"THE FLU VACCINE"

[chchtati]

The single best way to protect against the flu is to get vaccinated each year.

There are two types of vaccines:

    * The "flu shot"— an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

    * The nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine” or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Each vaccine contains three influenza viruses-one A (H3N2) virus, one A (H1N1) virus, and one B virus. The viruses in the vaccine change each year based on international surveillance and scientists' estimations about which types and strains of viruses will circulate in a given year.

About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.

[liljp617]

The best way is to eat healthy, exercise, wash your hands, and not sneeze on everyone and everything around you.

The more vaccines fight viruses, the stronger viruses become.  Same with antibiotics.  There's a reason a huge number of our antibiotics are useless now, due to simple mutations.

[razzberry077]

OMG It is so horrible that this is happening...

[tabyl]

Flu vaccine is not the way to go . I havent ever had a flu vaccine before in my life and i have not had the flu in like 15 years ......

[jester2dr]

Getting the flu vaccine does NOT mean you wont get the flu that year...
It just means you wont get the types of flu that r in that particular vaccine....
there are alway still going to be other types you can get....
it's a crap shoot (no pun intended)

[ckmo14]

Man, I remember the first time I got a flu shot. I thought to myself, this is going to be great, i wont be sick this year. WRONG, I had probably one of the worst flu's every that winter. I have never gotten another flu shot since.

[dmalsbury]

I don't remember ever having the flu in my 62 years, but then, I was in the military a couple of years and went overseas twice. Got plenty of shots then, but I don't know what for. I don't know what to recommend.

[duckiegrl]

you get your flu shot every year while in the military (active duty).

besides i know lots of people who get the shot and then get a mild version of the flu. also know lots of others who don't get the shot and don't get sick at all. think it all depends on the person.

[dmalsbury]

I agree, I think it depends on the person, too.

[liljp617]

Flu vaccine is not the way to go . I havent ever had a flu vaccine before in my life and i have not had the flu in like 15 years ......

Congrats.  A single individuals anecdotal evidence does not serve as proof of anything.

Getting the flu vaccine does NOT mean you wont get the flu that year...
It just means you wont get the types of flu that r in that particular vaccine....
there are alway still going to be other types you can get....
it's a crap shoot (no pun intended)

Well, it's not like they pick a random strain out of thin air and hope it's a good one.

[prillycake]

No thanks to the vaccine.. No shots are going in my body.

[tsubasa731]

the nasal flu vaccine sounds kinda creepy......