PSA time. It seems there are two major misconceptions about the flu vaccine:
1. That it prevents all strains of flu, and without fail. (It’s a concoction based on the strains predicted most likely to appear that year, and the vaccine won’t work for every single person even if the predicted flu strains are correct.)
2. That it prevents “stomach flu.” (“The flu,” short for influenza, is respiratory. “Stomach flu” is not influenza at all, so the vaccine doesn’t prevent it. I don’t know why it’s called flu, because it isn’t.)
Now you know. *musical trill*
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New gift idea posts at Milk and Cookies:
1. Non-toy gift ideas for children.
2. Gift ideas for 9-12-year-old boys. I mean, are they impossible to buy for OR WHAT?
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My littler children had gingerbread houses and milk for breakfast. WHAT?
9-12 year old boys are hard, 13-18 year old boys are THE HARDEST.
I hate it when people say, “I’ve got the flu! I’ve been throwing up all day.” Flu is not the same as stomach flu!! Annnnyway…
Your #1 is the main reason we almost never get the flu shot. We got it for the kids this year for the first time ever, but only because of the baby’s weaker immune system.
Drives me crazy when people blame their stomach ills on the flu. Or when they are sniffly and feverish for one day and claim it’s the flu. And there are a whole host of things that bug me about people’s reactions to the flu vaccine, but I am not going to Go There.
I too dislike day-of-week alliteration, although I suppose I’ve been guilty of using it on occasion.
I would like you to also tell people that the flu shot is a DEAD vaccine. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get the flu from the shot. I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOUR ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE IS.
The flu mist (up the nose one) is a weakened vaccine. It is TOTALLY POSSIBLE to get the flu from the flu mist.
Yes, influenza proper versus the “gastrointestinal flu” is another pet peeve of mine. Not at all the same thing.
YES with the stomach issues vs. influenza!
Also on the flu shot thing. It cannot give you the flu. SOMETIMES getting the vaccine causes brief flu-like symptoms, because SYMPTOMS of a virus are actually signs that your body is FIGHTING OFF the virus, and so it is possible when your body receives the deadened or inactivated virus and begins developing antibodies to it that you will experience flu-like symptoms. But it CANNOT GIVE YOU THE FLU GAH GAH GAH.
And! The “stomach flu” is more ften than not FOOD POISONING. From eating food. Not the flu, flu shot, or that risky sex you had last week. Unless the risky sex involved food.
THANK YOU! I’m a microbiologist and Flu is respiratory!!!
the “Stomach flu” is usually Norovirus (and horrible)>
i’ve got to tell you, this little grouping of sciencey/semantic nerds here in this comment section is WARMING MY HEART. i love you all! you are my people! :)
My mom: SIGH. I have INFLUENZA A! *woe is me face*
Me: …Mom? …You have the… flu. It’s what we get the flu shot for.
My mom: NO! It’s not the flu. My stomach is fine. My DOCTOR said I have INFLUENZA A and that it’s very serious.
Me: Yes, I know that it’s not the stomach flu. It’s just the FLU, the same one everyone talks about. It *can* be very serious in like, elderly people, but it’s just… the flu.
[My mom is 53; NOT ELDERLY]
My mom: No, INFLUENZA A is different than the flu. My DOCTOR said I have INFLUENZA A, he didn’t say I had the flu.
Me: …. Oh NEVERMIND!
*facepalm* *FACEPALM* *FACEBRICKWALL*
[She coughed for 2 days and was totally fine after that.]
Also, I want a gingerbread house for breakfast!
Yes! Yes! My 1 year old was sick last week (had to go to hospital for IV fluids b/c you cannot reason with a toddler) and the grandparents kept asking, “Why is he sick, I thought you got him the flu shot” YES I DID. That’s because this is NOT FLU. This is a GI VIRUS. Gah. Now stop asking if you need to start making the 800 mile trip here. He’s a kid with a bug, he’s not on his deathbed.
Phew. Ok, I feel better now.
It makes me so happy that everyone in the comments is not a moron. :) I always get the flu shot because I am diabetic and therefore am considered immuno-compromised or whatever. So it feels like every year I end up talking to ignorant people who somehow miss the MASSIVE AMOUNT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL out there especially in the fall, available through every hospital, public health office, walk-in clinic, doctor’s office, urgent care facility etc. from September on. It”s on every door, every wall, every exam room, every waiting room table. I don’t know how people can not know at this point this MOST BASIC OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLU SHOT!!!
Rant over. I thank you.
YES !! The flu..it IS respiratory…I repeat this all winter, EVERY winter. I thought I was alone….I found my people !!
Love all the flu comments. But I want gingerbread & milk for breakfast tomorrow now!
Who won the Tassimo? :D
Aoife- It was Velocibadgergirl!
I do not get the flu shot, and my son does not get one either. I always try to explain those two things to people. They just don’t get it. Thank you for sharing that public service announcement!
Are you implying that there is something wrong with eating cookies for breakfast? ;) Sure hope not, seeing how that’s what several of us had today. The other one had gingerbread poptarts which might as WELL be cookies. LOL! Happy holidays Swistle!
LOL, I came to leave my whole-hearted agreement with how crazy it makes me when people think the flu and the stomach flu are the same thing. I had NO IDEA so many people were part of that club with my mom and I! How fun to see everyone’s agreement ;)
GAH GAH GAH!! I just had a conversation with Hub about how the flu is not the stomach flu. And how people constantly think it is, and how it makes me want to fligh myself off of a building!
Awesome PSA.
Amen!
and YUM!