Every year the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) look at the influenza strains occurring around the world to try to match the next year's vaccine to what's happening this year. This year's vaccine is the same as last year and is a good match. Immunity from the vaccine can lessen after a year so that's why we should be vaccinated each year. We don't have information of the proportion of people who have been vaccinated.

The influenza virus mutates a lot which means we get a different strain each year; the vaccine must be tailored to the particular strain, so last year's flu shot will be ineffective against this year's strain of the flu.
Flu vaccines have been in use since 1945.

"Shift and Drift"
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/change.htm

Yes, your wife and entire family should get the flu shot. The flu vaccine will protects against the three most commonly circulating influenza stains this season. Even though your wife had confirmed influenza she would be protected against the other strains that are around.
Christine with Wright County Public Health

With ALL forms of health care, risk-benefit should be looked at. It does become more complex in the matters of public health. For example, an individual who works in public health or comes in contact with a ton of people has a much better chance of getting the bug and passing it on. Here is a link to the CDC so you can take a look at some of the risks and benefits of the flu vaccine: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm

depends on the strain...and if you have the actual flu.

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. The ability of flu vaccine to protect a person depends on age and health status of the person getting vaccinated and the match between the virus strains in the vaccine and the influenza viruses circulating in the community. This years influenza vaccine appears to be a good match for the predominant circulating strains. Influenza viruses are constantly changing.

There are plenty of alternative methods to preventing the flu. Being healthy and eating right is number one. Avoiding people who are sick and washing your hands (with non-antibiotic soap) is good to.

No one in our family has ever received a flu shot. Nor will they. In fact we stopped getting vaccinations for anything years ago. The risks are not worth the perceived benefits.

Most of those that die from the flu are old people with compromised immune systems. Getting the flu, for most people, is probably better than getting the vaccine.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/18/flu-shot-increases-flu-illness.aspx

Okay, Markus, I was not planning to comment here, but I cannot leave your claims unanswered.
The flu shot is not perfect; the influenza virus is particularly prone to mutating, so each year we get a different strain of the flu (which is why you need to be vaccinated every year and why in some years we get it wrong and produce a vaccine against the wrong strain; a vaccine against one strain will not work against another strain), and some people who have had the vaccine will have incomplete immunity and will still get sick. However, those who had the vaccine and get sick will, in general, get less sick than those who have not had the vaccine.
It is important to remember: INFLUENZA IS A DANGEROUS ILLNESS WHICH CAN BE DEADLY, EVEN FOR OTHERWISE YOUNG, HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS.
People do not, as a rule, die from influenza, but they do die from complications of influenza, including bacterial infections. If you get sick again soon after apparently recovering from the flu, you need to see a doctor ASAP because you could have a deadly bacterial infection.
Of course hand hygiene is crucial to preventing the spread of flu, as is using tissues, covering coughs and sneezes and avoiding people who are sick. However, not getting the flu shot is just plain foolhardy, and no, the shot is definitely NOT more dangerous than the disease itself.

In Chinese medicine, rarely do a we approach illness or health as "one size fits all". There are many factors that determine our treatment approach. But, when it comes to an issue of "public health" the game starts to change. When I was in China during the "swine flu" pandemic, we were all taking herbs in order to try and build up our immune system. Starting with a robust immune system is not always possible. The elderly and immunocompromised persons are at greater risk of getting the flu, and of really suffering from it. In Chinese medicine flu fall under what is called "wen bing" or "warm/febrile disease". And, when it hits a highly populated area...like China, it is VERY serious. During the SARS epidemic, anti-viral herbs were often selected. But, they are selected in a formulation that matches the nature of the disease and the patients constitution. For flu we use herbs that "clear heat and relieve toxicity", and many of these herbs are anti-viral in nature. * Such as "ban lan gen (radix isatidis").* But, prior to getting the flu, starting with a robust immune system is key. Eating right, getting proper rest and hydration, and keeping a low stress life (I know, easier said than done) all aid in the bodies ability to fight off infection and heal. And, as I mentioned in Chinese medicine we often try to build up the body with herbs.
Michael
*Chinese herbal materia medica, Dan Bensky&Andrew Gamble, 1986 eastland press

"However, not getting the flu shot is just plain foolhardy"

I'll take my chances.

You should know by now, if the government advocates for it, I'm probably against it. :o)

Markus, are you seriously using an infomercial website as a source for your claims? Jeez man, you need to adjust your tinfoil hat.

"Dr" Mercola states in one of his web articles pneumonia is easily treatable in hospital. I won't trust a word of "advice" from that website.

"Dr" Mercola states in one of his web articles pneumonia is easily treatable in hospital."

So it's not easily treatable in a hospital?

Pneumonia is not easily treatable anywhere, but if you have pneumonia you are less likely to die if you are hospitalized.

The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

Flu symptoms include:
•A 100oF or higher fever or feeling feverish (not everyone with the flu has a fever)
•A cough and/or sore throat
•A runny or stuffy nose
•Headaches and/or body aches
•Chills
•Fatigue
What are the symptoms of the flu?
http://www.flu.gov/symptoms-treatment/symptoms/index.html#

Actually, the CDC's data indicates that about 77% people are testing positive for type A (H3) influenza, which is what's in the vaccine. That's not a bad match.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/