Not really sure where to put this one... Has anyone heard anything on the effectiveness of this season's flu vaccine? A quick search on the CDC wasn't yielding me an answer quickly.
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I don't know but the flu has been rampant in the elementary school this year!!!!
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We've not heard from the elementary school (yet), but just got our second notice this month from daycare of their being a diagnosis is LO2's class. And I ask every time if the child was vaccinated and daycare never has that information. Drives me nuts.
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@MamaG: the school hasn't said a word I just hear from other parents
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Is this kind of what you are looking for?
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I have heard (anecdotally, but from friends/family in healthcare) that there is another nasty strain going around that was not covered by the vaccine. IMO that doesn't make the vaccine "ineffective", and its still worth getting...but it is certainly unfortunate that this strain was missed!
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@PinkElephant: That's what I'm wondering. I agree that it's pretty much always worth it for my family to get the vaccine. I'm just wondering if this year's version is "working" or if there is some strain out there that is ugly and dominating.
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Anecdotally, I know several people who have gotten the flu so far...and none of them had a flu shot. We are all clear of flu here and had the shot. No one I know who got the shot has gotten the flu. I think it's hard to get accurate statistics at this point because it is still near the beginning of flu season, depending on where you live.
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I never get the flu vaccine, I always refuse it and I have never gotten the flu. My DD on the other hand has had the vaccine 2 years in a row now, and has gotten the flu. Going forward I definitely will not have her get the vaccine again.
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@MrsBrewer: Any thoughts on where she's getting the influenza exposure? Of course her immune system doesn't have the same maturity that yours does.
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@MamaG: Also not sure where you live, but there has been a nasty norovirus type stomach bug ravaging the tri-state area....and so many people refer to that as "the flu"....that part of me has to wonder if when people self-report their illness to work/school/wherever, what they're saying is skewing the perspective that everyone is getting the actual flu. (fever/chills). I've heard a lot of moms at school recently say their kids had "the flu.....well, the stomach flu." Just a thought!
I also would ALWAYs get the flu shot, even if someone told me it was minimally effective - every little bit of immunity helps. DH had the real deal H1N1/Swine flu about 5 years ago, and it was just hideous - I'd do anything I can to prevent our family experiencing that again.
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@PinkElephant: YES!!! To your whole first paragraph. Our HR Director proclaimed she had the flu after Christmas. I was all get your crazy sick self home. Turns out she meant - I have a stomach virus of some sort that had nothing to do with influenza. Makes me a little nutty.
Our note from daycare, specifically stated influenza. They only send the notes out with a medical diagnosis. Not that it changes anything, but I just wish they would ask if the child had been vaccinated.
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@MamaG: No idea. She doesn't go to daycare, she goes to the baby sitter twice a week, and she is the only one there. My babysitter has school aged children who are gone during the day when my daughter is there.
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@PinkElephant: my friend was complaining about they all got the flu even though they had shots... sure enough she meant stomach flu. I was like... you know that's a totally different virus right???
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@PinkElephant: @MamaG: @junebugsmama: The stomach flu business makes me crazy and doesn't help the flu vaccine's reputation. I'm amazed when even nurses will say they got the stomach flu - there's no similarity to the influenza virus!
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@MamaG: Also, I checked and the CDC published their flu vaccine effectiveness report in February last year so I'd expect an update on 2016/17 flu vaccine next month.
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@junebugsmama: @peachykeen: I suppose it just emerged as a euphemism, because no one wants to talk about the grossness that comes with stomach bugs. But yeah. It's annoying.
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I had the flu shot in October and since then I've had norovirus twice, a bad cold and now bronchitis. Maybe it would have been worse if I hadn't gotten the vaccine?
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@peachykeen: yes! I am a nurse and hear that all the time!
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@peachykeen: thank you for the February hint. I'll sit tight and be patient.
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I've heard of a few people getting the flu, but they don't believe in the flu vaccine and didn't get one. I haven't heard that the vaccine was ineffective. I get one every year! I teach and don't want to risk it.
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I feel like most people who complain about the flu shot not working actually have norovirus or rotavirus. Many people do not know that the flu is a respiratory condition!!
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I heard that this years vaccine is 8-12% effective.
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@Alba4: one of my pet peeves!!! "I got the flu shot and I still got the flu. I was throwing up for 24 hours" umm no.... You had a stomach bug. Not covered under the flu shot. And the actual influenza has you dead in your bed for like 2 weeks!
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Worked for us!
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Flu shot yearly over here
Teacher and LEO..... around MANY sick people and no flu!!!!!!!!!!!!! -
@anonysquire: Yes, this I hear all the time as a teacher, also that they had the vaccination so they are not contagious?! Wait what??!??!
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A family near us all got the flu; started with the dad who was diagnosed with flu B despite getting a shot. From what I read tho, it sounds like the shot is more directed toward flu A strains?
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@anonysquire: Yeah, my mom had the flu once, about 20 years ago, and she missed like two weeks of work! It was so bad, she still talks about it (and always gets the shot). I've had some bad stomach bugs, but they're usually over within a day at least. Not even remotely related.
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@FaithFertility: oh no haha!!!!!!
@MrsSCB: yes! I had it when I was pregnant with my first. I seriously couldn't get off the couch for 2 weeks. I couldn't go to work or hardly even walk to the bathroom. It was bad. I got it from my cousins
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There is only one year that we got the vaccine and ended up with the flu. In 2014, we ended up with A1 flu according to hospital tests. I was then informed that A1 had mutated after the vaccine was created and released.
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@anonysquire: Ugh, the flu is bad enough as it is, I can't imagine having it while pregnant!
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@Modern Daisy: the flu shot doesn't protect against any of those!
I don't know anyone who has actually got the flu. But a LOT of people who think they have it when they've actually got a stomach bug.
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@MrsBrewer: I have asthma and my pulmonologist told me I need to get the flu shot every year. I told him I'd never gotten it so I wasn't that worried. He said that most people only get it once or twice in their lifetimes and when you have it, it's BAD.
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Anecdotally, DH was sick with all the symptoms of the flu, chills, fever, etc and he hadn't gotten the flu shot this year. DS and I had the flu shot and we got a MUCH milder version of what he had, just like a cold, no fever or chills. We also recovered before he did!
Our doctor said later that if DH had had the flu (he wasn't officially tested), being in close proximity would have gotten a toddler and pregnant lady sick with a milder version, even with the flu shot, not completely preventing us from getting it.
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I didn't get a flu shot this year and caught the flu 2 weeks ago. My daughter did get a flu shot and didn't catch it from me.
I haven't seen any statistics. The urgent care doctor said the flu is going around the Southeast pretty bad right now.
ETA: Mine was the real flu, strain A. Not a stomach virus.
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I'm revising my statement... my best friend caught the flu this week despite getting the vaccine this year. Luckily she saw the Dr. early and took Tamiflu, which shortened it. But other than her, most of the people who got the flu this year weren't vaccinated.
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Anecdotally, I took my LO to the doctor last week and he said he's seen a LOT of flu this year--and only one case of someone getting the flu after receiving the vaccine.
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I had the flu over Christmas and did get the flu shot this year. I read a statement somewhere from the CDC that said that this year's flu shot was the least effective since they've been offered.
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I brought my son to the pediatrician for his well visit last night. I talked a little to the doc and she said that now, they're seeing a lot of cases coming in where kids did receive the vaccine, so, I am going with not effective this year.
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42 comments