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"Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

truffle — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:03:53 GMT

Published Saturday, November 5, 2016 8:01PM EDT
Last Updated Saturday, November 5, 2016 10:01PM EDT

Few debates are as divisive in Canada.

Every year, those who swear by the influenza vaccine eagerly get jabbed. Others vehemently maintain that flu shots are either useless or do more harm than good. The latter camp, however, may now have some additional ammunition.

Although doctors maintain that flu shots are life-savers that everyone should receive, some researchers are uncovering hints that "serial vaccination" -- that is, consistently receiving annual flu shots -- may in fact limit one's ability to fight the virus in the future.

"Nothing surprises me anymore with influenza," Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an epidemiologist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, told CTV News. "It's such a changeable virus."

Although flu season typically starts in late November and peaks towards the end of December, influenza cases have already been reported across Canada, with spikes occurring over the past month in southern British Columbia, western Manitoba and southwestern Ontario though numbers remain low.

New evidence, however, is raising the spectre that the more influenza vaccinations you receive in your lifetime, the less protection you have from the virus in subsequent seasons.

Skowronksi published a study earlier this year showing that people who were vaccinated consecutively in 2012, 2013 and 2014 appeared to have a higher risk of being infected with new strains of the flu.

"If we're seeing some signals of declining vaccine protection, we want to respond to that -- but we don't want to overreact," Skowronski cautiously says.

Skowronski's study, however, is one of several that suggest a similar troubling pattern.

In the aftermath of 2009's H1N1 flu epidemic, the Canadian flu surveillance network reported that Canadians who had received a flu shot in late 2008 were between 1.4 and 2.5 times more likely to contract an H1N1 infection that required medical attention, compared with those who didn't get a shot.

A more recent report even states that during the 2014-2015 flu season, those who had not been vaccinated the previous year were more likely to benefit from flu shots than those who received them two years in a row.

To discuss these troubling findings, Skowronski convened a meeting in Vancouver in mid-October with 40 scientists from around the world.

"The actual implications of current findings are unclear -- but important enough to warrant investigation -- to differentiate signal from noise," Dr. Mark Loeb, a scientist with McMaster University who is conducting research into the question, said in an email to CTV News.

The flu vaccine works by producing antibodies that can repel only a particular strain of influenza. Scientists alter the vaccine on an annual basis to better combat the ever-changing virus. The 2014-2015 flu season, however, was particularly bad in terms of the vaccine's usefulness. In Canada, its effectiveness was rated at a meager nine percent that season.

Although more research is needed, it's now believed that annual flu shots may make it harder for the immune system to fight off new strains of the virus that show up after immunization. More studies are underway in Canada, the U.S. and Europe to determine this. Quebec, however, has already put its multi-million dollar flu vaccination program under the microscope.

"The Ministry wants to know what were the findings and how can we optimize the program for the province," Dr. Gaston De Serres of Quebec's public health institute told CTV News in an email.

In the interim, doctors maintain that the flu shot is a life-saver and that everyone -- especially seniors, children under the age of two and people suffering from chronic medical conditions -- should continue receiving them.

"I think it would be premature and possibly even dangerous, frankly, for us to make strong statements in either direction, or a radical policy change, on the basis of these findings," Skowronski says.

"It would be hazardous for those individuals to stop getting the influenza vaccine on the basis of these early signals."

Such signals are so recent that public health officials don't yet know if they are real or scientific red herrings. Until more conclusive evidence is established, annual flu shot campaigns will remain unchanged.

With a report from CTV's medical specialist Avis Favaro and producer Elizabeth St. Philip

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/serial-flu-shots-may-limit-body-s-ability-to-fight-virus-in-future-researchers-1.3147903

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27025838

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Mominohio — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:18:45 GMT

I have always felt that there is the possibility we are weakening our immune system's ability to do what it is supposed to be doing. Or altering it in some way, by using all these vaccines.

Flu shots are something people need to make up their own minds about. Never had one, but my circumstances could change and I may feel the need to do so someday.

I don't like putting any kind of drugs/medicines into my body if I can live without it. So far, my immune system is doing what it needs to do.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Bri36 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:27:15 GMT

I'm not interested in the flu shot for me at this point in my life. I may change my mind in the future

It makes total sense that we're weakening our immune systems with these vaccines

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

truffle — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:29:13 GMT

Here's the 2017/2018 vaccine information from the CDC. I will continue to get my annual flu shot because I always feel better once I do even during years when it wasn't as effective, felt it would have been worse without one.

Information for 2017-2018

Getting an annual flu vaccine is the first and best way to protect yourself and your family from the flu. Flu vaccination can reduce flu illnesses, doctors’ visits, and missed work and school due to flu, as well as prevent flu-related hospitalizations. The more people who get vaccinated, the more people will be protected from flu, including older people, very young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions who are more vulnerable to serious flu complications. This page summarizes information for the 2017-2018 flu season.

What viruses will the 2017-2018 flu vaccines protect against?

There are many flu viruses and they are constantly changing. The composition of U.S. flu vaccines is reviewed annually and updated to match circulating flu viruses. Flu vaccines protect against the three or four viruses that research suggests will be most common. For 2017-2018, three-component vaccines are recommended to contain:

an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus
a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like (B/Victoria lineage) virus

Four-component vaccines, which protect against a second lineage of B viruses, are recommended to be produced using the same viruses recommended for the trivalent vaccines, as well as a B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (B/Yamagata lineage) virus.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/season/flu-season-2017-2018.htm

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

happycat — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:30:27 GMT

I have gotten the flu shot in the past, and every time I get the flu. I am done with it.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Love my grandkids — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:31:47 GMT

I've gotten a flu shot every single year for over 40 years and have never had a cold or the flu. Works for me.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Bri36 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:32:11 GMT

Everybody I know that gets a flu shot winds up with the flu.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

truffle — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:34:40 GMT

There are upper respiratory illness that mimics symptoms and oftentimes people who don't go to a doctor will say that have the flu but don't. You can be sicker than a dog and not have the flu.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

CrazyDaisy — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:35:33 GMT

For those in high risk groups, I think it is a good idea to get the flu shots. The rest shouldn't be "shamed" into doing something because some think it should be the norm.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Melania — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:43:30 GMT

I'll listen to my doctor, thank you very much.

No one I know has ever gotten the flu from the shot. SMH

But then I read here those who say they have the "flu" when they have a bad cold/stomach bug etc. and it is not anything near that.

Yet year after year people post what exactly the flu is. Crickets

People need to learn the difference and quit tossing that term around so loosely.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

debsters — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:44:04 GMT

I have worked as a nurse for the past 35 yrs and got the flu shot only one time in all those years. Was around many sick people. Never had the flu. I don't believe in them. I think getting flu shots is undermining our immune system. Just my personal experience, everyone has to decide what is best for them.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

makena — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:50:35 GMT

No one is injecting anything in me.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

Nataliesgramma — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:51:00 GMT

I don't get flu shots either, but my daughter, who has an autoimmune disease does....

I take my vitamin D and wash my hands religiously ....I don't even get the sniffles...

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

CareBears — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:51:12 GMT

@CrazyDaisy I fall into the high risk group, so I get the flu shot every year without fail, but I must admit I am sick after receiving one every year, but like my cardiologist says, it is better than the alternative!

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

truffle — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 19:51:41 GMT

@Melania wrote:
I'll listen to my doctor, thank you very much.

No one I know has ever gotten the flu from the shot. SMH

But then I read here those who say they have the "flu" when they have a bad cold/stomach bug etc. and it is not anything near that.
Yet year after year people post what exactly the flu is. Crickets
People need to learn the difference and quit tossing that term around so loosely.

No one here has said they got the flu from the shot but that they got the flu anyway. SMH

For many, symptoms become blurred especially when not feeling well.

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/health/difference-between-flu-and-urti/

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

jewel3 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:02:10 GMT

Flu shots do more than just protect from influenza. They also decrease inflammation. It is a real fallacy to believe that causing your immune system to mount an immune response weakens it. On the contrary, it is just doing its miraculous job.

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with avoiding flu shots unless you get the flu and, while it is developing and you are shedding the virus, you infect a cancer patient or a baby too young to get shots or another vulnerable person.

Influenza kills about 36,000 Americans each year. God forbid it happens to someone we expose to this virus, someone we love, or ourselves. You never know when someone in your own family may develop a compromised immune system. Why risk getting such a potentially terrible disease when you can just walk into a grocery store, Costco, or your doc and prevent it for yourself and others?

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

VaBelle35 — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:08:09 GMT

I'm not high risk (or even low risk), so I have never gotten one.

As someone else stated, should my situation change, I will re-evaluate.

I have only had a "knock you on your behind" virus 3 times in my 50+ years and none of them were the kind that were the widespread version that the shots were created for.

I will continue to be that crazy handwasher, not touch my face and work from home when the flu (or any other illness) is running wild in my office.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

chrystaltree — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:11:25 GMT

I don't care, not to say that I made it through all that. I get my flu shot each and every year and I will because in my world there's no debate. I had the flu once and I was sick for many months and it took me a year to return to full strength. I accept that the flu shot does not give 100% protection and some years like a few years ago, they get it wrong and there's not much protection at all....but it's better than no protection at all. But it is a choice, most people are not required to get a flu shot. Don't want one, don't get one. There's no need to justify it.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

chrystaltree — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:13:38 GMT

@Bri36 wrote:
Everybody I know that gets a flu shot winds up with the flu.

Really? You need to call the Guiness Book of Word Records and the AMA because that is world shattering news. Everyone...wow.

Re: "Serial" Flu shots may limit body's ability

chrystaltree — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 20:20:31 GMT

@truffle wrote:
There are upper respiratory illness that mimics symptoms and oftentimes people who don't go to a doctor will say that have the flu but don't. You can be sicker than a dog and not have the flu.

Don't go thinking you can bring reality into this flu discussion. They won't have any of that...lol Makes me laugh every year and I think the same thing...if you didn't go to the doctor's office and have the antigen test, how the heck do you know you had the flu...lol