2007-10-09 02:03:04 · 8 answers · asked by Eartha Q 6 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
It generally prevents you from getting sick from the flu, but it doesn't "prevent" as in "you never get it." The flu shot gives you a weakened strain of the virus that your body then fights off, which in turn develops the natural antibodies that will help you fight the flu if you happen to pick up the normal strains. The flu shot merely prepares your own immune system to fight the flu off better.
There are some "problems" with flu shots in that they are developed and manufactured before the flu season begins, which means that occasionally the flu that goes around that year will be different enough than expected so that the flu shots are less effective.
Note, generally you are supposed to be healthy when you get a flu shot. If you are sick, getting a flu shot can actually make things worse as your immune system is then fighting off two things at once. This can occasionally happen even when one doesn't know one is otherwise sick (hence, getting a sinus infection shortly afterwards).
2007-10-09 02:15:16 · answer #1 · answered by Thought 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, of course. It also prevents flu complications, which is more dangerous and which is why we all need one flu shot each when winter is coming, especially for those with weaker immune system. However, I feel like it doesn't do anything because I still catched flu after the shot, but I believe I would not get any complications from the flu.
2007-10-09 09:10:04 · answer #2 · answered by song bird 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, but it Requires About 10 Days for an IgM Response, Many people Claim it Gives them the Flu, it doesn't, Not Real Flu, if it was Real Flu, they Would Know it.
RB, Not Typically Weaken Virus (Except for the Nasal Prep.), HAs, Purified By Some Type of Chromatography, So, One Protein From Each Virus, See Antigenic Drift and Shift. Not Typically the Whole Virus.
2007-10-09 09:23:05 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
They say it does, but every time i get a flu shot, i come down with a nasty sinus infection. I had the flu 2 yrs ago and it sucked,but i got over the flu faster than the sinus infection so i decided not to get the shot any more.
2007-10-09 09:08:59 · answer #4 · answered by just me 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Usually they are a weak virus, or a dead one. The body reacts by making an anti-body or something to fight the "shot". So when you are exposed to that particular virus, then the body recognizes it, and already has the defensive weapons needed. But viruses can mutate, so they can be different. So The shot doesn't prevent, but arms the human body for quick defense, where you may not even know it is in you.
2007-10-09 16:44:25 · answer #5 · answered by RB 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It typically makes it less likely that you will catch it, but if you do catch it, it wouldn't be as bad of a flue hadn't you taken the shot and had the full force of it.
2007-10-09 09:11:06 · answer #6 · answered by Linds 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I never got one, but I heard they don't affect the virus.
They just boost your immunity, and some people have really bad reactions to it. Sounds like it's mainly for old, weaker people.
2007-10-09 09:12:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
well the goal is "to inject you with germs so that your body will become immune to it" but my philosophy is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Anyway, if you live healthy, then when the germs do come, your body is stronger to fight them off. To me, injecting yourself with germs defeat the purpose of how God created us to fight off the germs naturally. Not to mention, it's a good way for them to weaken our bodies so that way when we do get sick, we spend more money on more medicine. Yuck!
2007-10-09 22:08:04 · answer #8 · answered by 2ctruth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋