<p>For the past two years, s has had a low-cost flu shot on campus, along with any other student who wanted one. This year, because of the shortage, only students who are considered high risk will need them. Given every kid I meet on campus seems to have some sort of cold most of the time, it seems to me that not getting a flu shot is a bad idea. Believe me, I am very conservative about medication and treatment generally, as my family would tell you, but I am concerned. Any thoughts? What about FluMist? I wonder if FluMist would be worth it, even if I can't get my insurance to pay for it...</p>
<p>FluMist has lowered their price a lot since last year. Our local pharmacy is advertising it for $20, compared to $18 for the shot.</p>
<p>CDC encourages it for healthy patients in the publication with the new guidelines. I didn't think about it till you posted, maybe son's college will have it.</p>
<p>I read that Canada has 1 million flu shots in excess of need but the supply has not been cleared for use in the US by the FDA. Can we hope that some of it will make its way here?</p>
<p>The flu vaccine is at crisis level, please, if you are not in a recommended highrisk group, do not try to get a shot. Most likely, the provider you go to will not let you have a shot if you are not in a high risk group.</p>
<p>While I have no definite scientific basis for this, my personal experience is taht people who get a flu shot every year develop some general immunity to influenza, and either do not catch it, or have a milder case, so don't think just because you don't get a shot this year, you will get the flu. Also, there is testing to diagnose Influenza A and Influenza B, so epidemics can be confirmed, and treatment started. People (inc. your offspring away from home) should be alert to know when flu is being diagnosed in their area, and at the first sign of symptoms go to the health center, for testing and possible treatment - Tamiflu or one of the other antivirals will reduce the duration and severity of symptoms.</p>
<p>My hospital has NO flu vaccine for the employees or patients, and we aren't the only ones - because Chiron was the low cost vaccine maker (one of those sometimes you get what you pay for things), many of the very large scale purchasers and public purchasers - LA Health Dept., some large not-for-profit hospital groups, etc, got little to no vaccine because it was all coming from Chiron.</p>
<p>That's great about FluMist's being cheaper this year. Do you need a prescription, or will the pharmacies be holding their usual anti-flu events and distributing it this year instead of shots?</p>
<p>Cangel, glad to hear that a flu shot may help in subsequent years. However, d, who is a frosh right now, has never had one and is living in a dorm that should be renamed the infirmary, given how many sickly kids there are in it. ;) This site suggests that there will be a plentiful supply of FluMist and we needn't worry. <a href="http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/immunizations/a/new_flu_vaccine.htm%5B/url%5D">http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/immunizations/a/new_flu_vaccine.htm</a> Do you agree?</p>
<p>I am contemplating getting the flushot this year although I have never had one.
I seem to have developed more asthma symptoms and every cold I get goes right to my lungs and stays for weeks, how do you tell difference between cold and flu?</p>
<p>Emerald:</p>
<p>People who have asthma are considered high risk. Just the day before news of flu shots shortages came out, I received a reminder from my HMO that high-risk people should be getting flu shots.</p>
<p>last year our local pharmacy required an Rx for FluMist for people below some age cut-off (I'm pretty sure it was 18). I don't know if that was a requirement everywhere, or just something that particular pharmacy was doing.</p>
<p>My campus is doing them.. i think. as well as menengitis......</p>
<p>FluMist is a little different than the shot, I don't think it is approved for all age groups. I read the link - everybody note flu mist is not appropriate for persons with asthma and certain other respiratory conditions, it's not approved for many of the "high risk" groups. Conversely, if you are healthy, and can find FluMist, the only "high risk" group you would be taking a vaccination from would be health care workers and Moms of infants.
The CDC and many local health departments are working to sequester, and redirect as much vaccine as possible for hospital workers, the elderly, infants, and the chronically ill. I think there is vaccine for most high risk/essential personnel, it is just not where it needs to be.</p>
<p>Cangel, are people with type 2 diabetes at risk? </p>
<p>And thanks for the advice on tamiflu and going to the health center if you feel you have the flu.</p>
<p>Achat: The short answer is yes. Here is the info from my HMO (sent before the shortage of flu shots was disclosed):</p>
<p>Who is high risk and needs a flu shot:
--Anyone 50 years old and up. Those 65 or older are at especially high risk.
--Babies who will be between 6 and 24 months old during flu season (Nov. 1- Feb. 28)
--Women are are pregnant during flu season. The flu shot may be received at any time during pregnancy.
--People with chronic health conditions such as heart conditions, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, kidney failure, some blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia, lowered immunity due to either illness or medication and children and teens who are on long-trm aspirin therapy.
--Close contacts of people with any of these conditions.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information.</p>
<p>Flumist is an excellent choice for healthy people in the age group that should abstain this year. My kids took it last year, it was easy and it worked, and now it's half the price. Medimmune feels they had ample data to support a wider age group approval, though the FDA disagreed. They expect to get it in a couple of years. Meanwhile, it's a great idea for college students, who by youth and vigor fall into the group that shouldn't take the shot, but are still at high risk of getting flu because of the cheek by jowl nature of their college communities.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>how do you tell difference between cold and flu?<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Both are respiratory diseases, but flu is about 50 times worse. So both have sore throat, cough, fever, etc. But with flu you will likely have the what you think is the worst sore throat of your life. You will have a high, not mild, fever. The fever will make your muscles ache a lot. With a cold you can still function more or less normally, perhaps feeling miserable along the way. With the flu you will be sick in bed.</p>
<p>It should be noted that influenza virus infects only the cells of the lungs and respiratory tract. Thus, there is no such disease as "stomach flu". And true flu sufferers seldom have digestive tract symptoms. That doesn't mean you are not sick when you have the so called stomach flu; it's just perhaps more properly termed an unknown "stomach virus" since it has nothing to do with the flu.</p>
<p>My daughter, who is in grad school, has been dealing with Crohn's for years and now has to take immunosuppressants. I have emailed her suggesting that she ask the doc about the flu shot, as she can't risk taking the live virus in Flumist. Hope shots are available!</p>
<p>Would appreciate prayers.</p>
<p>Momofthree, my prayers are with your daughter. Sounds as though she is in the high-risk group that should be able to get the shot...</p>
<p>Agree with Marite's HMO and coeurer, stomach flu is a definite misnomer (I think it got that name becuase you feel as bad as the flu). A real case of the flu puts a person on their back (probably during an epidemic, many people get infected and are less ill).
I would follow the guidelines about Type II diabetes. A person who does not have severe or long standing diabetes and who has well controlled sugars probably is only at slightly increased risk over the general population, but better safe than sorry.
I know I would be worried about my child far from home, and FluMist is a good alternative. I'm more worried, though about elderly people with limited transportation, who can't shop around town to find a flu shot, and keeping nurses healthy if we have a bad outbreak. We're overdue here too, the last 2 years have been relatively mild flu seasons here, prob. because of the shots.</p>
<p>Momofthree:</p>
<p>According to my HMO, your D would be considered high-risk and should get the flu shot.</p>