When are you going to get a Flu Shot?

[downer]

Isn't the risk prediction of flu + COVID very speculative at this stage? Alarmist even.

No.  Do you know what happens to the viruses when someone has both viruses? 

As for wearing a helmet when I drive, the question is absurd.  But I do have antilock brakes, wear a seatbelt, have airbags, drive under the speed limit, (lower when the road conditions are poor)... I take Reasonable Precautions!

There have been few cases of co-infection. It does seem like it places at greater risk of need of hospitalization. But it has been hard to study because of the rarity of co-infection. Not a whole lot is known about it. Right now, there's a lot of speculation.

As for wearing a helmet, 280,000 people in the U.S. receive a motor vehicle induced traumatic brain injury every year. Everyone wearing a  helmet with a 5 point harness would end that.

[Caracal]

Isn't the risk prediction of flu + COVID very speculative at this stage? Alarmist even.

No.  Do you know what happens to the viruses when someone has both viruses? 

As for wearing a helmet when I drive, the question is absurd.  But I do have antilock brakes, wear a seatbelt, have airbags, drive under the speed limit, (lower when the road conditions are poor)... I take Reasonable Precautions!

Indeed. I'm pretty sure that a helmet would be superfluous. People wear helmets when they ride bikes or motorcycles because if you were to crash, your head can hit the ground or something else. If you wear a seatbelt in a car and there is an airbag, there's not much chance of your head  slamming into anything in that way. Obviously things can impact your head, but I'm guessing in ways that a helmet wouldn't help much with. Race car drivers use those head and neck restraint devices which apparently dramatically reduce serious injuries and deaths, but that's a lot more than just a helmet. Probably if we all wore those, people would die a lot less often in car accidents, but I can't imagine it would be very practical. Not exactly analogous to getting a quick shot which carries very few risks.

[clean]

For Downer,

Dale Carnegie, "A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still".

Yoda, "Do or do not..."

If you chose to accept the risks your health when a vaccine is available that could prevent the illness or reduce the severity of the illness, you are an adult, and I wish you luck. 

Hopefully there will be no issues with the viruses co-mutating.  Hopefully, all will be well and the added precautions that press is noting as being so universally followed by EVERYONE, everywhere, the CV19 threat will "Magically Disappear" (Donald Trump) and the flu will be very mild given the added precautions. 


I suppose that my Boy Scout "Be Prepared" training is just too much for me to ignore, even at my still advancing age.

[Caracal]

Hopefully there will be no issues with the viruses co-mutating.

I believe the risk of this is practically nil. Both are viruses but they are very far apart evolutionary. Mostly the worry is that if you add on the additional burden of the flu season to COVID, it could be very bad for hospitals.

[wellfleet]

Got mine a couple of weeks ago at the pharmacy. Mom and I both have asthma (we live together) and she's at high risk for well, everything, so we all get flu shots around here. She'll get hers from her doctor next week.

[brixton]

Same here-- got mine a few weeks ago.  I always get one.  Although it may not be as much of an issue with on-line classes, it keesp the the students' germ pools at bay 

[Juvenal]

Isn't the risk prediction of flu + COVID very speculative at this stage? Alarmist even.

No.  Do you know what happens to the viruses when someone has both viruses? 

As for wearing a helmet when I drive, the question is absurd.  But I do have antilock brakes, wear a seatbelt, have airbags, drive under the speed limit, (lower when the road conditions are poor)... I take Reasonable Precautions!

+1

[polly_mer]

Even if you don't get both viruses at once, getting either one and putting extra stress on the local medical care this year is suboptimal.

My calendar is marked for 30 September when my employer starts the weekly drive-through flu shots for free with no appointment necessary.

[FishProf]

Already did.  Two weeks ago.

If needed, I'll do it again in February.

[aside]

October 1.  I get one every year since having the "Taiwan flu" in January of 1987.  That is the only time I've had the flu, but that strain was a real knock-out blow.  Two weeks of fever of 101 or more.  Awful!

[secundem_artem]

Got mine last Thursday right after I got my Covid test.

[Vkw10]

September 4, 2020. During doctor's visit that morning, doctor told me to go directly to pharmacy and get vaccine. According to doctor, pharmacies get vaccine before doctors' offices, so she's sending all high-risk patients to pharmacy this year. She said medical community here in Texas is worried about being overwhelmed with COVID-19 and flu both circulating.

I usually get vaccine in early October, but if doctor's worried about patients waiting, I figured it's no big deal to get shot immediately.

[kaysixteen]

I had mine a month ago, and then the shingles and pneumococcus ones two weeks ago.   Why would I not do this, especially given my age, type ii diabetic status, etc.?   And really, why wouldn't anyone save those who have med reasons not to, fail to get the flu shot, esp in the covid era?   Indeed, here in Mass., the governor required all students returning to k12 schools to get it, unless medically prevented.

[Caracal]

I had mine a month ago, and then the shingles and pneumococcus ones two weeks ago.   Why would I not do this, especially given my age, type ii diabetic status, etc.?   And really, why wouldn't anyone save those who have med reasons not to, fail to get the flu shot, esp in the covid era?   Indeed, here in Mass., the governor required all students returning to k12 schools to get it, unless medically prevented.

Yeah, on a purely selfish level, I would like to not get sick and worry I have COVID. I really never understand why people who don't seem to be anti-vaccers pretend to have principled objections to getting the flu vaccine. Yes, it is only partially effective, but why wouldn't you want to reduce your risk. Besides, usually people who get the vaccine have less severe cases. Reactions are quite mild. And, yes, it avoids you giving the flu to others.

[fourhats]

I got one yesterday, during a scheduled doctor's visit. I was glad to get it since I was there anyway.