Posted by Eric B. [99.100.188.129] on Monday, March 11, 2013 at 12:01:51 :
In Reply to: Re: Shingles is caused by the chicken pox virus, not the flu posted by Joe Cimoch [160.79.139.10] on Monday, March 11, 2013 at 07:56:06 :
I asked a friend who has a Phd in biology who teaches medical students. I also read the CDC's page on the flu vaccine. But the simple fact is that the viruses are totally different so you can't get shingles from a flu vaccine. It is like saying you were attacked by a bear because your friend let a dog into your yard. People get sick all the time. Correlation is not causation. In other words unusual cases of shingles are just that, unusual cases. To blame the flu vaccine without cross checking other factors reminds me of the watch alerts during the DC sniper hunt. The news kept reporting that there was a white van at the scene and that may be what the shooters were driving. In the end of course they were in a caprice classic, but there are so many plain white vans out there someone always spotted one and reported it at each shooting site.
If the CDC issues a warning that this years flu vaccine is stressing people's immune systems in a way that causes shingles to flare up then I'll believe it. But based on what I've read and been told about vaccines I really doubt it. This years vaccine has been less effective because they did not predict the correct strains that ended up being spread this year. There is a long lead time needed to make the vaccine each year and the strains that spread change so the vaccine is more effective in some years than others.
Generally speaking the flu vaccine is helpful and they would not approve it for everyone over 6 if it was not safe. Don't forget that when you get the vaccine you are not just protecting yourself. At risk groups (people on chemotherapy for example) are protected better when the population is vaccinated as there are fewer sick people out there that may give them the virus.
Eric
Follow Ups: