our daughter got married early december '19. our other daughter and i got really sick and it lingered for a long time. we've always wondered...
Makes sense -- since this was of course hallowed pre-covid times... there were a lot of E- /SE-Asian tourist traffic here on Maui over the holiday season, natch. HI in general's a huge holiday destination for East Asia in particular, so makes sense geography-wise... but remember also twin-engine jets that could fly direct LAX/TPE, LAX/NRT & HNL/PEK were established and profitable... so the spread was virtually guaranteed to go as wild as it did. I'd no idea what hit me -- hadn't been that sick in decades. This event actually convinced me (prior to covid, which wrote it in stone) to get flu vaxes.
Unlike covid vaccinations, flu vaccinations are still mandatory for military members and have been more or less since 1945. MUCH more since the 50's. Military personnel can get COVID-19 shots, but the mandatory requirement was rescinded in 2023, allowing for personal choice, though the Department of Defense encourages vaccination for readiness and health - meaning encouraged....not "ENCOURAGED." IYNYN.
That's super-interesting... we're roughly similar eras (you perhaps 10y my mil senior)... but didn't have to get a single flu shot whilst CONUS, not one (which is why for years I never got them, claiming they just made me sick. Fast forward 30y ). They offered them at the dispensary but wasn't mandatory for Army of the time at least. Navy, no idea it wasn't a choice... but as a flu shot devotee now, was obvi the right call for sailors bunched up in metal hulls or giant sewer pipes 6 mos at a time Overseas... now that was a bit different. Since we were traipsing around on leave w/ EC or Eurail passes all over Europe, had to get regular shots for all the usual travel bugs (seem to remember rabies and yellow fever), freely interacting w/ civilians... including flu shots. That ended PCSing home tho
Can't speak to the Army's policy but the USN is VERY humorless when it comes to vaccinations, and when I traded sneaks in for 782 gear I saw more than a few squids receive ADSEPS for not getting their flu shots. THANK GOD (!!) I retired before the whole COVID flap-a-doodle hit the fan.
Some of us Civilians were almost forced into retirement for non-compliance to the COVID shot mandate. I complied, but said shots did not work....and still do not.
Just empty words, without evidence or references, while continuing to refuse to address the considerable evidence posted and linked here several years ago.
I complied with the mandates and followed all the required guidelines...and so did everyone else I have reported previously...ad nauseum...family, friends neighbors and co-workers. Everyone caught the bug...up to 5 times. You go right on taking them if they make you feel warm and fuzzy, but I am not going to shut up about the real facts...for you or anyone else.
... annnd frodoz returns predictably to "I got the shots but then got the bug, so the shots didn't work." If there were vaccines that didn't work by training your immune system to fight the virus, but instead somehow worked by repelling virus particles from ever reaching you so your immune system wouldn't have to do anything, then maybe frodoz would be all over those. (Well, I guess we all would. That would be awesome.)
I seem to recall some evidence of increased mortality statistics in states that had low Covid shot acceptance. And more normal mortality in states with high acceptance. And I've had 7 Covid shots and nothing but a slightly sore spot. Most of the time i went from getting the shot to go play golf within the hour. Can't remember when I haven't had the flu shot. Last one was sore for several days at the shot location. First time I can recall that. All those shots were with vaccines that were approved by scientists with years of experience in the field.
How many of them died from it? How many required hospitalization? Though I don't expect a large enough sample from you to be statistically significant. The hard facts posted years ago gave deaths rates for vaxxed and unvaxxed people by age group. The difference was quite large. I don't recall you rebutting any of them. I haven't seen you linking any "real facts" on this. Did I miss them during my forum absence of about Nov-2024 to Nov-2025?