Considering that I was sick as a dog this week, I decided to write my post about the flu that is sweeping across the state.
My two year old nephew, Andrew, woke up with the flu on Sunday morning. By Monday afternoon, my sister, my mother, my boyfriend and I were all feeling miserable as well.
I come from a small town in North Dakota called Sheldon. About a half hour away in Lisbon, the nursing home is under quarantine because influenza has swept across the entire place. In the Fargo Forum this weekend they had an article about how bad the flu is around North Dakota. Don’t you just love this time of year?
I bet a lot of you have gotten a flu shot this year. I didn’t, but my boyfriend, Levi, did and on Monday he was DEFINITALY sicker than I was. Does that make any sense? Well, according to North Dakota Health officials, the flu that is sweeping our state resists the leading flu medicine, Tamiflu. According to an article on inforum.com, government health officials alerted doctors in December that the most common flu bug in the country is overwhelmingly resistant to Tamiflu.
Even though the flu shot didn’t help Levi this year, health officials claim that the flu shot protects us from this type of flu that is resistant to Tamiflu. They also urge you that it is not too late to get your flu shot. Considering there has just recently been an increase in flu cases for this year health officials say there is still time and it would be well worth it to get your flu shot.
I can’t say that I agree. The only time I got a flu shot I was sick with the flu a week later. I have never gotten once since. Levi having his flu shot and getting sick as a dog yesterday was yet another strike against the flu shot for me. But that is just my opinion!
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First I want to start by saying I am real sorry that you have not feeling the best lately. I know that the flu is going around. I do coaching at the High School level and we have had at least one to two girls gone each day at practice for the past week due to the flu bug. I know a lot of kids in town as well and I know on any given day last week there was at least 25-30 children gone from the elemtary schools as well.
ReplyDeleteKnock on wood I have yet to get it and hope that I dont. I have never ever gotten the flu shot and I think the last time I got the flu I was a junior in high school. I am going into education so I am sure during my first year of teaching I will get everything there is possible to get just because I have been so lucky thus far in life. I dont think that is going to prompt me to get the flu shot though. I have been lucky this far without it I think I am going to stick my guns as well and not get it.
I unfortunately had the flu this year too, on Christmas! It was only a 24 hour flu, and almost my entire family got it after I did. I also got a flu shot this year (which I do every year) but apparently it didn't work for that. Though, I think and have heard that the flu shot is intended for those more harmful viruses, not just 24-hour bugs. I haven't done any research on it, though.
ReplyDeleteI've always heard nice things about the flu shots, but before this year, I don't even remember the last time I had the flu--probably still in elementary school. I guess I don't really encourage people to get them; I just get them cause it's something I've done for the past few years.
I'm sorry you and Levi had the flu! I understand how you feel, last year my niece spread the flu to my sister-in-law, my dad, and I. I had not been that sick in a long time!
ReplyDeleteAs for the flu shot, I got mine this year. I guess I just did because my mom is a nurse and she hounded on me to get one. I have heard both good and bad about the flu shot. Some say that it makes them sick, which I don't really understand how it can because the shot doesn't contain live bacteria. I guess it's just up to the person themself to decide if they want to get the flu vaccine.
I am not a big fan of shots of any kind – I don’t like needles. Yet for my late mother-in-law I would always take her to the doctor and make sure she got a flu shot. Her flu shot was good for certain types of flu yet wouldn’t combat others. It was good for her to have this shot to prevent most common types of the flu that was spread at senior center.
ReplyDeleteChildren are another story, my daughter works at a daycare center. The children bring in so many different types of flu that they seem to mutate and form a new flu-bug that infects everyone who comes in contact with the bug. Some of these children get shots and others do not – I think this is why the cold can spread so easily among children –cross contamination.
I would recommend that all parents get there children the flu shot and ask the parents of the children where they go to school / friends of their kids if they have had a flu shot. This will at least prepare a parent to help their own child combat germs from other children that could lead to the flu.
For many of the past years in Valley City, the City County Health Department has been pushing flu shots. There are certain qualifications that they look for in those who do need to get a shot. My father, since he is diabetic, has always met the criteria, but never gone through with getting the shot. Since he always refuses, the flu usually strikes him at the least opertun moment. The flu is nasty, but they never seem to have enough shots for all. And, for this, they have such limitations of shots. It is one big circle.
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