temp of 105, went to ER while she was getting checked out from ER dr she happened to sneeze & a bunch if snot came out so the dr ran & got a swap to test for the flu although she reassured me it probably wasnt the flu-- got the call the next day that it was confirmed type a flu. Although i have to say she recovered very quickly, i was told it could take 7-10 days but id say day 4/5 she was herself

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

The flu shot is not 100% effective.

If you got the shot and were exposed, and would have 100% gotten it if not vaccinated (this is not 100%, but it is a mathematical calculation to make it simpler), then there is a 30% chance you will get the flu. In reality, because when exposed, let's say you have a 50% chance of getting the flu unvaccinated, with the vaccine you have a 15% chance of getting the flu. I'm betting it's even less than that.

In addition, if you get the flu vaccinated, it is likely to be a milder case.

In places where everyone is vaccinated, this 30% looks bigger. I know 2 people total who got flu despite vaccination, but most people i know get the vaccine. Where I work, vaccination is mandatory, our exposure rate is very high, and most people are healthy. One out of 50 contracted the flu.

However, so far everyone I know who didn't get the vaccine did get the flu. Everyone except my mother in law. She still swears the flu vaccine gave her the flu. She also believed the cause of the common cold is cold feet.

It's hard to educate people when they have a very strong belief. IMO its almost not worth it. The info from above is all from the CDC site (except for my workplace vaccination stats and the story about my mother in law).

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

Hi - Haven't been on much the past couple of days and just saw you responded to me on another thread too so figure I would just answer both here

The people I was referring too that said their child got the flu and had the flu shot (and two adults that DH works with) they said they were all tested and tested positive for the flu so it was in fact the flu. To be honest I would have never thought or cared to ask what strain because to me that is exactly the point. There are a number of flu viruses out there in a given year so the flu shot is not a guarantee even if they match some of the strains correctly. For me, and I said in my post this is for my children specifically, it's just not worth it. To risk the potential reaction and pump them full of stuff I don't know how it will affect their bodies today or years from now every single year to MAYBE protect them from a few strains of the flu - and that's a maybe - is just not worth it. Thank GOD no one has been sick in this house yet this school year but, god forbid, I know my kids are healthy and have good immune systems and I would rather take the change letting them fight something that is natural. Again, that is because my kids have had very serious reactions to shots. If I had an immune compromised child that never reacted to shots I would probably make the decision differently KWIM?

Oh and, I never heard of any family say that they tested the whole family for the flu when the others were not symptomatic. But, most of my friends leave the other kids home and don't bring them to the ped when one is sick if that changes the story.

Hope all is well

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

yes, i know 4 families who got the flu shot and the flu was confirmed by the doctor *nose swab, that they indeed had the flu

i only know of my self and my kids who did NOT get the shot and had confirmation of the flu *nose swab.

the flu shot does NOT protect you 100% against the flu.

ETA: i was in bed for a full 5 days, DS 3 days & DD 1 day.

one particular friend who had the shot, 7 full days in bed

so sometimes even with the flu shot, you can still get it just as bad

Message edited 1/13/2013 10:56:34 AM.

I keep seeing people say this....

There was an article in Newsday yesterday that said the vaccine is about 60% effective against the strains going around this year. It also said it was a moderate flu season so far, and we are about halfway through. The flu season of 2003-2004 was ten times worse than this.

Re: I keep seeing people say this....

2 of my 3 vaccinated children have confirmed (swabbed) cases of flu.

It's only 60% effective... Which means you can still get the flu. 1 has it VERY bad. Out of school for over a week, high fever and basically bedridden. The other has a miser case. She's had a fever and symptoms for a week, but is functioning much better.