Flu Shot Form

It is true that flu shots can be somewhat less effective than many vaccines, mainly because new strains of Influenza virus are constantly evolving.  Because it takes some time to develop a new type of vaccine, each year the World Health Organization has a meeting at which flu experts try to predict which strains will be the most important ones in the next flu season.  About a month ago, the WHO released its list of the four strains of influenza virus that should be included in the shots for the 2015-2016 Northern Hemisphere flu season.What proportion of next winter's flu cases will these strains represent?  If I could tell you that, I would be a candidate for a Nobel Prize.  Some years it turns out most cases of flu are very similar to what those experts had predicted, and the flu shots are then quite effective.  In other years, the expert guess was less accurate so the flu shots are less effective.But in most years the flu shots do turn out to have a highly favorable risk/benefit ratio.  And the public health benefits when some people get flu shots extend well beyond those who get the shots, because of what is known as "herd immunity."  If a shot prevents me from getting the flu, then it can also prevent me from giving the flu to somebody else.I am not a physician, so I am not qualified to give medical advice to anybody.  What I can say is that (1) I work with Infectious Diseases Drug Discovery at a pharmaceutical company, (2) I am listed as an author of scientific publications about molecules that inhibit several viruses including Influenza, and (3) every year I stand in line with fellow pharmaceutical researchers at my workplace to get flu shots.Many health care facilities require or at least strongly encourage their staff to get flu shots in order to protect their patients.  My workplace only does laboratory research, so each of us makes an individual decision whether to get the shots.  The company just makes the vaccine available each Fall (usually in late November) and we choose whether to get it.  I usually do see lots of Infectious Disease researchers in that line.And one final point: a vaccine may have benefits in the future even if it is not very useful in the current flu season.  Remember the Swine Flu fiasco back in the 1970s?  There was an outbreak of a new type of flu at a US Army base that made hundreds of new recruits going through Boot Camp sick and some of them died.  President Ford, acting on medical advice, started a crash-priority vaccination campaign.  Millions of people including me got the shots.  Then it turned out this flu strain did not spread beyond that Army base.  It just was not a very contagious virus.  It had spread quickly at the Army base only because Boot Camp created conditions favorable to its spread (lots of very tired guys living close together).Well, Mother Nature likes to surprise us!  It turns out the new type of flu virus that appeared in 2009 was quite similar to some older viruses.  Specifically, the 2009 pandemic flu strain had similarities to (1) strains that had been common before 1960 and (2) the strain from the outbreak at that US Army base.  So older people and people who had received shots during the 1970s Swine Flu vaccination campaign were partially immune to the 2009 strain.  So the 1970s shots may well have saved some lives, decades later.

Whenever this question is asked of health care providers on Quora, I am appalled at the patient-shaming lists that are provided by the people who are supposed to be helping people in their time of need. This includes doctors, nurses, therapists & others in the health care profession.Clearly, the default is that they see the majority of patients as lying, lazy, drunken & drugged ignorant fat pigs who don’t know what they are talking about simply because the sick person did research outside of the clinical setting.And then they turn to defend to their death that doctors are not dismissive and the majority listen to their patients with great kindness and compassion.When an actual patient cites an incident where a doctor severely threatened their health & well being by NOT listening, caring or giving attention to detail, the whining about insurance companies & “not enough time” begins.You chose this profession, yet shame and ridicule present and potential consumers of your service for their concerns & comments on a public Internet forum.I was a nurse for 20 years and am sad for the patients who now have to fight upstream for their care, while the jaded burn-outs discourage them with these attitudes of judgement and superiority.

Shame on anyone for judging those who choose to protect their young. It is no one’s place, but the parent’s to decide. Those judging so harshly are going to be the very ones who end up with damaged kids and grandkids and end up feeling like complete idiots for stating their opinions so publically. Backtracking gains ZERO empathy and you are going to feel like horrible human beings.Children are not being given a choice and little lives are being thrown way off track because of the ignorant and adamant insistence of those with no common sense concerning their own. I can not believe the total lack of regard and blind faith we still give those who consistently harm us with their snake oils.If there was some kind of black plague running rampant in the world, there might be cause for real concern, but I think we got things under control. It seems like the more damage we allow to be done to our immune systems, with all these drugs we take, rather than seeking answers for the cause, might be a clue, that conventional pill popping and immunizing is doing more harm than good.Do some research folks. OPEN your minds to find the truth. I ain’t no one special, and even I was able to. Stands to reason the rest of you could find what I have and do some comparing via experiences, add 2 plus 2, and even draw the conclusions being proven, yet you can not see because of your fears. Trashing those who understand and are trying their best for their children without following blindly along, is not the answer. Wow!To the OP: Do not fear. There is nothing to fear but fear itself. Make the right decisions and understand that you will never ever be able to please all the people all the time. So, don’t try. Those judging you now, will be judging harshly someone else in a few minutes. Stay in the moment, be vigilant, and keep doing the best you can. That’s your job as a parent. You are not alone.Ex VaxxersTo top it off, there is going to be “spin”. Folks are going to lie about the state of things, etc. It would not surprise if someone actually started an epidemic and blamed anti vaxxers. Adamant folks, especially those losing money, behave drastically and viciously. So remain vigilant and trust you will know the truth from lies. It’s the way it has always been when we get out of line, and no longer maintain the sheep mentality. Hold the line if ya can. It might seem like a lot of pressure, but if everyone does not cave, the truth will be apparent even more so than it actually is.

Counting out pills is the least time consuming part of filling a prescription. Let me give you a brief walk through (different pharmacies may vary slightly):Prescription comes in the pharmacy (by whatever means).The pharmacist checks the prescription to make sure everything is correct and makes sense. You would be amazed at the number of times I’ve seen prescriptions for rash creams to be taken by mouth, inappropriate dosing schedules, or just sheer gibberish on a prescription form.If the pharmacist thinks there is a problem with the prescription, the pharmacy tech has to call the doctor’s office for clarification. Few doctors are happy to hear that someone is questioning their prescribing ability. There may be nothing wrong the prescription itself, but the new drug may interact with something you are already taking, so we have to get an alternative.Once that is straightened out (which may require quite a bit of phone tag), I, the pharmacy technician enter the prescription into the system.The pharmacist double checks my work.Then, and only then, do we run your insurance. It may go through the first time, it may not. It may require a prior authorization. The drug may be covered, but only for a certain number of doses per month. We pharmacy techs have to work all that out and navigate the maze of your insurance - assuming we have up-to-date information. Please let us know if you have changed insurance.Once your insurance has been processed, your prescription is added to the queue. Yours is not the only prescription. They are generally filled in the order they came in, with some priority given to people who are waiting.Your prescription has worked its way to the front of the queue. A pharmacy tech goes to the shelf, pulls the drug off the shelf, checking to make sure it is the correct drug in the correct strength. Bar codes are scanned, a label is generated, pills are counted out. Counting out pills may look easy, but some of those suckers are bound and determined to cause a problem. Let me pour a bunch of BB’s on a tray and see how fast you can count them out. Yes, there are pills that are shaped like BB’s. Then there are the fragile pills, the capsules that want to stick to the tray due to static, the tiny pills, the capsules that want to come open. That’s just pills. There are liquids, creams, drops, and pastes that have to be mixed at the time of dispensing.The label is put on the bottle. The pills are put in the bottle. The bottle and the associated paperwork are sent to the pharmacist for verification.Once the pharmacist okays it, the vial(s) and associated paperwork are put in a bag to await you. If for some reason, the pharmacist finds a problem with it, we have to go back a couple of steps and try again.Keep in mind all this is going on while other patients are coming to the counter to pick up or drop off prescriptions, the phone is ringing, people are coming through the drive-thru, people are asking us where the toothpaste or hair dye are, people wanting to know how long they will have to wait for a flu shot. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.All that so that you can get the correct drug, in the correct form, in the correct dose, in the correct quantity and grumble at the pharmacy staff over having to wait a whole 20 minutes for your prescription. This is not fast food. If we screw this up, we could kill you. Cut us some slack. Drop off your prescription, go run a couple of errands, and pick it up later - and don’t yell at me because your copay went up. Go yell at your insurance company. They are the ones who make that decision, not the pharmacy.

Really really shitty.First, you have the withdrawal. Withdrawal is like having a cold and the flu and vertigo and food poisoning and also you're too hot and too cold and your skin tries to crawl off of your body.The reason this happens is because taking heroin on a regular basis causes your nerve endings to shrivel up and die. This is also the reason why heroin addicts often can't get erections or lose their sex drive: sexual stimulation is nothing compared to the euphoria of heroin.Anyway, when you stop doing heroin, your nerve endings start to come back. The opioid receptors in your brain start throwing a tantrum, shrieking at you to fill them up again.There are medications that remove the symptoms of withdrawal. However, the catch is that you have to start withdrawal in order for them to be effective.Here's how works: a strip of (which most commonly comes in the form of an orange sublingual film that tastes like orange-flavored cat shit) contains and naloxone. The naloxone (also knows as the anti-overdose drug) prevents people from trying to inject the . If you take while the heroin is still in your system, you will go into precipitated withdrawal and the won't be effective.There's a scale, called COWS (Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale), that measures the progress of withdrawal. It is an 11-item test that clinicians use to determine whether a patient can be given yet. It is important that the patient be in moderate withdrawal (>10 points) before they receive the Subs. If you are curious about withdrawal and would like a more thorough explanation of the symptoms, I highly recommend looking at the link I provided. works by preventing the user from getting high off of heroin while they are taking the Subs. This is important because is effective at managing cravings for two reasons: 1) it prevents the heroin from working and 2) even if you stop taking it, you have to wait at least a few days before the heroin will affect you.This helps with cravings because most cravings only last a few minutes. As long as you can ride out those 20 or so minutes without picking up, you're usually ok for at least the next few hours. If you know that you won't get high even if you do pick up, it effectively stops you from bothering to waste money.Cravings are even worse than withdrawal. At least with physical pain, you know that there is an end in sight. With the psychological pain of cravings, you know that it will be years, even decades, before you can feel “normal” again.The only good thing about stopping heroin is that your finances immediately and signNowly improve. You can spend money on fun things and try to distract yourself from the fact that you can never, ever experience the intense euphoria of heroin ever again.I do enjoy volunteering at the needle exchange and my Smart Recovery meetings. But I will always know, in the back of my mind, that I have experienced the chemical equivalent of a hundred simultaneous orgasms and I can never ever touch opiates again or I will slide back into addiction.Sliding back into addiction is incredibly dangerous. Because your tolerance has been lowered signNowly, you are at a much higher risk for overdosing. This is how many people end up overdosing after doing only one shot following a clean period: they do the same amount they are used to doing and it is far too much for them.Withdrawal sucks. Cravings suck. Track marks suck. Being in debt sucks. People not trusting you sucks.Heroin sucks.

NOOOOOOO. You are talking to a military romance scammer. I received an email from the US Army that directly answers your question that is pasted below please keep reading.I believe you are the victim of a military Romance Scam whereas the person you are talking to is a foreign national posing as an American Soldier claiming to be stationed overseas on a peacekeeping mission. That's the key to the scam they always claim to be on a peacekeeping mission.Part of their scam is saying that they have no access to their money that their mission is highly dangerous.If your boyfriend girlfriend/future husband/wife is asking you to do the following or has exhibited this behavior, it is a most likely a scam:Moves to private messaging site immediately after meeting you on Facebook or SnapChat or Instagram or some dating or social media site. Often times they delete the site you met them on right after they asked you to move to a more private messaging siteProfesses love to you very quickly & seems to quote poems and song lyrics along with using their own sort of broken language, as they profess their love and devotion quickly. They also showed concern for your health and love for your family.Promises marriage as soon as he/she gets to state for leave that they asked you to pay for.They Requests money (wire transfers) and Amazon, iTune ,Verizon, etc gift cards, for medicine, religious practices, and leaves to come home, internet access, complete job assignments, help sick friend, get him out of trouble, or anything that sounds fishy.The military does provide all the soldier needs including food medical Care and transportation for leave. Trust me, I lived it, you are probably being scammed. I am just trying to show you examples that you are most likely being connned.Below is an email response I received after I sent an inquiry to the US government when I discovered I was scammed. I received this wonderful response back with lots of useful links on how to find and report your scammer. And how to learn more about Romance Scams.Right now you can also copy the picture he gave you and do a google image search and you will hopefully see the pictures of the real person he is impersonating. this doesn't always work and take some digging. if you find the real person you can direct message them and alert them that their image is being used for scamming.Good Luck to you and I'm sorry this may be happening to you. please continue reading the government response I received below it's very informative.   You have contacted an email that is monitored by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. Unfortunately, this is a common concern. We assure you there is never any reason to send money to anyone claiming to be a Soldier online. If you have only spoken with this person online, it is likely they are not a U.S. Soldier at all. If this is a suspected imposter social media profile, we urge you to report it to that platform as soon as possible. Please continue reading for more resources and answers to other frequently asked questions:  How to report an imposter Facebook profile: Caution-https://www.facebook.com/help/16... < Caution-https://www.facebook.com/help/16... >   Answers to frequently asked questions:  - Soldiers and their loved ones are not charged money so that the Soldier can go on leave.  - Soldiers are not charged money for secure communications or leave.  - Soldiers do not need permission to get married.  - Soldiers emails are in this format: john.doe.mil@mail.mil < Caution-mailto: john.doe.mil@mail.mil > anything ending in .us or .com is not an official email account.  - Soldiers have medical insurance, which pays for their medical costs when treated at civilian health care facilities worldwide – family and friends do not need to pay their medical expenses.  - Military aircraft are not used to transport Privately Owned Vehicles.  - Army financial offices are not used to help Soldiers buy or sell items of any kind.  - Soldiers deployed to Combat Zones do not need to solicit money from the public to feed or house themselves or their troops.  - Deployed Soldiers do not find large unclaimed sums of money and need your help to get that money out of the country.  Anyone who tells you one of the above-listed conditions/circumstances is true is likely posing as a Soldier and trying to steal money from you.  We would urge you to immediately cease all contact with this individual.  For more information on avoiding online scams and to report this crime, please see the following sites and articles:   This article may help clarify some of the tricks social media scammers try to use to take advantage of people: Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/61432/< Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/61432/>   CID advises vigilance against 'romance scams,' scammers impersonating Soldiers  Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/180749 < Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/180749 >   FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center: Caution-http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx< Caution-http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx>   U.S. Army investigators warn public against romance scams: Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/130...< Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/130...>   DOD warns troops, families to be cybercrime smart -Caution-http://www.army.mil/article/1450...< Caution-http://www.army.mil/article/1450...>   Use caution with social networking  Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/146...< Caution-https://www.army.mil/article/146...>    Please see our frequently asked questions section under scams and legal issues. Caution-http://www.army.mil/faq/ < Caution-http://www.army.mil/faq/ > or visit Caution-http://www.cid.army.mil/ < Caution-http://www.cid.army.mil/ >.  The challenge with most scams is determining if an individual is a legitimate member of the US Army. Based on the Privacy Act of 1974, we cannot provide this information. If concerned about a scam you may contact the Better Business Bureau (if it involves a solicitation for money), or local law enforcement. If you're involved in a Facebook or dating site scam, you are free to contact us direct; (571) 305-4056.   If you have a social security number, you can find information about Soldiers online at Caution-https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/sc... < Caution-https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/sc... > . While this is a free search, it does not help you locate a retiree, but it can tell you if the Soldier is active duty or not.  If more information is needed such as current duty station or location, you can contact the Commander Soldier's Records Data Center (SRDC) by phone or mail and they will help you locate individuals on active duty only, not retirees. There is a fee of $3.50 for businesses to use this service. The check or money order must be made out to the U.S. Treasury. It is not refundable. The address is:  Commander Soldier's Records Data Center (SRDC) 8899 East 56th Street Indianapolis, IN 46249-5301 Phone: 1-866-771-6357  In addition, it is not possible to remove social networking site profiles without legitimate proof of identity theft or a scam. If you suspect fraud on this site, take a screenshot of any advances for money or impersonations and report the account on the social networking platform immediately.  Please submit all information you have on this incident to Caution-www.ic3.gov < Caution-http://www.ic3.gov > (FBI website, Internet Criminal Complaint Center), immediately stop contact with the scammer (you are potentially providing them more information which can be used to scam you), and learn how to protect yourself against these scams at Caution-http://www.ftc.gov < Caution-http://www.ftc.gov > (Federal Trade Commission's website)

So I’m going to enlighten you hopefully.. I’m not entirely sure what you’re trying to assess here from this question. Are you trying to ask about efficacy for all flu seasons ever recorded where the flu shot has been used or just this one in particular? Because if it’s the latter, it’s hard to tell at this point if the vaccination for this flu has been entirely efficacious or not. From past studies though, a 40–60% reduction in mortality has been observed in high risk populations such as children and elderly (link in bottom). Also if you compare to previous epidemics such as the Spanish flu where no vaccine was used you can see there is a stark comparison to the observed death tolls then and now. Here’s my issue with what you’ve asked and maybe just because it need som clarification.. but from an immunological standpoint, what you have asked, contradicts the use of a vaccine and may as well be a placebo or a very non-efficacious vaccine. There are some vaccines out there such as typhoid vaccines where getting one has very low efficacy because there are so many variants of the salmonella it tries to vaccinate against. So if you got one to travel before you go to a third world country you don’t really lower your chances at all. Because just like wildlife, races, and cultures, the microbes have their own diverse profile and vaccinating against a few may save you from getting typhoid fever in your home but it won’t save you from the variants that have novel genotypic and phenotypic traits in other countries and you may ultimately still get infected. The severity could be reduced though depending on how similar the bacterium is to the vaccine it unintentionally is protecting you from.But I digress, the difference with flu vaccines from say the typhoid vaccine is because transmission is much easier in influenza. The virus can also mutate very easily just by changing a few receptors around and then you have a novel flu virus ready for rentry and an old vaccine with reduced efficacy. It becomes an even more serious concern when the virus can cross between species because our bodies will react much more strongly to it’s novel antigenic variation carried over from the other species say that of a bird or a pig. However, herd immunity (vaccinating a large proportion of the population to protect the few who can’t/won’t get vaccinated for some reason) is a powerful thing, and even just a few million people getting vaccinated greatly reduces the viral transmission making the vaccine much more efficacious in protecting people from dying of flu on a pandemic scale making something like the Spanish flu unlikely to happen again. So to recap: Reduced transmission=reduced sick numbers=reduced chances of mortalities= reduced chances of random mutation events. Sure we all want believe a vaccine is %100 effective, but realistically it takes a pretty serious disease like polio or small pox for people to buy in and also get the ball rolling on a really good vaccine. Luckily though one persons skepticism is another persons gift to humanity and like giving blood going out and getting a flu shot is also a deed that could save lives. Hope that helps some.Vaccine Effectiveness - How Well Does the Flu Vaccine Work?

How can I get a flu shot without freaking out?Be honest with whoever gives you the shot. Tell them you are afraid ( hate, worry about, feel sick, however you want to say it) of needles and shots. If you’re more than 2 years old, but less than 50, not pregnant, and not immune compromised ( transplant patient, etc. you’ll know if you are) then you can get a nasal mist form of the vaccine this year, but you may need to make an appointment to make sure they have it. No needles! Just ask first to make sure they have it on hand. This is a change from last year’s vaccine, so they may have to order it special. Good luck!

Honestly? I would kill everyone.Here’s how:The human body can be killed by bacteria, viruses or other pathogensAll organisms (including bacteria, but not viruses) adapt to their environments to keep themselves aliveHumans create antibodies to eliminate pathogens that could do them harmHumans may inherit antibodies, or must be presented with a small amount of the pathogen and antibodies (a vaccination) to protect them from future pathogensHumans do not make these antibodies quickly, and will be extremely susceptible to new pathogens. This is less true when the pathogen is rare, or just recently formed. During that period, few cases are discovered, and vaccinations are made to protect humans. If vaccinations were not made in a relatively short time, viruses would easily wipe out cities and towns, even countries (Ebola virus, anyone?).All viruses also evolve to infect more host cells. This is the reason people receive annual flu shots: the previous injection was for a former evolution of the flu virus.Bacteria behave similarly to viruses in that they evolve quickly, due to an impressively fast and unstable reproductive cycle. This renders many antibacterials useless during a short amount of time, if the antibacterials are being used constantly. This is why you should NOT take antibacterial pills for viruses. It WILL NOT HELP! Also, do not use Antibacterial soaps for the same reason! Your body can fight that bacteria; the antibacterials will just make the bacteria stronger! Back to answering…=>Smallpox is a pathogen that many Europeans developed defenses for prior to the 1480s. Smallpox was effectively eradicated in Europe. That didn’t mean that all of the smallpox was dead; smallpox is a virus and cannot be killed. Smallpox just sat on the skin of Europeans, not affecting them.When “Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” his skin was crawling (not literally) with smallpox virus, as were all of his crew.Anyone know how to fill in the rest?Essentially, this created an epidemic of Native Americans, having never been exposed to smallpox. I have been exposed to smallpox, flu, and many other viruses. I would be a walking virus vector and bacterial culture. The viruses and bacteria would be immune to all possible treatment, and I would be passing them out for a discounted price of: Your entire life!In short?I would kill everyone.

A flu shot is a vaccination designed to protect against the influenza virus. Receiving a flu shot annually is crucial as it helps decrease the chances of flu-related complications. It not only safeguards your health but also contributes to community immunity.

The cost of a flu shot can vary depending on location and provider, but many insurance plans cover the expense. If you do not have insurance, flu shots are generally affordable, usually ranging from $25 to $50. It's worth checking with local healthcare providers for pricing and availability.

The primary benefits of getting a flu shot include reduced risk of contracting the flu, lowering the severity of symptoms if you do get sick, and protecting vulnerable populations. Additionally, flu shots help reduce the spread of the virus, contributing to overall public health.

Flu shots are generally effective in preventing the flu, though effectiveness can vary from year to year. Studies indicate that flu shots can reduce the risk of illness by 40% to 60% during seasons when the vaccine strains are well-matched to circulating viruses. Receiving an annual flu shot is the best way to maintain protection.

Side effects from the flu shot are typically mild and may include soreness at the injection site, low-grade fever, or fatigue. Serious side effects are rare but can occur. It's essential to consult with a healthcare provider if you have concerns regarding flu shot side effects.

The flu shot is recommended for nearly everyone aged six months and older, especially those with high-risk conditions such as asthma or diabetes. Pregnant women, young children, and seniors are also advised to receive the flu shot for enhanced protection against the virus.

Encouraging employees to get a flu shot can signNowly reduce sick days and increase overall workplace productivity. By promoting flu vaccinations, businesses foster a healthier work environment and can ultimately improve morale. Investing in employee health through flu shots is a smart business decision.