Flu hitting younger adults hard...

[The Captain]

healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/cold-and-flu/flu-hitting-younger-adults-hard-vaccination-helps-cdc

People aged 18 to 64 represent 61 percent of all flu hospitalizations this flu season, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This age group accounted for only about 35 percent of flu-related hospitalizations the last three seasons, officials said at a CDC news conference.

Don't forget to get your shots folks...

[wvugurl26]

H1N1 is going around this season and it's pretty bad. I have a six month old cousin who ended up hospitalized with it.

[lexxy703]

I got H1N1 a few years ago when it was around but it was pretty mild that year.  I wonder if that makes me immune if I've already had it once.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Same thing happened in 1918.  People born before had experience similar strains so were either immune or didn't get as sick.  Young people were nearly wiped out.

It's fascinating to read about but at the same time scary as hell.   I get my flu shot and make DH get one too.  It may not prevent us from ever getting the flu but odds are good it'll keep us from getting killed by it since our immune systems have been exposed to multiple strains.  Hopefully one is similar enough.

[Lizard King]

I get my flu shot and make DH get one too. It may not prevent us from ever getting the flu

Technically, it guarantees that you do get the flu...

[Deleted]

DH and I, along with some family members, got the H1N1 last year. No vaccines for us, thank you. We prefer to get our immunity naturally. 

[zibazinski]

My girlfriends husband is a doctor. He's around 45 and is sick as a dog with the flu. Didn't get the shot. I would have thought it would be required for him. She's pretty worried.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 21, 2014 9:47:31 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

My girlfriends husband is a doctor. He's around 45 and is sick as a dog with the flu. Didn't get the shot. I would have thought it would be required for him. She's pretty worried.

It depends upon where he works.  I know that in many of the hospitals that I have been in, it is required by the staff.  However, if he only has a private practice and is not affiliated with a hospital, he may not fall under their guidelines.

I have to wonder how many of his patients he infected.  

[zibazinski]

Not only that but who infected him? He works primarily with older patients. I would have thought, and may be he did, that THEY all had the shot. His wife and kids got it.

[zibazinski]

The shot, not the flu.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Feb 22, 2014 7:17:15 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Not only that but who infected him? He works primarily with older patients. I would have thought, and may be he did, that THEY all had the shot. His wife and kids got it.

This would be a moot point if he was immunized himself.  Not every one can be immunized for the flu, but if you are a healthcare provider, particularly working with an older population of patients, IMO it almost borders on malpractice to not be immunized.  Granted, there are some strains of the flu that are not in the current vaccine, but after working in a healthcare setting for 30 years, for the last 20 years the flu shots have been offered free to employees and for the last 10, they have been mandatory.

When I was admitted to a hospital when I first got infected, many of the people I dealt with were wearing masks.  I asked why and was told that they had missed the first round of mandatory flu vaccinations and they were required to be masked at work until the next round (I think it was coming up soon).  One of the orderlies told me that if he missed this one, he would be on suspension until he was vaccinated.

[wvugurl26]

I did some audits of a special program that included basically adult day care. One site required you to mask up if you hadn't had a flu shot and the other did not. We visited in February. I spent the day in a mask as I have a nasty egg allergy and this was in 2011 pre egg free flu vaccines. My immune system's been compromised by something. I also have respiratory issues. I got an egg free flu shot this year.

[zibazinski]

I didn't know there were egg free shots. Thanks to a poster, DD was able to find the flu mist.

[thyme4change]

I got the shot, but I forget to get my kids into the doc to get their shot.  

[zibazinski]

Hopefully they make it through the season. Flu is a nasty thing. I cannot imagine anyone, having access to something that will either keep you from getting it or lessen its severity if you do, not getting it but we certainly have posters here that don't.