Posted on 12/14/2013 5:20:40 PM PST by Innovative
Mayor Bloomberg on Friday defended the new city mandate that kids under five who attend pre-school or daycare get annual flu shots -- a rule critics say is just another nanny-state move by Hizzoner.
Opponents of the compulsory shots -- including autism activists suspicious of vaccination complications -- protested on the steps of City Hall Tuesday, calling the requirement intrusive and absurd.
As for parents who say it's their call as to whether kids should get the flu jab, Bloomberg said, "Your kid can impact other kids by transferring a disease and bringing it home...
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
The CDC usually puts a fairly good effort into selecting the viruses on which to base the vaccines, although my question would be why they would recycle the same Type A virus antigens ( H1N1 and H3N2 ) from last season to this season (unless I read the info incorrectly).
As far as the number of possible strains, I suspect that it's quite possible that one can get at least some cross-immunity from a flu component of a different strain.
.
Better living through fascism.
My grandfather survived smallpox at age three in 1902. My father survived a ruptured appendix before antibiotics.
Unfortunately, I was left in a semi-stupor after contracting the Hong Kong flu in 1968, only coming to my full senses in time for the Clinton years.
What a disappointment.
And now Obama! I am a greeter at Wal-Mart and shake each hand and hope to get the flu again to end this mental anguish which so beguiles me.
It is probably all an educated guess.
Still, it would be nice to know from year to year how effective the flu shot is.
First of all, apparently few people get the flu. Most of us catch a cold and think that it is the flu.
My son actually caught the flu last year. The doctor confirmed it. And he he has gotten the shot every year since he was first in school.
I'd have to check, but I'm pretty sure that the shot will sometimes just lessen the severity and duration of the flu (something critically important in a disease which causes roughly 30,000 deaths per year.)
The term "effective" is a bit elusive, I'm afraid.
.
Most likely.
Of course, the flu viruses mutate. So at what point will a shot that actually relates to the original strain be ineffective — a month, 6 months, a year, or years?
And new origins of the flu virus happen — swine, bird, monkey etc.
Another variable — how mobile is the virus? If the virus is quarantined or kept to a small area, then it is not a threat.
Those flu shots won’t save nearly as many lives as putting an end to abortion Michael. I’m sure you’re all over it...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.