<story><title>W.H.O. Forecast for Ebola Worsens as Mortality Rate Rises</title><url>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/world/africa/ebola-epidemic-who-west-africa.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>jMyles</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve never gotten the flu shot, and hadn&amp;#x27;t planned to this year.  I&amp;#x27;m in great health; my immune system seems to be functioning extremely well.  I never get sick.&lt;p&gt;However, I am concerned about the needle-haystack phenomenon with ebola.&lt;p&gt;Can you link me to a reasonable, digestible abstract about the real pros-and-cons of flu shot?</text></item><item><author>nostromo</author><text>I&amp;#x27;m worried about the coming flu season.  Many people will have the early symptoms shared by both flu and ebola (a fever and a headache).  The medical establishment will need to find needles in the haystack.&lt;p&gt;Don&amp;#x27;t skip the flu shot this (or any) year, folks.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>binaryorganic</author><text>Healthy people with healthy immune systems aren&amp;#x27;t supposed to get the flu shot to prevent themselves from getting sick. They&amp;#x27;re supposed to get it because it drastically reduces the chances of passing the virus to at risk populations (who would have a much harder time fighting the virus than you). There are almost a quarter of a million hospitalizations due to the flu in the U.S. each year.</text></comment>
<story><title>W.H.O. Forecast for Ebola Worsens as Mortality Rate Rises</title><url>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/15/world/africa/ebola-epidemic-who-west-africa.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>jMyles</author><text>I&amp;#x27;ve never gotten the flu shot, and hadn&amp;#x27;t planned to this year.  I&amp;#x27;m in great health; my immune system seems to be functioning extremely well.  I never get sick.&lt;p&gt;However, I am concerned about the needle-haystack phenomenon with ebola.&lt;p&gt;Can you link me to a reasonable, digestible abstract about the real pros-and-cons of flu shot?</text></item><item><author>nostromo</author><text>I&amp;#x27;m worried about the coming flu season.  Many people will have the early symptoms shared by both flu and ebola (a fever and a headache).  The medical establishment will need to find needles in the haystack.&lt;p&gt;Don&amp;#x27;t skip the flu shot this (or any) year, folks.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>jfoutz</author><text>Is your immune system unusually effective, or do you simply have a lower exposure because people you come in contact with get their vaccines?</text></comment>