Since I'm NOT going to go back to sleep before I have to wake up I've been reading news articles and came across one just published here in Canada saying that the flu shot they gave everybody this year is only about 10% effective and that:

This flu season is turning into a particularly nasty one as Canada, the U.S. and other parts of the world battle epidemic levels of the illness, overwhelming hospitals...."moderately severe" flu season in North America, is expected to get worse.

The particular strain of Influenza A, H3N2, is predominant right now...and...tends to cause more serious flu. This strain has been responsible for more than 1,000 hospitalizations and at least 34 deaths in Canada,"

Can't help wondering if we've all been jabbed (or those of us who have opted to get the shot) with the same low level effective flu shot?

The arguement as I understand it and as I just read is that getting the flu vaccine albeit dead flu cells will boost your own immune system therefore preventing you (theoretically) from getting flu.

And there has been a study in Canada that says IF you get the flu vaccine every year you're actually less likely to ever need hospitalization for the flu.

So far I haven't had flu or even a cold this year and am hoping to keep it that way. Am mostly trying to avoid anybody or anything that even has a ruddy complexion and if I hear a sneeze I'm outta there.

Hope you're feeling better RS!

I am one of those that believes in the efficacy of getting a Flu shot, I know that some will say that they get the Flu when they have had the vaccination, but that is not very likely. All Flue vaccinations use dead virus cells and as you said it will stimulate your body to produce defences against those dead virus cells. The problem arises because the Flu virus is constantly mutating so no one is ever completely protected against it, you may be resistant to one variant, but not to a close mutation.

Some strains are more virulent than others and it is these strains that the vaccine manufactures use to try and out guess which next strain will be prevalent or of epidemic proportions for the next Flu cycle. Some years the results are good and others they miss the real target, although
I reckon they got it about right this time and included this particular nasty strain within the cocktail of variations they chose to include in this years vaccine. The powers that be have been warning about the severity of this particular ‘Australian’ strain for many months and that it would be a serious problem and advising people to get vaccinated, especially if you were in a vulnerable group.

The problem lies in how different sectors of the population reacts to the vaccine, take last year in the UK it was virtually no use at all to those over about 65 years old, but most children were protected against the most common forms of Flu. Because it is a mutating virus you cannot be certain which if any sector gets full or partial protection and this year the younger people seem to be more severely affected. The bottom line IMO is that some protection is better than no protection and even if you do succumb then hopefully your antibodies have been primed to react quickly.

On a final note, I am like you LLL and will steer well clear of anyone showing signs of it, I even cancelled a routine doctors appointment this week as I consider the waiting rooms will be full of Flu germs just waiting to pounce.

It has been an extremely rocky road and I can honestly say I have never felt so bad in my life! I am now recovering but slowly. Each day is different, but today I actually managed to cook a meal for my dearly beloved - his first since Christmas Day! I made a chicken and mushroom risotto and he really enjoyed it. It is very filling though, so there is enough left for him to have it again tomorrow.

I also always have the jab and try to stear clear of anyone witgh a cold or cough. That was put to the test on two occasions this morning.
First when I went for an eye test, the young lady doing the pre test checks, Pressure, scan etc, had a cold but assured me that she was over the worst. Yeah? I still insisted that she wiped all surfaces with sterile wipes before I put my chin on them.
Then the taxi driver home had a cough. To his credit he drove with his window open and as I sat in the front I think I avoided any germs he might be carrying.

I will know if my efforts were successful in a few days.#

But why don't we behave like the Japanese and wear masks when we have a cold?

I rarely go out, Grandad, but unfortunately, this particular bug came to me! DH picked it up first and then shared it!

Glad you managed to feed your DH Ruby - but I hope that you ate something as well!

The flu came to me just before Christmas twice I thought i was over it except for a cough, but it's back today. I felt so weak yet funnily enough the one thing missing was my normal hand tremor - I had none at all, weird but makes tea making and typing so much easier.

I always get the flu vaccination. I figure the dead cells should be stimulating something so that even if I actually get the flu it might be as severe as if I hadn't had any. What is happening this year definitely seems to be a difficult one though.