the phoenix

Made it this far without it. And TBH, it wasn't something I usually got yearly as a kid.

But heading to Canada where there's more of any virus.....who's gotten it and who has not? I hear a lot of folks this year have been getting it regardless.

brenc3

If you're asking should you get your annual flu shot, yes, you should (assuming no medical issues that make it inadvisable).

atsak

The reason you haven't gotten a flu shot yet is because you've never had the real flu. If you get it, you'll do anything to avoid getting it again. Source: Me.

Go get it, at worst you'll feel a little "off" for a day. And there's no more of any virus here than there is there, not sure why you think that, bit weird. In fact because it's so cold there's often less of some viruses :-)

Toshbaf

If you get the flu shot, particularly 2 or more weeks before travel, you might avoid the flu. If you have the flu then you may debate, flu or Covid-19 (coronavirus). The regular flu can kill. Of course, not everyone or even the majority of people but still can kill.

CPRich

Why does coronavirus concern trigger a debate over a flu shot? A flu shot will do nothing to prevent a coronavirus

Ummm....huh?

Yes, lots of people get a flu shot every year, including this one. (Regardless of.....what?)

Flyingmama

You are correct, of course. Coronavirus is new, and the current flu vaccine does not cover it. It covers only the three or four existing strains most commonly encountered. Still, it's worth getting a flu shot to avoid those three or four strains since getting the flu of any variety is not fun, and can be quite deadly for some people.

the phoenix

Concern is traveling to a ski area In Canada with visiting tourists.

pinniped

And polar bears. It's all polar bears and viruses up there. And to think people are scared of Australia...

Yes, get your flu shot. That's always a good idea. Takes 5 minutes in almost any pharmacy. It used to have a nominal out-of-pocket cost but at some point insurance companies decided that treating the flu was more expensive than paying for flu shots, so it hasn't cost me anything extra at all in recent years.

Although the vaccine isn't always a 100% perfect match on the flu that's actually going around, there are studies that show it can help lessen the severity of what you do get. Our kids have had a couple diagnosed cases of Influenza B over the years. The whole school seems to get it and there's not much you can do. Usually knocks them out for about three days...they get on Tamiflu, and the rest of the family goes on half-doses of Tamiflu. Without the shots, I wonder if those cases would have been a week or more out of commission. There were other kids who had it that bad.

StuckInYYZ

Our polar bears have fricken lasers mounted on their heads...

But yes, I agree, get the flu shot. Starting November, (at least in Ontario) we get bombarded with commercials telling us to get the flu shot. You feel lousy for a few days but then you have some resistance to whats out there.

Virginia Emery

All Canadians knows Beaver Fever is a real thing !!


Humm.... Visiting tourists....

gfunkdave

I heard an interview with a public health type on NPR the other day. He said that the flu is far more dangerous than corona virus because the flu is far more common. We forget how dangerous flu is because it's relatively common and we are used to it, but people die from it every year.

The best self-diagnosis I ever heard about "do I have the flu?" is:
If you think you have the flu, you have a cold.
If you think you're going to die, you have the flu.
If dying sounds like a good idea, go to the hospital.

I had the flu once as an adult (Feb 2014) and it was the most miserable week I can remember. I couldn't get out of bed for a week. Getting up to go to the bathroom was exhausting, and it was all I could do to collapse back into bed afterwards.

Get a flu shot. The worst it can do is protect you against the wrong strains.

Yoshi212

Agree with all of stated above including the beaver fever.

Flu shots are covered in full by the majority of US health insurances and if one doesn't have that coverage look at Costco/BJs/Sams Club or GoodRX for a discount code for it. Cost is anywhere from $19-$27 generally.

Spike01

USA flu deaths 2018 - 2019

"CDC estimates that the burden of illness during the 2018–2019 season included an estimated 35.5 million people getting sick with influenza, 16.5 million people going to a health care provider for their illness, 490,600 hospitalizations, and 34,200 deaths from influenza"

Corona virus worldwide to date: 45,211 cases 1,118 deaths

Quote from: www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2018-2019.html

pinniped

Risky google of the day.

Duke787

Yes you should get the flu shot.

No it has nothing to do with coronavirus.

Among other things they are two different families of viruses so there is no protection from the coronavirus provided by a flu shot.

But as noted above the flu shot causes significant yearly damage. From Scientific American a few days ago:

So far, the new coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, has led to more than 20,000 illnesses and 427 deaths in China, as well as more than 200 illnesses and two deaths outside of mainland China. But that’s nothing compared with the flu, also called influenza. In the U.S. alone, the flu has already caused an estimated 19 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Not getting a flu shot, especially when you travel, is akin to not putting on your seatbelt in the car. Sure you don’t have to and you’ll likely be fine but why take the risk? It’s almost universally free or provided at minimum cost via insurance or local clinics (business-run, school-run, etc)