Thread: 5 myths about the flu

5 myths about the flu

Updated 25m ago
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY

In a new survey by Consumer Reports, only 30% of respondents were "very confident" that this year's flu shot is safe.

That leaves many doctors and scientists perplexed. Of all the many things to fear in the world, they say, vaccines should be at the bottom of the list. USA TODAY's Liz Szabo talked to vaccine safety experts to address some of the most common myths.


TWITTER: #fluchat questions & doctor's answers

Myth 1: The flu shot causes the flu.

The viruses in the flu shot are dead, so they can't give people the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its most common side effect is soreness in the arm.

FluMist nasal spray contains weakened viruses, so they don't cause severe, flu-like symptoms, either. Side effects in children can include a runny nose, wheezing and headache.

So why do some people swear that they got sick right after getting a flu shot? Flu shots tend to be given at a time of year when respiratory viruses are beginning to circulate, doctors say. So it's only natural that some people will catch a respiratory bug shortly after getting a vaccine. And since it takes about two weeks after getting a vaccine for the body to develop immunity, some of those bugs could be the flu. But the vaccine itself isn't causing disease.

Myth 2: The flu is just a bad cold.

While some people develop worse symptoms than others, flu symptoms tend to be much more severe than — and come on much more suddenly — than a cold. Many who got H1N1 (swine flu) last year were out of work or school for a week with fever, body aches, sore throat, fatigue, headaches and a runny or congested nose, according to the CDC.

And unlike a cold, which generally goes away on its own after five days or so, the flu can cause life-threatening complications, mostly by causing secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia.

The flu sends 200,000 people to the hospital and kills 30,000 in a typical year, the CDC says.

California obstetrician-gynecologist Jennifer Gunter says her 7-year-old son, Oliver, who was born prematurely, has been hospitalized for the flu twice. Both times, he came home from the hospital with an oxygen machine. Gunter caught H1N1 last year, before the vaccine was available.

"It was horrible," Gunter says. "I was off work for six days until I was no longer infectious."

In developed countries, influenza kills more people than any other vaccine-preventable disease, says pediatrician Jon Abramson of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Families Fighting Flu, a non-profit health group.

Myth 3: This year's shot — which protects against both H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines — is riskier than earlier versions.

Actually, the new flu shot was made the same way as every other flu shot, says Randy Bergen of Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, Calif.

Every year, vaccine makers include circulating viral strains that are most likely to cause illness. Typically, these include two influenza A strains — an H1N1 and an H3N2 — and a strain of influenza B, Abramson says.

This year, manufacturers included the H1N1 strain that caused pandemic last year, Abramson says.

All drugs, including "natural" supplements and vitamins, have side effects. But the safety of vaccines is actually tracked more closely than just about any other drug. Unlike most medicines, "we have more hard facts when it comes to the flu shot," Gunter says.

Through the National Adverse Event Reporting System, investigators check out every serious side effect that people experience after getting a flu shot. Most aren't related to the flu vaccine. In fact, there were no deaths attributed to the H1N1 vaccine last year, Gunter says.

Myth 4: Only sick people need a flu shot.

While older people and newborns are usually at greatest risk for complications, swine flu is actually most threatening to the young.

Typically, about 90% of flu deaths are in people over 65. Last year, however, about 90% of flu deaths were in people under 30. About 10% of flu deaths last year were in children, according to the CDC.

When healthy people get vaccinated, it can help protect the weak, including cancer patients, anyone with a compromised immune system and newborns too young to get the shot, says Paul Offit, chief of infectious disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Because babies can't be vaccinated until they're 6 months old, they depend on those around them — parents, grandparents, siblings, babysitters, hospital employees — to get the flu shot, creating a "cocoon" of protection, Bergen says.

Myth 5: Flu shots contain methyl mercury and other toxic chemicals.

Although there's no evidence that the ethyl mercury-based preservative thimerosal causes harm, vaccine makers responded to public concerns in 2001 and stopped using it in most vaccines.

Neither flu shots in individual-dose containers or the FluMist nasal spray contain thimerosal. Flu vaccine kept in multi-dose vials do use thimerosal as a preservative, to prevent the growth of fungus or other potentially dangerous germs, Bergen says. Patients can ask for the thimerosal-free versions.

But scientists note that all mercury is not the same.

Thimerosal contains ethyl mercury, which has not been shown to cause harm, rather than methyl mercury, the type that can cause brain damage, Offit says. While most laypeople don't pay attention to such differences, they're important. Consider the huge difference between ethyl alcohol — or drinking alcohol, found in wine and beer — and methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol, which can cause blindness.

There's also no data to prove that thimerosal causes autism, Offit says. In fact, seven studies now refute that idea.

Gunter notes that flu shots don't use aluminum, which is used in other vaccines as an "adjuvant" to stimulate a stronger immune response.

While many medications and consumer products have trace levels of chemicals, so do our bodies, Offit says. Breast milk has more mercury contamination than vaccines. So does infant formula. But vaccines, like breast milk, play a vital role in keeping infants healthy.

"If you have zero tolerance for mercury, you have to move to another planet," Offit says. "We all have mercury and formaldehyde and aluminum in our bodies. Vaccines don't add to what we normally encounter every day."

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health ... -flu_N.htm

The flu isn't working for them anymore. Now it's the shingles shot in my area. Whooping cough in other areas and in Colorado it's the menigitis.

They move on to other diseases when one doesn't scare us enough.

Vaccines are a deadly hoax.

There is nothing wrong with a flu shot. It's certainly doesn't cause the flu.
I've been getting one for a couple of years now. As for the shingles vaccine, I'm not old enough. (under 60).

I had shingles, during a vacation in AZ. It's painful and took several weeks to fully recover. I actually want the vaccine.

Is there a vaccine to prevent shingles?

Yes. CDC recommends Zostavax for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. This is a one-time vaccination. Zostavax does not treat shingles or post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone) once it develops.

Is the shingles vaccine safe?
The FDA has licensed the vaccine as safe. The vaccine has been tested in about 20,000 people aged 60 years old and older. The most common side effects in people who got the vaccine were redness, soreness, swelling or itching at the shot site, and headache. CDC, working with the FDA, will continue to monitor the safety of the vaccine after it is in general use.

The shingles vaccine is made of a weakened form of the chickenpox virus.

Can a person who has received the vaccine infect others with this virus? Updated Oct 2008
No. It is safe to be around infants and young children, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems after you get the shingles vaccine. Transmission of the chickenpox virus from a person who has received the shingles vaccine has never been documented. (For more information on transmission of shingles, read the Shingles Disease Q&A.)

Some people who get the shingles vaccine will develop a chickenpox-like rash near the place where they were vaccinated. As a precaution, this rash should be covered until it disappears.

How effective is the shingles vaccine? Updated May 2009
In a clinical trial involving thousands of adults 60 years old or older, Zostavax reduced the risk of shingles by about half (51%) and the risk of post-herpetic neuralgia by 67%. While the vaccine was most effective in people 60-69 years old it also provided some protection for older groups.

How long does the shingles vaccine last? New May 2009
Research suggests that the shingles vaccine is effective for at least six years, but may last much longer. Ongoing studies are being conducted to determine exactly how long the vaccine protects against shingles.

Who should NOT get the shingles vaccine? NEW May 2009
Some people should not get the shingles vaccine:

People who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin.
People who have a severe allergy to any component of the vaccine.
People with a weakened immune system as a result of leukemia, lymphoma, or any other blood or bone cancer.
People with HIV/AIDS who have T-cell counts below 200.
People being treated with drugs that affect the immune system, including high-dose steroids.
Women who are or might be pregnant.


Can the shingles vaccine be given to people who have already had shingles?
Yes. People who have had shingles can receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. This is true no matter when they first got shingles. Updated Oct 2008

How long must a person wait after having shingles to receive the shingles vaccine? Updated Oct 2008
There is no specific time that a person must wait before receiving the shingles vaccine. The decision on when to get vaccinated should be made with your doctor and be based on your specific circumstances. Generally, a person should make sure that his or her shingles rash has disappeared before getting vaccinated.

Why is the shingles vaccine only recommended for people 60 years and older?
A person's risk for getting shingles begins to rise around age 50. However, shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is only recommended for persons age 60 and older because the safety and effects of the vaccine were only studied in this group, which accounts for about half of all cases of shingles occurring each year in the United States. Future research will determine if the recommended age for vaccination should be lowered.

Shingles occurs in people who have already had chickenpox. Does it matter if a person remembers having had chickenpox? Updated Oct 2008
Anyone 60 years of age or older should get the shingles vaccine, regardless of whether they recall having had chickenpox or not. Studies show that more than 99% of Americans ages 40 and older have had chickenpox, even if they don’t remember getting the disease.



Is it ‘worth it’ for older people to get the vaccine? Updated May 2009
Yes. The older a person is, the more severe the effects of shingles typically are, so all adults 60 years old or older should get the shingles vaccine. There is no maximum age for getting the shingles vaccine.

Does the shingles vaccine, which protects against herpes zoster, also protect against genital herpes? Updated Oct 2008
No. The shingles vaccine is specifically designed to protect people against herpes zoster, which is another name for shingles disease. It will not protect people against other forms of herpes, such as genital herpes.

Is the shingles vaccine covered by insurance? Updated May 2009
All Medicare Part D plans cover the shingles vaccine. The amount of cost-sharing (money you have to pay) for vaccination varies.

Medicare Part B does not cover the shingles vaccine. If you have private insurance or Medicaid, your plan may or may not cover the vaccine; contact your insurer to find out.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shi ... c-faqs.htm

Pneumonia Can Be Prevented – Vaccines Can Help

Brief description of pneumococcal disease and vaccine recommendations ...

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/pneumo/default.htm