10-22-2004, 10:51 AM
DeeBye,Oct 22 2004, 06:38 AM Wrote:I get the flu once a year, without fail. I can handle the flu. I feel lousy for a few days, and maybe I barf a bit. Big deal. So why is everyone suddenly concerned about the availability of flu shots?
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Your description proves a single thing: You've NEVER in your life had a genuine flu (aka a real viral influenza). :P
What you describe is often called a flu but indeed is no more than a common cold caused by a pleuthera of members from the rhinoviridae family.
Had you ever experienced the real deal and been introduced to one of the lovely strains of actual influenza virus, you'd realize what people are talking about. Even for a healthy young person, Influenza A means 2 weeks of utter misery, temperatures above 40 degrees centigrade, inability to rise from bed for several days and a level of head- and jointaches that put a harmless little cold to shame. And trust me, I *know* :D
The 1917 strain (so called "spanish flu") killed 18 million people worldwide (even the young and healthy!) during WW1 and was recently recovered from graves in permafrost areas. Genetically it was much more closely related to many modern strains than virologists were thinking.
Even the recent years' more "harmless" strains killed an average of 6000 people here in Germany. Admittedly, they were mostly the elderly and already weakened folks, but who do you think they received their infection FROM?
Each single person immunized is one potential host, breeder and carrier less for the next strain to spread by. Actually, ESPECIALLY those lucky folks who indeed handle a genuine influenza exceptionally well (as with every disease, there are always people who suffer way less than the average) would do good to get inoculated. Because THEY are the most mobile and active distributors...
The very young, the elderly and the weakened should protect themselves by getting their shot. Everyone else should protect THEM and get immunized IMHO B)
- Armin
Still fondly remembering my own stupidity, when I caught a 1962 strain of Influenza A / Puerto Rico from the institute stock :blink:
With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince...
With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. ...
and still keep the frog you started with.