The Daily Eight: October 6, 2016
Oct 6, 2016
I am still absurdly sick. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but seven years ago I caught the swine flu and it did irreparable damage to my lungs. As a result, I now get much sicker and stay sicker for much longer than I did prior.
So when I urge you to get a flu shot, it is not just because overachieving ladies do not have time to miss two weeks of their lives. (I don’t know how I would handle weeks of illness if I was in school/working/raising a family.) It is because I will now suffer a lifetime of health issues because seven years ago I was too “busy” to get a flu shot. This year, I got the mist. And the CDC is correct, it did not prevent me from getting the flu.
I guess I am now a one woman crusade against influenza. But with good reason.
***
1) This twisted-knot hair tutorial will be my go-to hairstyle for all White-Rabbit-Work-Mornings. (Gal Meets Glam)
2) Bloomingdale’s Friends & Family sale is on (code FRIENDS). A great time to buy suits and jackets, like this amazing and affordable T Tahari Carina blazer.
3) Why aren’t more women, particularly women of color, arguing before the Supreme Court? (Mother Jones)
4) LOFT’s two-in-one sweater is a must have. Perfect for weekends and Fridays.
5) Women aren’t paid less because they don’t ask for more–it’s because they’re disliked when they do. A boss once told me that I was “reaching beyond my capabilities” and “pushy” when I asked for a raise. (Business Insider)
6) Belted coats are hot for fall. Can’t afford Max Mara? Hit up this First & I coat at ASOS.
7) Yes, it really is harder for women to get promoted. (Task and Purpose)
8) This lacy bralette would be a great alternative to a basic cami under v-neck blouses like this Vince Camuto tunic.
9) Bonus: Six major Capitol Hill Chief of Staff pet peeves. (Time on the Hill)
*image found here.
Answer to #3: Because they won’t let us.
But no worries. Apparently, it’s an age thing, not a gender thing.
Age thing, my ass.
A very good PSA for the flu vaccine! Sending you lots of germ-free good health vibes and hoping you have a good support system for battling this!
except if you read the CDC’s info. on the flu vaccine, it only works about half the time. So you’re not as protected as you think you are….
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm
Half is better than zero. Sadly, the strain I have was one of the ones in the quad-vaccine.
That’s a huge bummer and just goes to show how hard the flu can be. I used to be a microbiologist before kids, and I’d like to give a few more stats because it’s actually quite complicated. You said half is better than zero (getting the vaccine vs. not getting the vaccine), but that’s actually not true. The CDC says anywhere from 5-20% of the population gets the flu every year, https://www.cdcfoundation.org/businesspulse/flu-prevention-infographic,
but the CDC’s website gives stats that percentage of adults 18-49 that vaccinate is 31.7%. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/flu.htm
So about 68% of the population of that age range is walking around unvaccinated, (not to mention all the other age ranges) but the flu rate is nowhere near that high. The reason I point that out isn’t to argue for the sake of arguing, but so you can see the real numbers. A flu shot definitely doesn’t provide you with 50% better coverage than not getting it. The numbers don’t add up, and when you break it down, how they advertise the benefits of the flu and the numbers are actually highly misleading. I’m not saying don’t get a vaccine, but, and you have first hand experience here, it definitely isn’t a reason to think you’ll get off scot free. And it definitely is a reason to question how they push the vaccine as a savior to one and all. That also cannot be extrapolated with the numbers the CDC itself gives.
That’s fascinating. I wish they would get to work making a more effective vaccine; though I know predicting strains is difficult. Unfortunately, the damage done to my lungs, on top of being born premature (so not strong lungs to start with), has made the flu and even a cold just unbearable. Every time, I just seem to get sicker and sicker. Maybe I should just invest in gloves and a mask. I think I could make that fashionable…somehow.
Wait did someone actually sit in the Member’s chair at a hearing? I would fire them just for being an idiot.
I’m really sorry you were so ill in 2009. My husband and I caught swine flu, too, and a 20-something friend died from it. I agree with you: get a flu shot, people!
Your crusade is working. I typically get the flu shot every year and was going to wait a few weeks until my office clinic, until I noticed everyone around me was starting to get sick. Ended up getting it today and convincing two coworkers to as well
The Rose’s Luxury line in the LinkedIn piece made me laugh. But I’m curious about how to square its advice for working on the Hill with other advice we hear about raises and promotions. For instance, the article quotes a Chief as saying:
“‘…I would hire a Scheduler and in six months she would want to be a Legislative Assistant. I didn’t hire a Legislative Assistant. I hired a Scheduler because I needed a Scheduler.’ Grow where you are planted and don’t force it. If you force it, it will never happen. If you let it happen, you will land promotion after promotion after promotion.”
It makes sense not to angle for a promotion right after you’ve been hired. But in general, keeping your head down and hoping you’ll be rewarded means you’ll be passed over for things. It’s what women are now told *not* to do. Is the culture on the Hill just completely different from other working environments (i.e. “standard” advice doesn’t apply, your boss WILL take care of you)? Or is the giver of this advice really just speaking about new hires who want to be promoted at an unreasonable rate?