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Comment by Swizec | Hacker News Reader

I have never gotten a flu shot in my life. The last time I remember having the flu was over 10 years ago ... actually, the last time I can remember actually being diagnosed with the flu was on the day before going to first grade. So make that 20 years ago.

Do those shots really do anything much?

edit: the last time I had a serious viral sickness it was a combination viral and bacterial angina (mononucleosis combined with a normal angina) and that was about 8 years ago.

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They raise your antibody serum levels so you are better able to fight live virus.

Yes I understand how vaccines work. But it just doesn't seem like seasonal flu ever gets in contact with me. At worst I will get a mild seasonal cold[1], which isn't problematic at all.

And I don't seem to get sick even when I make out with people suffering from a cold (like my girlfriend). Maybe I just have an abnormally strong immune system?

And while you could make a point of herd immunity, flu shots aren't very popular where I'm from. I only know of one person who's ever gotten one. The others either aren't getting them or our conversations don't steer in that direction.

[1] a bit of sniffles, some coughing, no fever or headaches

See reply here for why healthy people should still get a flu shot

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8456067

Or I could just avoid touching people if I have the sniffles? And just follow standard recommended practices for limiting the spread of colds (wash hands before/after touching face, only sneeze/cough into your elbow, avoid sick people etc.)

Does that not suffice? Can I still transfer the flu even if the virus isn't affecting me in even the slightest possible way?

Well, define "suffice." The methods you list are certainly good things to do, but you you really think that would make it impossible (or even very unlikely) for you to infect someone else? When you sneeze into your elbow, no droplets at all escape into the air? Do you always wash your hands after sneezing or touching your face before touching any other surface? I seriously doubt it.

Meanwhile, what are the risks of getting a flu shot? Effectively zero.

Just get it, please.

> Meanwhile, what are the risks of getting a flu shot? Effectively zero.

To be perfectly honest, it's not about risk. It's about the nuisance of yet another errand to run. Unfortunately that small-ish barrier is often enough to prevent me from doing things that don't feel absolutely essential.

Hell, I wonder where I would even go to get a flu shot ... my general physician? I don't even know where their offices are ...

At least in NYC, you can walk into any pharmacy at any hour of the day and get it for free in under 5 minutes. I know because I walked into the Duane Reade next to my building at 10pm on a Saturday and got it. It takes longer to buy a 6 pack of beer, then you at least have to take out ID.

I relate. I usually don't get one either for equally poor reasons. But these days they make it really easy: you can get one from CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and other pharmacy chains.

Many drug stores are doing it now. Check out Walgreen's, CVS, also Target.

Heck, my GP told me to go to one to get my Tetanus etc. booster (it's a lot easier for them to keep it in stock).

The flu vaccine is a bit of guesswork since, as I understand it, they have to pick a strain or family of the virus to vaccinate against, based on which they think is likely to be popular that season. They can be wrong.

> Like my girlfriend.

If you regularly make out with said girlfriend, I'd be fairly confident that either of you would have a difficult time making the other ill.

I hadn't gotten the flu for over a decade without getting flu shots. Then at age 23, I got it and couldn't leave my apartment for several days. Prior to that, I didn't really understand how someone who wasn't old and decrepit could feel too weak to go outside. I would read it in books, and it made no sense to me.

They handed them out at one of my previous jobs (corporate gig). Everyone that went for them came down with a mild flu after the shot and then proceeded to catch every other flu that came around during the winter.

edit: I hadn't realised sharing experience was such a downvotable offence... note I observed this over 3 years. Obviously the flu jab targets specific strains of flu, if the jab you get doesn't target the strains that happen to come round that winter then it's not going to help at all. I've no idea how well they can predict which strains will be in circulation but in my experience, not very well.

Don't listen to this guy.

Get your flu shot.

> then proceeded to catch every other flu that came around during the winter

There's generally only one or two flus in a season. Flu is often confused with colds and gastroenteritis by lay people - most of the time when someone says they got a "stomach flu" it's nothing of the sort.

This is why "sharing experience" is bullshit, especially when there's an entire global network of health organizations providing actual, data-driven analysis that shows your professed experiences to not be an accurate representation.

It's impossible to get the flu from a flu shot.

ollysb didn't say that anyone got the flu from a flu shot.

Yes, they did. "Everyone that went for them came down with a mild flu after the shot."

Post hoc ergo propter hoc

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