For the second straight year I received my flu shot because I was forced to do so. I had no choice but to risk my job by saying no. There is a huge push in this country to practice evidence based medicine and not to treat unless absolutely indicated. Despite this, every where you look you are bombarded with information on the flu shot. You can't even go to the gas station it seems like without seeing signs advertising places where you can get your flu shot. There is huge pressure from society to get this shot that quite frankly doesn't even work that well. According to the CDC, for the 2010-11 flu season the vaccine overall was only 60% effective. Furthermore it works best for the people who need it the least: young, healthy individuals. It frustrates me that so much emphasis is placed on a medicine that only works so-so. Also, I read a lot of epidemiological studies (that's how I know that sinus infection you've got most likely is caused by a virus) and I have never once found any evidence that me getting the flu shot protects anyone (i.e. the patients I see) other than me, and yet I am forced into getting it. It is absolutely absurd, non-logical medicine.
While I'm ranting on the tests I am forced to get, I get one to two PPD tests per year to test me for tuberculosis. In my entire educational career I cannot remember one person who has had tuberculosis, save for one guy who had Pott's disease. I would love to see the number needed to screen to get one positive on that test. Meanwhile, the government says we need to cut back on screening for breast cancer, a disease that effects one in eight women, which is much more common than tuberculosis.
All the more reason to keep the government out of the doctor's office. I normally get the flu shot but always wonder how they guess which strain will be in play any given year. The pneumonia shot I got several years ago seems to be the best vaccine I got. I haven't gotten as many extended cough problems since then.
ReplyDeleteI recently got a tetanus shot that my doc told me I had to have and she mentioned that it had something else in it...before I could ask again what it was the nurse had already stuck me in my arm with the shot. My arm hurt for days; something that never has happened before. :-/ auntie 502
ReplyDelete@Joseph: You got the pneumonia shot several years ago? I was thinking it was only recommended for people over 65.
ReplyDelete@Auntie: The tetanus shot probably had pertussis vaccine in it as well. They don't seem to just give plain tetanus anymore but always the Adacel (TDaP). This isn't so much to protect you from pertussis as it is to protect little kids as there have been a large number of outbreaks of whooping cough all over the US over the past year or two. Interestingly, I just heard today that apparently the pertussis strain in the vaccine isn't working as well as they thought it would.
Well, if it isn't working as well as they thought, I'm glad that it was free! ...and maybe Joe is older than he's admitting! ;-)
ReplyDeleteauntie 502
I specifically asked for it. I was having something settle in my lungs about every February and the flu shots weren't getting it. Figured I would try the next thing on the list and it has helped even if I was a little young for it.
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