I got mine as soon as it hit the shelves. Thank God! I am walking around in a forest of Flu infected Zombies like in some kind of Sc-Fi movie. I am not sick no symptoms and so happy with the Flu shot this year.
I was like "nah, I can wait another week" and then BOOM, I was sick along with my entire family... Lol.
Timebeak, the bug you had was not the flu, so a flu shot wouldn't have prevented it (assuming the flu shot prevents anything).
There is NO such thing as a flu that lasts only 48 hours. The flu is a respiratory illness that does not normally cause gastric issues. You likely had food poisoning - which DOES last a couple of days. The vomiting & diarrhea is your body's way of getting rid of the bacteria. It is quite common for many people to mistakenly call an illness the flu - everything from colds to headaches to just "not feeling well."
There are many viruses & the flu is only one of them. Even the flu itself has many many strains & (as they admitted recently) this year's vaccine is not effective.
Bingo!
Yes, I know that a stomach bug is NOT the flu. A lot of people all around me HAVE had the flu and I have not. I'm not telling the story of me having a stomach bug as an argument for the flu shot.
I'm saying that a 72 hour stomach bug is NOTHING compared to the flu. Giving ourselves the best chance to avoid sickness is a continuum. When I was diagnosed in June of 2009, I was shocked to find that they had a pneumococcal vaccine (which I received along with a tetanus shot). That knowledge would have come in handy for my pastor who, about 18 months later, suffered through four or five weeks of pneumonia. I asked his wife, "did you know there's a vaccine that can prevent some types of pneumonia?"
"We know it now."
My point is that to not take advantage of tools that could improve your health is silly and pointless. Vaccines are very helpful in helping prevent a lot of sickness. As an example, polio has almost been eradicated worldwide. That disease has had an impact on my life. One of my Mom & Dad's friends contracted polio during one of the outbreaks just before the vaccine came out. He was a professional jazz guitarist and his polio was so debilitating that he couldn't play guitar anymore.
Also, prior to this stomach bug, I had not had food poisoning (or a stomach bug) since the mid '80s (1986 Spring Choir Tour to be exact) and I haven't come close to having the flu since I started getting the flu shot. Let's take advantage of tools that can help us avoid trips to the E.R.!
The flu shot might not be perfect--they might not have guessed correctly as to which strains of the flu would be more prevalent this year-- but that's not an argument for not getting the shot. That would be like saying that some seat belts have failed to work correctly so I'll just stop wearing seat belts!The difference is, seat belts are proven to work. And even if they weren't proven, common sense proves they work.
I had the flu 40 years ago & never had it since. I've never had a flu shot.
Whenever there is a flu "epidemic," waiting rooms at ER's are filled with people who have the flu...and had a flu shot. That wouldn't be possible if the flu shot was even somewhat effective.
But...confidence is half the battle, so if it makes you feel better, get it.
My experience mirrors your own. I have only had a single flu shot in my entire life (I'm a septarian) and haven't had the flu or a cold in over 45 years. I attribute it to commonsense rules of hygiene (wash hands frequently whenever coming into contact with door knobs, other people, and even money), daily use of nutritional supplements that include high doses of vitamin D3, regular probiotic intake, and an active life style such as a 10K walk (brisk pace) every morning. People are always coming down with colds and the flu all around me but by simply washing my hands and keeping my immune system optimized, I have been fortunate in preventing rhino viruses from becoming pathogenic. However, others can do whatever they feel or think works for them.
My favorite doctor, Joel Fuhrman (who I've never met) but whose nutritional suggestions allowed me to lose 90 lbs. permanently says consumption of raw onions & other foods of the same family have sulphur compounds that are a big factor in preventing colds & flu by boosting the immune system.
He must have something there because (despite being around sick people frequently,) I haven't had a cold in 7 years. Previously, I'd be really sick at least twice/year.
Yes, we do, but this year's flu shot did not cover both of the flu viruses out there, only one. You could still get this second version of the flu despite the flu shot. Glad you got to the ER and were taken care of in time. That's definitely where you needed to be. Hope you stay in good health the rest of the year.
Sounds like you had norovirus for which there is no vaccine. I'm allergic to eggs so I can't get the flu shot (had a life threatening reaction to the flu shot a few years back) I practice thorough hand washing, get lots of Vit D, eat a plethora of Vit C containing foods, keep well hydrated and get enough sleep. I haven't had the flu in as long as I can remember. I have had a run in with norovirus it was awful, I lost 8 lbs in one week. I keep Zofran on hand for stomach bugs and that usually keeps things under control.