Fever broke?

[icarus]

I think the fever's broken, not sure. Either that or I'm having a brief respite, which -- hey -- I'll take it. My throat hurts like you wouldn't believe but even that's an improvement.

I have a theory.

I think these flus are the fault of flu shots.

I never used to get sick, or else which I did, it wasn't very serious. I got a very bad virus back in 1987, then the next one (other than a sniffly week or two) was in the late 90s, once flu shots started to gain popularity. Once my office (from 2000 onward) started pushing flu shots on the entire staff (and you were strongly advised to get one, it was provided for free, in-house -- seems someone examined the stats on on the costs of missed work days) I caught a severe virus every year.

So here's my working theory: flu shots are great for those who get them, terrible for those who don't. By combining the worst flu viruses into one vaccine, people are being exposed to a greater variety of brutal viruses. Most of which they would never face without the shot. Those who have the shot become carriers because viruses aren't the same as polio, measles, etc. Viruses mutate. The whole flu shot theory is founded upon everyone getting the shot.

Now here's where I get cynical. There are only a couple companies allowed to produce flu shots in the U.S. This is a very profitable business, increasingly so with corporations on board with the flu shot theory, sponsoring flu shots for their employees. There may be good intentions involved, but I bet someone at these businesses knows there's a risk of increasing flu epidemics if not everyone gets the shot.

God, I'm so sick of the U.S.

Comments

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I love how this asshole refers to us as a "herd."

[wishwords.livejournal.com]

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on Phil's personality.

I didn't mean to rile you up with the link. I just thought you might find it interesting.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Too sick, too tired, too grumpy to have much patience, I'm afraid. Normally I would find it interesting but not right now. It feels like salt in the wound.

I don't if I should be cheered by this (but I am): klymer1's whole family got this particular flu. Her mom got the nausea (day two on the list of flu treats) bad enough they took her to the hospital. She'd had the flu shot.

Turns out this flu's not covered.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

So I scanned through it. Interesting? He has no information on the flu shots whatsoever.

It's just one long straw man argument painting his opponents as "the anti-vaccination crowd" who "use the same faulty evidence, bad thinking, and misleading methods that the Moon Hoax purveyors, the Mars Facers, the UFO proponents, and cosmic doomcriers use." Nice of him to throw his imaginary "crazy" opponents -- because only crazy people would disagree with glorious him? -- a bone by saying that there "very well be honest people who are just seriously misguided" -- implying that, what? The rest don't have legitimate concerns and are, what? Dishonest?

Oh, and I love the anti-individual rights argument he snuck in there, that "we all suffer" if "enough people don’t get vaccinated, a disease can still run rampant" --

-- totally untrue, by the way. The flu shot doesn't eliminate the flu. According to a nurse, the current flu I have isn't covered by the flu shot.

As someone who proports to engage in critical thinking and at least uses the terms related to logical fallacies, he must be fully (and hypocritcally) aware of the type of illogical argument he's making. I find him insulting to boot. But then again, that's the aim of a straw man argument. It's to paint your opponent in such a negative light that you don't have to argue facts. You can just use slander.

Compare his poor critical thinking (I'm offended that he bandies the term about while cranking out this long logical fallacy) to the well-reasoned factual information provided by winterthunder just in comments to this thread, and yeah, I'm totally unimpressed with him.

[wishwords.livejournal.com]

Like I said, we'll have to agree to disagree about him. I find his site informative and fascinating.

[wishwords.livejournal.com]

And I apologize for sending you the link. I had thought you would find it interesting and perhaps that it would ease your mind about the shots. I realize I was wrong, but did not intend to offend you.