Flu shot

[Muse]

I usually have my flu shot by now, I mean always, but I haven't yet this year. I usually see my PCP once every year or two. This year for the first time we did it via video, this summer. He wanted me to get a flu shot and give a blood sample. I have put it off and now am thinking, why do it before I get vaccinated?

Thing is, I had blood testing in August 2019, so not that long ago. Plus, I'm not aware of any problems. I'm SIP stringently. I went to Costco almost a month ago, first time since March, and am not going to set foot in any indoor space other than my house (where nobody goes but me) until after I'm vaccinated. I am skating in the street daily, wearing an N95 and staying away from anyone. Virtually no danger there. IOW, my odds of catching covid-19 before I'm vaccinated are extremely remote. I'm in a risk group so I will get vaccinated before the general populace.

So, my question is: Since I'm almost sure to not catch covid-19, am I not at least as unlikely to get the flu? I don't want to go to Kaiser Oakland and get a flu shot or give blood. Not just the inconvenience, I figure it's an unnecessary risk of exposure. I emailed my doctor these thoughts the other day, he's on vacation until 11/30, but he answered me. He just tersely said I should get a flu shot, didn't address my explanation for why I thought it unnecessary. I won't send him another message, I figure I'll call Kaiser and ask him to call me after he returns. But am I right?

 

[sandorski]

I got the Flu shot for the first time this year. Even though you are doing things that decrease your risk, getting the Flu now is especially risky. I think you should get it.

 

[esquared]

I have Kaiser myself.
I went to the drive-in flu clinics they have running, You don't even have to get out of your car.

Cold and Flu | My Doctor Online

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Most of them seem to be M-F from 10am to 4pm

 

[Muse]

I have Kaiser myself.
I went to the drive-in flu clinics they have running, You don't even have to get out of your car.

Cold and Flu | My Doctor Online

We’re here when you need us. Call 24/7 for advice and appointments.

mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org

Most of them seem to be M-F from 10am to 4pm

I only drive to my medical stuff when bicycling isn't practical (significant rain or not to my usual location, i.e. Oakland, CA facilities). I could drive, of course.

I just wonder. I have been studying the epidemiology of covid-19, don't know specifically anything about that of flu. But I figure it may be similar but just not as contagious.

 

[balloonshark]

I live in small town WV. My doctor's office set up a building which to pre-screen people seeing the doctors and to test for covid. I heard a couple of weeks ago they started giving flu shots on Thursdays. I planned on getting the flu shot this year and if I do it will be outdoors. I don't plan on being indoors around others until things settle down.

 

[mike8675309]

Our office had a nurse come in give shots to anyone who wanted one. We are all still working from home, but we just drove in for the shot and left.

 

[Muse]

I just don't understand the logic of getting a flu shot if I'm basically making it all but impossible for me to catch covid-19. I did some poking around online, similar metric... stay 6' away from people who cough or sneeze. I'm so doing that and with N95 on. Why bother getting a flu shot? At least until I'm vaccinated. Honestly, I'm not comfortable exposing myself to covid-19 to get a flu shot! What's wrong with my logic????

 

[PowerEngineer]

I cannot fault your logic given your premise that you are "making it all but impossible" to get either COVID or the flu by restricting your exposure to others. If there is a fault, it might be in the accuracy of that premise. There is still a lot that we do not know about COVID, and likely some things that we think we know that are actually wrong. These uncertainties have me thinking that even our best efforts might only make it "unlikely" rather than "all but impossible" to get either COVID or the flu. But the risk/reward for a flu shot (especially given its frequently low effecacy) is certainly a judgment call where there is no obviously right answer.

FWIW, I slipped into a CVS pharmacy for the Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent shot in mid-October.

 

[Muse]

I have "slipped" into two places since March 19, 2020. One was my local indie supermarket for a seniors hour short shopping junket wearing N95 and nitrile gloves. The other was Costco a month ago, also presumably seniors only stocking up on $500+ groceries staples and some vitamins/supplements. I have no plans to be indoors with any mammal until the day I'm vaccinated.

Yeah, I get the high dose flu shot too.

 

[IronWing]

For the case you’ve described for yourself, I think getting the flu shot may provide a longer term benefit for when you do decide to re-enter the world after an effective COVID vaccine is widely implemented. You will retain some residual immunity to the flu strains addressed in this year’s flu vaccine and since the flu vaccine changes every year this might be helpful.

 

[Muse]

For the case you’ve described for yourself, I think getting the flu shot may provide a longer term benefit for when you do decide to re-enter the world after an effective COVID vaccine is widely implemented. You will retain some residual immunity to the flu strains addressed in this year’s flu vaccine and since the flu vaccine changes every year this might be helpful.

I figure if I don't get flu vaccine before the CV19 vaccine, I'll get it soon thereafter, i.e. 2+ weeks after the 2nd CV19 vaccine shot. Even a flu shot, seems to me, is apt to confer better immunity if fairly fresh (2 weeks after) than if 4 months after.

 

[balloonshark]

I would be more concerned about needing to go to the hospital and being around those with the flu if you would happen to get ill or injured. A flu shot would be handy in that situation. A few years ago I had to go the the ER when I hurt my back during flu season. There was a little girl in the waiting room wearing a mask because she had the flu.

 

[Torn Mind]

Flu shots are a money-maker more than a material benefit to many people. As usual, only those who cannot truly afford a day off or are at high-risk should get them. As one of the items that renders itself obsolete season-to-season, it's one of the easiest way for the medical industry to get funds.

I will not tax the system with the equivalent of unnecessary repairs for myself. Never mind that the intelligentsia is just as driven by Malthusian concerns as they were 100 years ago. Just that the wrapper has changed a bit and they are trying have their cake of being nice while simultaneously being cruel instead of adopting the foolish "superiority" theories of a century ago.

I will say this, I have gotten sick with the flu before despite being EXTREMELY introverted to the point I could be called a "natural social distancer".

 

[Muse]

I would be more concerned about needing to go to the hospital and being around those with the flu if you would happen to get ill or injured. A flu shot would be handy in that situation. A few years ago I had to go the the ER when I hurt my back during flu season. There was a little girl in the waiting room wearing a mask because she had the flu.

I went to the ER once in my life, in the 1970s. Not something I think about, but you're right, something could come up that makes me go seek help from my HMO. It's something to consider. Still, unlikely before I'm vaccinated. I'll consider it.

I have probably had the flu, but honestly I can't remember thinking, hey, I've got the flu. I've had respiratory illnesses, many. But I don't think I've had a temperature over 100.5 for 20 years. I figure it's probably a cold almost every time. Usually don't run a fever at all. But I hate to get sick! Still, going and getting a flu shot bares some risk. Every day I delay that risk gets materially worse right now. Even right this moment, I figure covid-19 is blowing up. TG was 4 days ago, there are many thousands of pre-symptomatic people shedding right this minute from their TG activities.

 

[balloonshark]

I went to the ER once in my life, in the 1970s. Not something I think about, but you're right, something could come up that makes me go seek help from my HMO. It's something to consider. Still, unlikely before I'm vaccinated. I'll consider it.

I have probably had the flu, but honestly I can't remember thinking, hey, I've got the flu. I've had respiratory illnesses, many. But I don't think I've had a temperature over 100.5 for 20 years. I figure it's probably a cold almost every time. Usually don't run a fever at all. But I hate to get sick! Still, going and getting a flu shot bares some risk. Every day I delay that risk gets materially worse right now. Even right this moment, I figure covid-19 is blowing up. TG was 4 days ago, there are many thousands of pre-symptomatic people shedding right this minute from their TG activities.

I stay more isolated than you so I also rarely get sick. The last time I had the flu was almost 20 years ago and it was because I was staying at my sisters. I can't even remember the last time I got a cold. I mostly get sinus infections.

I normally go visit my sister and the kids once a week for game night and I stopped 3 weeks ago because covid is on the rise here and our hospitals are getting full. They aren't happy about the situation but I'm going to try and hold out for the vaccine. They already had close calls and don't wash their hands after they come home. I'm not risking it but I do miss the company.

I normally don't get the flu shot but it was bad last year. If I get the flu it will be from my visits with my sister and her kids. I should be getting one every year with my heart problem. Since I'm getting close to 50 I had planned to get one this year. Earlier this year I asked my doc when he thought the best time to get one was and he said he gets his mid. Nov. That turned out to be horrible timing since covid blew up here. At this point if the opportunity arises I'll get one but I'm not going to take an unnecessary risk to get one.

 

[Muse]

I think my HMO (Kaiser Permanente, Oakland CA) gets their flu vaccines around October. Probably varies a little. One time I went early IIRC and they didn't have the ~double dose senior flu vaccine, so got the regular. Maybe I'll look into it. See if they have an outdoors clinic set up. Usually it's indoors and you stand in line with folks. I'm not gonna do that!

 

[pete6032]

I usually have my flu shot by now, I mean always, but I haven't yet this year. I usually see my PCP once every year or two. This year for the first time we did it via video, this summer. He wanted me to get a flu shot and give a blood sample. I have put it off and now am thinking, why do it before I get vaccinated?

Thing is, I had blood testing in August 2019, so not that long ago. Plus, I'm not aware of any problems. I'm SIP stringently. I went to Costco almost a month ago, first time since March, and am not going to set foot in any indoor space other than my house (where nobody goes but me) until after I'm vaccinated. I am skating in the street daily, wearing an N95 and staying away from anyone. Virtually no danger there. IOW, my odds of catching covid-19 before I'm vaccinated are extremely remote. I'm in a risk group so I will get vaccinated before the general populace.

So, my question is: Since I'm almost sure to not catch covid-19, am I not at least as unlikely to get the flu? I don't want to go to Kaiser Oakland and get a flu shot or give blood. Not just the inconvenience, I figure it's an unnecessary risk of exposure. I emailed my doctor these thoughts the other day, he's on vacation until 11/30, but he answered me. He just tersely said I should get a flu shot, didn't address my explanation for why I thought it unnecessary. I won't send him another message, I figure I'll call Kaiser and ask him to call me after he returns. But am I right?

I will tell you what I got sick a couple weeks ago and had a high fever, muscle aches, fatigue, etc. I thought I had COVID but I got tested and it came back negative. I don't know how I would have gotten sick because I've been wearing a mask and social distancing, so it's still possible to get sick even if you are wearing a mask and taking other precautions.

 

[Muse]

I will tell you what I got sick a couple weeks ago and had a high fever, muscle aches, fatigue, etc. I thought I had COVID but I got tested and it came back negative. I don't know how I would have gotten sick because I've been wearing a mask and social distancing, so it's still possible to get sick even if you are wearing a mask and taking other precautions.

I haven't had a high fever for seems like forever. Honestly, I have thermometers and when I'm sick I check. I doubt I've run a fever over 101 in the 21st century.

I'll look into it, but if I'm made to go indoors, I'm just gonna wait until I get my shots. I should be high on the CV19 vax priority list.

 

[jmagg]

I've never had a flu shot in my adult life, and have never had the flu that I remember. I figure working outdoors 80% of the time makes ones immune system stronger but who knows. I'll consider the Covid shot after we see the outcome of the first few rounds, even though i'll probably be offered it early.

 

[Scarpozzi]

My wife brought me a flu shot and jabbed my arm in the living room. It's low risk I'd you're not around anyone, but getting the flu vaccine is still a prevention method. You never know if you'll be exposed to it....agreed it's possibly 5 times less contagious than covid.

 

[WharffRat]

I got mine at my GP.
First time in my life I even got one, and i am 52......

I have spoken.

 

[MtnMan]

If you are vulnerable due to other health/age issues the flu can also kill you... and there is a vaccine for that. Wife and I both got ours in Oct.