At least for this year, the flu shot wouldn’t have helped a whole lot, @intparent.
One can always wear the masks like they tend to do in Asian countries.
I’ve been more of a hermit this winter. 
The articles I saw last week said 30% effectiveness. Better than nothing.
Yes. It will. Flu can spread from surfaces.
Do you know how many times we subconsciously touch our faces every day?
I know Romani! I handled a piece of dried out poison ivy root once, realized what it was, and ran for the bathroom sink. It was a public bathroom but the water got decently hot. I scrubbed my hands over and over and realized all the spots I had touched on my face 2 days later. I had rubbed my ear too. Good thing I didn’t rub near my eyes!
That is a painful way to learn. Ouch!
We did an experiment of some sort way back in elementary school that showed how much we touched our faces but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
Luckily D had an appointment with a dermatologist the day my rash flared up. He prescribed me something called fluocinonide that worked wonders.
@NJres, that’s incorrect.
https://www.livestrong.com/article/16108-long-can-flu-virus-live/
Hand washing is an important component of infection control.
A local hospital said that they would screen all visitors for signs of flu (or any other crud) by checking whether the visitors are sneezing, coughing, etc. Not testing, just screening. Good idea at times like these.
H now has pneumonia. I strongly suggested he call the Dr last week for Tamiflu but he is stubborn. Hoping the antibiotics start working soon. I’ve been the disinfectant queen for the past 8 days. Slept in another part of the house. I’m trying hard to not get sick.
I jinxed myself 2 weeks ago and thought “Hey I dodged the flu”. Then the cough hit late on a Friday night and it was all down hill from there, fever, headache, body aches, congestion. This past Saturday I had made it thru the worst of it 7 days later, Sunday morning felt almost normal but by Sunday afternoon the congestion was back with dizziness. Went to MD yesterday, I now have a retracted eardrum (think muffled sensitive underwater like hearing plus ear pain ) that is driving me crazy. They gave me some antibiotics for a probable sinus infection/ear infection . But this ear thing is really driving me crazy, decongestant is not touching it and the antibiotic has not kicked in yet if the cause is an middle ear infection.
Took DD2018 to MD on Monday for flu symptoms, they refused the flu test because she was already 3 days into exposure/symptoms so they would not prescribe Tamiflu, so no point(?) plus flu test are scarce around here. She does have bilateral ear infections and a probable sinus infection so she got a course of antibiotics too. So who knows if she has the flu or not! She is mad because she has missed 2 days of school and is now no longer exempt from her final exams.I
Did I mention the ear thing is driving me batty? Lol! Which explains why I am on an internet forum at 5am when I should be sleeping.
I’ve got to say, it’s hitting our area pretty hard.
Last week, I was averaging 11-12 kids missing per period, out of classes of 32-40 students. So roughly a third of my kids were absent. Not all were the flu; I teach seniors and Senioritis is also making its annual appearance. But the vast majority were-- and are-- SICK.
Luckily, schools are closed all of next week for February break. I’m hoping the schools will air out and the kids will simply rest.
I came down with flu (A) New Year’s Eve and took Tamiflu. A week after I was “all better,” I was diagnosed with a sinus infection which ten days of Augmentin cleared up. That was almost four weeks ago, but a dry cough never left, and now I have an occasional (several times a day, increases toward bedtime) hacking cough where I can hear fluid in my chest but not very productive, just somewhat. Anyone left with coughing like this after the flu? I feel fine otherwise, no other symptoms.
Two weeks ago my D went to urgent care after her fever spiked to 102.5 (she’s 28) and tested positive for Strain A. They put her on Tamiflu and within a week, she felt almost 100%. She says she will never forget to have a flu shot again. We picked her up (we live about 15 miles from NYC) so she could be, as she said, sick at home and my doctor prescribed prophylactic Tamiflu since I had not had the shot and was taking care of her. I was also advised to get a flu shot even though it was late in the season. I did, and while I had a pretty nasty cold this past week (no fever or other flu symptoms) , I think it was the right decision. All of the experiences I read here and heard about from friends convinced me that my stubborn commitment to avoiding the shot was ridiculous. I went to CVS and it was done, covered by insurance, in about 15 minutes.
@labegg If you would like to try something for your ear, this is what I have done with my kids who were very prone to ear infections. Place a warm compress under the ear between the ear and the jawline. After letting it sit like that for awhile, gently massage the spot near the base of the ear. It seems to help with the drainage of the Eustachian tube. It is the blockage in the Eustachian tube that causes infection in the middle ear. (That is my completely unscientific, non-medical, just mom of a whole lot kids experience anyway.)
Decades ago when I had ear infections, my pediatrician told me to put my face over a bowl of steamy water, cover my head with a towel, and chew gum. We’re talking for an hour or more. It actually helped. Constantly moving your jaw and swallowing gives your Eustachians more chances to clear.
My pediatrician is taking Tamiflu at half dose for a few weeks as a prophylactic. Her daughter did as well until she got side effects, when her son got the flu. All have had flu shots. My friend is now on Tamiflu for the flu. She also got the flu shot.
What my pediatrician is seeing is people who got the flu shot are getting the flu at lower rates than unvaccinated folks and having fewer complications.
@Hanna - my pediatrician had the same advice (centuries ago 
). Water loses steam quickly, so her advice was to use a big pot of freshly boiled potatoes or any large root veggies.
If Tamiflu works as a prophylactic why don’t we give that to those most at risk of the flu instead of recommending a shot with unknown efficacy or to those who are immune compromised or unable to get a flu shot?
@Wellspring 1- it’s debatable about whether or not it works as a prophylatic. 2- the side effects can be nasty.
As one of those immune compromised people, I take enough meds :). Just give me the shot. It significantly cut down the time I was sick IMO.
I have been in a lot of pain the last few weeks. My Rheumy thinks the flu triggered a fibro flare. Which would explain a lot.
My question was really about whether Tamiflu can work as a prophylactic since someone said his or her pediatrician was taking it as such.