The public health messages have been going out fast and furious: Get Your Flu Shot Now! The media is spreading the word. Here is just a sampling: “Connecticut Health Officials Urge People to Get a Flu Shot.” That was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. The USA Today Network asked: “Take Care: “Are You Prepared for Flu Season? The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced on Dec. 19 that the flu activity in the state has increased to “regional status.” However, it’s not too late to get a vaccine if you or your child is not already vaccinated.” The implication is that a flu shot will protect you. What if the flu shot doesn’t work very well?
Reports from Real People:
We suspect that most people think getting an influenza vaccine will protect them against the flu. But the flu shot doesn’t work 100% of the time. In fact it doesn’t work 90% of the time or even 80% of the time.
We have been tracking vaccine effectiveness for years. According to our calculation, overall effectiveness is right around 41% when you average the last 13 years. To see how well the vaccine actually works year to year, check out this link.
Our readers tell what it’s like when a flu shot doesn’t work:
Q. My husband and I got a flu shot in early October. At the end of November, we came down with a terrible case of influenza.
Now I read that the flu shot may only be 10 percent effective. It’s the same faulty flu shot they used in Australia.
My sister-in-law, an ER nurse, had to take the shot to keep her job. Now she is as sick as I am with the flu.
The Official Reason the Flu Show Doesn’t Work:
A. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (Nov. 29, 2017) described the Australian experience with influenza earlier this year. That is where the 10 percent estimate of vaccine effectiveness against H3N2 originated. The authors make a strong case for a universal influenza vaccine that will be more effective. The flu appears to be spreading fast and experts believe this could be a bad year.
What To Do When the Flu Shot Doesn’t Work:
Most people assume that if they catch the flu, game over. If the flu shot doesn’t work they are out of luck. They will just have to suffer for a week or two.
That is not necessarily true. There is an oral medicine that can speed healing from influenza if it is taken soon enough (within 48 hours of first symptoms).
Now, we grant you that is not easy at this time of year. First, you have to get in to see your doctor. If everyone else is suffering from the flu, chances are that it will be challenging to get an appointment. Then your doctor will need to run a rapid flu test to see whether you actually have influenza. Many doctors are very cautious when it comes to prescribing antiviral medications.
If, however, you are able to get a prescription for Tamiflu (oseltamivir) within the 48 hour window of opportunity, chances are you will recover faster and symptoms will be less severe.
Learn about the pros and cons of Tamiflu at this link:
The Inside Story of Tamiflu: Side Effects & Benefits
Share Your Own Story:
Did you:
- Get a flu shot this year?
- Did it Work?
- Was the flu shot protection disappointing?
- Did you come down with the flu?
- If so, how bad was it?
- Did you get an Rx for Tamiflu?
- Did it work?
- Did you suffer any side effects?
We would love to learn about your experience in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing your story.
