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This winter has really taken a toll.. I can't remember the last time I got sick before this winter and now this is my second time! Anyone else keep catching this nasty bug that keeps circulating?

I'll have to find some wood to knock on but my family has been good so far. I'm curious if this bug is that H3N2 (or whatever one it's called) bug they've been talking about. I've heard that one was in the flu shot this year so maybe that's why we've been good this year....so far. I swear by the flu shot personally.

I got the shot last year for the first time right after my daughter was born in October.. it was right in the middle of the H1N1 scare and I didn't want to take any chances with her... perhaps my immune system has been compromised now that I didn't take it this year? I'm starting to regret not getting it, this is a nasty one.

Im no science expert but I'm pretty sure your immune system is not compromised due to not getting it this year. They basically just put three 'dead' viruses in the shot. If one of those three get into your system during the flu season then you're protected. Every year they try to put in the 'big three' they THINK will be around each flu season. Sometimes they're successful, sometimes they miss the boat. That's my understanding anyway.

csb101 is right. This year they had a pretty good match with the influenza vaccine. H3N2 (avian flu) is the major strain circulating with a bit of H1N1 and a bit of regular influenza(all contained in the flu vaccine this year). A big problem this year is the low vaccination rate and that the H3N2 is a new strain of virus that we have not been exposed to here in North America. From year to year if the virus is "similar" to one you have been exposed to in the past, your immune system can fight it faster - this is also the reason why even when the vaccine is not a perfect match, typically if you get the vaccine and then get influenza you recover quicker. This year because it is a new strain, it is making us have much more severe symptoms and taking longer to recover as our immune system takes a bit longer to respond to a brand new virus as it sort of has to figure out what to do.

Hope you are better soon. It is knocking most people on their ass this year.

Norwalk has been spreading like wildfire lately too.

Yep. That wen't through my house last month. This is the second year in a row I've gotten nailed with that. I had never had it in my life before last year!

I had H3N2 in Jan. Came out of nowhere, and I was in bed, for 4 days straight (I have never been that sick). The chills and lack of energy was crazy. Then the cough started and it was nasty too. All in all I was 2 weeks before I was back to normal. The doctor told me that H3N2 is very much like H1N1 but people are getting sicker with it because it's an Avian flu and not many people have been exposed to it before.

We all had the H3N2 in January, I can honestly say it was the worst illness I have ever had and have never seen my little ones so sick. We had H1N1 last year and this was much worse. It was a long recovery too. All of my daycare children had it with the exception of one, she was the only one that had her flu shot this year.

Next year, my kids and I will be getting vaccinated as soon as we can. My intentions were to vaccinate this year but both of them always had something (ie. Cough, runny nose, chest nfection) therefore the dr wouldn't give it to us.

Looking at that pic, I instantly got noxious ... thanks!

Oh, ok, thanks.