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Don’t ask such a silly question. (Sarcasm–I know that you know the answer to this rhetorical question–of course they haven’t.)</p>
<p>Get the flu shot if you can.</p>
<p>RN here. Just a FYI, I have admitted so many patients to the hospital that contracted INFLUENZA (positive serology), and most of them got the flu vaccine. The vaccine does not prevent you fom getting the flu, it minimizes symptoms if you do get it. HANDWASHING, is most important.</p>
<p>RN – interesting observation! I wouldn’t advise anyone not to get a flu shot. I didn’t get one. My 14 year old daughter did. Wash your hands. And don’t be too social. 
It does appear that flu season is winding down, according to news reports. But it is still out there, and there are other nasty things out there to catch. I have read that some of the reported cases of deaths were due to the flu plus other infections that were able to gain a foothold.</p>
<p>Eat a healthy balanced diet, get enough sleep and don’t let yourself get run down, wash your hands and wash your hands frequently. Make sure you have your flu shot. We also take a muti-vitamin with extra C and D in the winter in my family.</p>
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<p>My .02 from another RN. It CAN and DOES prevent people from getting the flu. It simply does not protect *everyone *who gets it from the flu. Some people are exposed to one of the B strains which is not covered; others for whatever reason do not obtain immunity from the strains which are covered and to which they are exposed. Still others get the vaccine, develop immunity to the covered strains, and remain healthy even after direct exposure to the virus.</p>
<p>The flu vaccine is no guarantee, and there are very few involved with its development who do not want to improve it, but to say it doesn’t provide immunity to a certain segment is false.</p>
<p>I am astounded at the numbers of trained health care persons who spread incorrect and misleading information about the flu vaccine!</p>
<p>IF you have no contraindications for getting a yearly flu shot you ahould get one. Period.</p>
<p>The facts, as stated on the CDC website, are that every year a new configuration of the flu shot is prepared based on the best guess of which influenza strains will be predominant each year.</p>
<p>There are other flu strains out there, so yes, even if you get a flu shot you can contract the flu. </p>
<p>The flu shot may not provide 100% immunity. Your immune system may be less than robust. So yes, even though you get a flu shot you can contract the flu.</p>
<p>However, a flu shot and with basic health safety proceedures are the simplest, most effective way, to avoid the flu, or to give you the best protection available. Wash your hands, cough and sneeze into your own sleeve, keep your hands away from your face, get plenty of sleep, eat well, stay home if you are ill… And get a flu shot!</p>
<p>In addition your flu shot helps all of the rest of us.</p>
<p>^^^^^^eastcoastcrazy, I agree. </p>
<p>I work with many educated medical professionals who nevertheless spout nonsense. The other day a nurse with whom I work told another pregnant nurse that she is going to have a boy because she is carrying her baby high (or low, I forget). :rolleyes:</p>
<p>THIS kind of thing is exactly the sort of lazy, repetitive argument that the internet is supposed to fix. LOOK IT UP.</p>
<p>I typed three words: flu vaccine effectiveness into Safari. Guess what? Seriously, guess how far I had to look to get the answer? Want to know? I’m typing these meaningless questions to show you could have LOOKED IT UP yourself in less time.</p>
<p>The very first hit is the CDC’s estimate of vaccine effectiveness. They do this all the time. The last month showed about 62% effectiveness. The vaccine was somewhat less effective against the B strain than the A strain.</p>
<p>Pretty simple. </p>
<p>But instead we get the same cycle of comments.</p>
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<p>And if you can avoid it, don’t shake hands with anyone.</p>
<p>The OP said she is not able to get the flu shot.
- [<em>]So, telling her to get the flu shot is not helpful.
The OP said she is looking for natural and “naturopathic” ways to decrease her chances of getting sick.
- [li]So, advising her to avoid naturopathic remedies is not helpful.[/li][</em>]Providing suggestions of natural and naturopathic ways to avoid infection is helpful.
The OP said she is wondering how effective the flu vaccine is.
[ul][<em>]So, RN observations regarding flu vaccine efficacy are helpful.
[</em>]Claims of quackery are not helpful.
[li]Debate regarding the value of vaccination is not helpful.[/ul][/li]These topics have been debated ad nauseam elsewhere in this forum. This thread was a request for specific suggestions. If you have any, please contribute them. If you feel compelled to start a debate . . . please go somewhere else.</p>
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<p>With all due respect, and speaking as a RN, “RN observations” are anecdotal and are not always accurate. The OP should be referred to sources which use actual compiled data (such as the CDC), not tales from the front which are not subject to verification, which are very subject to subjective opinion, and often filled with misinformation. The “RN observation” that the flu shot does not prevent the flu was patently false, and in the interest of all reading this thread, should be challenged.</p>
<p>OP, this should help in some measure, though the homeopathic medicine questions you asked are not fully addressed here:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/flu/[/url]”>http://www.cdc.gov/flu/</a></p>
<p>Point taken. Statistics regarding flu vaccine efficacy are helpful. :)</p>
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<p>My information is my personal,observation as an admission nurse in the ER. YES i have admiited several patients who DID get the flu despite getting the flu vaccine. I neither concluded or supported the fact that one should not get the flu vaccine, In fact part of my job is to screen and encourage all admitted pts to get the flu vaccine as well as educate them on hand hygeine and coughing hygeine.
I dont know why you are getting your nose out of joint. </p>
<p>BTW, our Epidemiology/Infection Control Nurse and one of our ER Physician who is also An Infectious Disease specialist say the same thing: that despite the best intentions on research and making an appropriate vaccine, some individuals will get the flu, but the vaccine will limit symptomatology.
If you read the CDC GUIDELINES and information,what I have said is fully supported.
There is nothing I said that was incongruous to what the other “healthcare Specialists” on CC have said. SMH</p>
<p>Why change your clothes when you get home? Is that the novovirus or the flu?</p>
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<p>That IS true. However, your statement as written was patently false.</p>
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<p>I explained in post 25 why this statement is NOT TRUE, and it’s important for people reading this thread to understand that.</p>
<p>somemom, some viruses (norovirus is one) can be spread through contact with the virus particles and then touching one’s mouth, nose, or eyes. </p>
<p>As to influenza, the CDC explains:</p>
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<p>There was Nothing false about my statement.
You should read the Q and A section in the CDC Gudeline. The answer is right there.</p>
<p>The statement should have said “The flu vaccine might not prevent you from getting the flu, but it may minimize symptoms if you get it.”</p>
<p>The flu vaccine DOES prevent the flu in a certain percentage of people who get it, so your statement as written was false.</p>
<p>Oh, you win. That was my intention. That is what I meant in my statement. yes, for some the flu vaccine may not work.</p>
<p>Well, as a writing professional (not a nursing one!), I must agree with Nrdsb4–those are entirely different statements (one very conditional, one absolute.)</p>