Flu Outbreak

It's hit pretty hard here in Dallas. Pretty much half the office has been sick over the last month or so. That being said, I've never gotten flu shots simply because I don't believe in being injected with something if the likelihood of me dying from the illness is incredibly low, which it is in my age group. Additionally, I can only think of one time in my life where my cold/flu was so bad that I was stricken in bed with fever. That being said, this year it was the typical flu/cold for me-- runny nose and headache for a little over a week, nothing my usual combo of Primatine tablets (gogo real ephedrine!) and Advil couldn't keep in check

Same here, I'm in my mid 30s and I've never got a flu shot. Ever since I've been out of school(germ heaven) I rarely get sick. As a kid/teenager I used to get damn sick almost every winter, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, whatever. I've only had maybe 1 instance of flu in the last decade now. I'm sure this will all change again once I have kids(germ factories)

Got a flu shot, but still caught whatever's been floating around Maryland. I figure it's a cold and not the flu since it's been hitting a lot of people in the office that got flu shots. Plus, it wasn't all that terrible. 2-3 days of fever chills and a bit of congestion that stuck around for about a week.

The problem with this flu that is all over is that I believe it is a strain that wasn't included in the flu shots this year. There are thousands of strains of flu, and the yearly flu-shot is just a guess at the most likely couple dozen that might affect the US in any given year(they look at what has been sweeping through other parts of the world recently when trying to predict it). Obviously, they can miss badly if a strain pops up in a given year that wasn't predicted(and the odds of that are pretty decent, considering how many types of flu there are)

Yes joe, that's what the link in the OP said.

Got a flu shot the fri after Thanksgiving. I dont normally get one but the OB said to get one so I did. I also think that whatever I came down with in Europe in Oct may have been the flu. So dbl immunity perhaps. Or redundant. Depending on the strain.

There's been a few ppl at work sick - one of my PM's came into my office monday and he got two words out before I figured out he was sick and I literally said "Get the fuck out of my office. I love you but I'm pregnant. No. Send me an email."

He was diagnosed with severe flu and bronchitis the next day - so severe that he's at home on bed rest. It boggles my mind why people come to work in a state like that. You work in one of the many jobs thats conducive to telecommuting. Stay home, plug your laptop in, stay in bed, have a phone next to you.

Etoille_sl said:

There's been a few ppl at work sick - one of my PM's came into my office monday and he got two words out before I figured out he was sick and I literally said "Get the fuck out of my office. I love you but I'm pregnant. No. Send me an email

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Later that day he came in and coughed all over your phone.

My wife got one on recommendation of her OB plus she's a teacher so its pretty obvious for her. I'm probably going to roll the dice for no reason other than the fact that I've never gotten one before and I've never gotten the flu. I always get sick in the summer unfortunately.

It was so bad in Chicago the other day that a dozen or so hospitals in the city had to go on bypass status, basically turning away anyone from the ER unless they had life threatening injuries.

I'm definitely going to try the Etoille method of just telling everyone who comes into my office to get the fuck out because I don't want their germs. It works on so many levels.

Big Phoenix_sl said:

Anyone who goes to the ER for the flu needs to have their nuts cut off or their tubes tied.

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I always wondered about people who do this. Do you really think that the Dr. has some miracle cure and you'll be good? No he doesn't. He's going to be pissed that you spread your shit all around instead of staying home. The only people I can understand are small children, elderly, or people with general immune system issues. These are the same people that come to the office when they're sick and touch everything so everyone else gets sick. How hard is it to rest, drink fluids, and stay home?

Big Phoenix_sl said:

Anyone who goes to the ER for the flu needs to have their nuts cut off or their tubes tied.

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Where should one go when running a fever of a 104/105 for 3hrs?

They should die and stop being a drain on society. Better yet, if they show up at the ER, shoot them dead on sight.

I live in Ky and louisville hospital's are turnign people away it is getting so bad down here.

Meh. For 20 bucks or whatever I'm happy with a 60% less chance of getting the flu. Understand completely how it works and why its effectiveness in some years can be next to zero if they suck at predicting the strains but cost/benefit analysis for me while pregnant was pretty easy. Hell, they think that the Pertussis vax only has like an 85% efficacy.

Going forward after pregnancy I'm not sure what I'll do. As I said before I don't normally get them (flu shot). But I'll probably have the baby get one.

Pertussis is a must though for my husband, me, baby.....we both got that in August b/c we knew we were going to start trying in October. My mom already has one from my sister's baby's arrival and I told the IL's that if they want to visit I need to know they have been vaccinated against Pertussis.

I never used to get a flu shot, but then my dad, who is a pathologist, subjected me to a 30 minute lecture on what a moron I was for not getting it and how pandemics work and cumulative immunity or something and how overdue we are for a flu pandemic and blah blah blah. I don't understand it but he seems pretty certain that it is important so I just go with it.