Monday, November 10, 2008

The wonders of medical science

About ten days ago I had a flu jab. For the last two days, I've been in bed feeling like death warmed up with the flu. Now I can actually walk without feeling like my legs are going to give way, but I still feel miserable. What's up with that then?

My work offers us the flu shot each year. I had it a few years ago and then got flu more times that year than I could remember ever before - two or three times through the winter having to have a day or two off work. So the next couple of years I decided not to have the shot. But by this year, I thought - "you're being irrational, that was just a statistical anomaly. Obviously they wouldn't give flu shots if on the population level, they didn't work". Now I'm doubting my rationalism again and going back to gut feeling (and indeed over the last two days - the feeling of every muscle and joint in my body) and next year no jab.

I would love for some doctor, bio-scientist or immunologist to tell me why I'm wrong.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree 100% with you. Did the same experiment and have given up on flu shots!
Other curious minds also want an explanation......

Jukka said...

Damn straight. That's the way it is. I get the flu about as often as Crystal Palace wins the FA Cup, but the one time I did have a flu shot I was in bed with the flu for a week. Those things are con perpetrated by whoever it is who makes Lemsip or Finrexin and such products.