This will be the first in 6 years I've chosen not to get a flu shot. I'm hoping to break the streak, because I've come down with something nasty basically each of those 6 years.

can someone explain how washing your hand helps one lower their chances of getting the flu? serious question..

The flu is a communicable disease. Transmitted by respiratory droplets.

If you touch an object that has been contaminated by someone who has the flu (ie their snot on the table, they sneeze on a table, etc) then you touch your face or ingest the organism through contaminated food (ie. you touch someone's snot and then eat an apple) you have a higher chance of getting the flu.

When you wash your hands thoroughly, it washes off organisms on your hands. Therefore, less likely of transferring the organisms into your body.
Likewise, if you have the flu chances are your hands have been wiping your nose, sneezing into it etc. By washing your hands you get rid of the organisms so you are less likely to contaminate someone else.

Though, you can still transmit the flu by breathing on someone. But, washing your hands is a good way to prevent the spread of not only the flu, but other communicable ilness, ie. common cold.

edit: It is more appropriate to say virus as the flu is viral and not bacterial, as using the word organism like I did suggests it's a bacterial infection

These are the droids you're looking for

I got a flu shot and yet I have been sick the past 2 months. First a minor cold, then some serious stomach bug, now my entire upper respiratory system is failing me, finally got my voice back after losing it for a week. Don't get sick. It's brutal this year. Brutal.

unsure if its been noted but the flu shot, this year, is said to only have a 45% efficacy rate
this was reported on the news the other day or so

I understand the second part, but how do you not "believe in flu shots"? That they work at all? Or just that the harm outweighs the benefits? Or do you think its like Jesus?



I think it has been long reported that the efficacy of flu shots is like 70-90% but in reality I think that number is if they have chosen the correct strain. Therefore an overall estimate of 45% would make sense, like a 50/50 shot of having the right virus. That being said, I haven't heard of this recently especially since the correct strains were chosen but people still are getting sick. If you are immunocompromised, from my understanding, there is no evidence that they are beneficial (feel free to spam me info to contradict), we simply infer they will be beneficial because in healthy population they are. So maybe it does nothing for the most exposed people.