US Flu "Epidemic" Worst in Decade

Accuweather ^

[chessplayer]

An agressive flu strain is spreading quickly across the country. Hospitals from coast to coast are being forced to divert patients from their overcrowded emergency rooms.

"I can't say it enough," Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said. "Please all of everyone out there, get to the health centers where you can get you flu shot."

This winter has had the earliest and worst outbreak of deadly flu virus in a decade.

Positive cases of influenza in the U.S. rose 60 percent during the last week of December.

In the week ending on Dec. 29, 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported there were 2,961 positive influenza test results out of 9,363 specimens nationwide, or 31.6 percent. Near the Great Lakes, the hardest-hit region, reports nearly 60 percent of those who were checked tested positive for the flu.

[nevergore]

My wife and I got our flu shot today...we usually wait to see how the current strain develops and whether the vaccine proferred matches....

This year they have a close match and those who are vaccinated will either get lesser symptoms or not at all...

Of course, it takes 10 days for the vaccine to fully take hold so for the next week my wife and I are susceptible...

[steve86]

The current medical spin is that the vaccine does not necessarily guarantee that you won't get the flu, but that it will lessen the symptoms.

Has been considered 70% effective from the beginning.

I personally consider it a good investment. That other 30% can be pretty rough.

[knarf]

I've never had a gummint injection

I came down with an upper chest congestion about 8 or 9 days ago, took some old Cipro I kept from the last time I ... don't remember why ... but I kept 'em (always do), and I feel a lot better now

I always keep an antibiotic stash, just in case.

Yeah, I know .. you shouldn't keep them .. use all of 'em because they're measured or something.

I've never completed the 2 a day for 10 day routine, always felt better after 3 or 4 days .. drank a lot of water, slept a lot and went back to work ... with a stash in the freezer.

That's my story n'I'm ... s s s s tickin' TO it.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Dang! All this flu violence! Please 0ummbumma, cuhomo, do something! Like an EO to eliminate this flu violence! Please!!!!

[Kozak]

Yeah, I’m an ER doc. We are crushed with flu patients. Guess what folks, 99 times out of 100 THERES NOTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU. Unless its a kid under 2, over 70, pregnant or immunocompromised they don’t even recommend Tamiflu.
So STAY HOME, DRINK LOTS OF LIQUIDS AND TAKE SOME TYLENOL OR MOTRIN.

[sarasota]

Never get them. Never will.

[chessplayer]

A conspiracy nut might think that this is an effort to build support for Obamacare.

---

But how would that explain the govt. and private physicians urging people to get flu shots during the Bush years?

[Obadiah]

I suspect we are having an epidemic because they guessed wrong on the variants for this years shot.

This.

[Red_Devil 232]

From what I have heard they guessed right on this seasons flu strain. I got my shot this morning. no pain no ache. Hardly felt the needle = it was the normal type needle - not that new shorter one. $32 at CVS.

[George from New England]

Whether the shot hurts of not is really irrelevant.

Hurt is about where the liquid got deposited in the muscle. If the volume and location is near a nerve it will hurt more and longer. Case closed.

[staytrue]

Usually flu has a colorful name like chinese pig swine flu.

The fact that this is “the no name flu” probably says the vaccine in not for this flu.

In any event, I suspect they will name this flu “the global warming flu”.

[Kozak]

That’s not correct. The CDC looks at strains that emerged generally in Asia early in te year, and makes the vaccine to cover the 3 most likely NEW strains.

[cuban leaf]

I’m 59. I’ve never had a flu shot. I’ve also not had anything like the flu in my adult life as far as I can remember.

Doesn’t mean I won’t die of it this year, but still...

[brownsfan]

The last flu shot I got was a LONG time ago in the military I was forced to get the swine flu shot. It worked, I got the flu.

Haven’t had the flu in a lot of years, (knock wood).

[Ingtar]

Got my shot Dec. 7th. Been getting one every year for the last 9-10 years. Odd thing about this years shot, though. Usually my shoulder aches for a few days after the shot. This time it hardly ached at all.

This is anecdotal; however, I noticed the same thing.

[bmwcyle]

I haven’t had one since 1978. I have been without flu for years.

[listenhillary]

Hope the flu shot maker wasn’t a FOO (Friend of Obama)

[Red_Devil 232]

I always keep Cipro around.

[oh8eleven]

If the volume and location is near a nerve it will hurt more and longer.
So you're saying that for the last 40 years, every shot I received wasn't near a nerve. Nonsense.

[WhiskeyX]

A high fever started on Christmas Eve and lasted a week before breaking, and the next week I continued recuperating. This seems to be one of those twofers, or two episodes for the price of one. The congestion tries to move into the chest, making breathing more difficult. So, for some folks it may be wise to not get too rambunctious and risk another round of fever until the chest congestion has also cleared.