Flu Shot

hopefull

hopefull

Cathlete
I am debating whether to get one. I'm a teacher so run a pretty good risk of getting it. I've already been down and out with strep this year. My question is should I have my 7 year old daughter vacinated. She is just getting over strep after a second round of antibiotics and I am kind of afraid to have her get the shot. But considering how this year is going so far, I'm also afraid not to. I will wait till her antibiotic is done. before taking her for sure. Do you have your children vaccinated for the flu? Why or why not? Thanks!
 
My son (3 1/2) is in preschool where every germ known to man can be found. So yes, I have him get the flu shot and I get it to just in case. My DH, on the other hand, does not believe in the flu shot... It's just a personal preference.
 
I never get one but my 3 1/2 year old does. I want him to get one but in addition, it is mandatory at his pre-school so we really have no choice there. I never get the flu so I don't feel the need to get the shot. Sure I get sick. I run a fever, have body aches and all that but not ever in my adult life do I remember my doc calling it the flu! Lucky me I guess!;)

I would definately get your daughter one as soon as she is completely over strept throat.

I know I have to wait for my son to get over acute bronchitis and before he can get his. In fact, he is done with his meds but is still coughing. I am calling the doc today about that.
 
I always give all three of my kids the flu shot, and myself and DH as well. I've had the flu before (the real flu) and it is miserable. If we can avoid that, or at least provide some protection against it, it is worth it to me. Plus we have older relatives who are at risk, so this also helps protect them (they get the shot as well.)
 
The flu is a population leveler - getting the flu will not boost your immune system, it will weaken you and make you a set up for every bug that comes along...
You do not get flu from the flu shot....it does take 2-3 weeks for your immune system to mobilize against the flu shot...sometimes as with 2 years ago, the shot is not accurate for which bug comes along, but still was substantially more protective than not getting it.
It is now made of recombinant DNA....the side effects are negligible nowadays - used to be aches and mild fever for a day or so...now, no one feels anything (I work in a hospital and we all got "shot" the same day)

For years I believed in natural immunity and lost weeks of work over the years with flu...the final straw being that I miscarried my 2nd baby in the 3rd month during a bout of influenza A, then contracted pneumonia....

Have had the shot every year after that...
 
Flu misery...

I caught a really bad case of the flu 12 days before my due date with my first baby. I was soooooo sick that I lost 9 pounds by the time he was born. It weakened me for delivery, the baby and I both had a hard time, and I was very weak (and coughing) for weeks after that.

With my second pregnancy, I got the flu shot as soon as I got into my 2nd trimester. I wasn't going to risk going through that again!

ICU Mom, my sympathies on your loss. They didn't recommend the flu shot to pregnant women when I had my first baby, but that changed by the time I had my second. Thank goodness.

You are so right about it being a population leveler. I can't wait to get my kids vaccinated, but my son is sick with some awful coughing ailment (doctor doesn't seem to know what it is), so we have to wait. Probably by the end of the week -- fingers crossed. :)
 
Pearlstrand said:
I caught a really bad case of the flu 12 days before my due date with my first baby. I was soooooo sick that I lost 9 pounds by the time he was born. It weakened me for delivery, the baby and I both had a hard time, and I was very weak (and coughing) for weeks after that.

With my second pregnancy, I got the flu shot as soon as I got into my 2nd trimester. I wasn't going to risk going through that again!

ICU Mom, my sympathies on your loss. They didn't recommend the flu shot to pregnant women when I had my first baby, but that changed by the time I had my second. Thank goodness.

You are so right about it being a population leveler. I can't wait to get my kids vaccinated, but my son is sick with some awful coughing ailment (doctor doesn't seem to know what it is), so we have to wait. Probably by the end of the week -- fingers crossed. :)
Click to expand...

Kathryn, I also got the flu while pregnant with my first, before they recommended the shot for pregnant women. What misery! I couldn't wait to get the shot my second and third time pregnant.

icumom, I am also so sorry to hear about your loss.
 
Oh you all are the best people on earth.....I lost that baby on Jan 11, 1996, and was ready to try to have another one by March, only to find I was already pregnant and had a 22 inch 9 pounder in November.......the flu,pneumonia, and first trimester of pregnancy twice in a 12 month period - whatta year that was! But thinking back, I don't think the shot was given routinely to pg women back then either....
 
I too caught the flu in the first trimester of my first pregnancy, back in 1991 (I didn't know I was pregnant at the time). I was living overseas and was traveling home to the U.S. for Christmas when I contracted it, somewhere between Hong Kong and San Francisco. I have never been so sick in my life and ended up with pneumonia as well. I think that people misuse the word "flu" to describe many maladies, other than true influenza. I was fortunate in that it didn't adversely effect my unborn baby, but since that time, I always get a yearly flu shot and so do my three childen.
~I'm so sorry for your loss, ICU Mom.

Sarah
 
My 3 dd's and I all had the flu shot about 10 days ago. I have gotten it for the last few years and my 9yo got it last year. Unfortunately, we ALL had the flu last year, since it was a different strain but I had a very mild case (I'm sure it was because I had the shot!).

Our insurance pays for it, and I'd much rather NOT deal w/ sick kids so all got it this year!
 
icumom said:
Oh you all are the best people on earth.....I lost that baby on Jan 11, 1996, and was ready to try to have another one by March, only to find I was already pregnant and had a 22 inch 9 pounder in November.......the flu,pneumonia, and first trimester of pregnancy twice in a 12 month period - whatta year that was! But thinking back, I don't think the shot was given routinely to pg women back then either....
Click to expand...

Wow, that was quite a year you had! And it was right before I had my first child too, so you're right, it was before they recommended the shot for pregnant women. So glad to hear that your second baby was healthy after that ordeal!
 
Me, too!

I had my pregnant flu episode in December 1997, and nobody ever suggested a flu shot for me!

I know that some people say they never get the flu, but what they mean is that they haven't gotten it yet. And I also hear of people who get sick and aren't sure if it's a cold or the flu ... :D When it's the flu, there is no doubt about it!

Jodi, how old are your three children? Mine are 8 and 10.

This thread makes me want to go stand in line at the flu clinic tomorrow. Oh, wait, I'm standing in line at the polling place tomorrow!
 
Wow, I feel lucky. I was pregnant with my DS thru flu season and did not get sick. He is 3 1/2 years old. I did not get a shot and don't recall my doc suggesting it to me either. Oh well. I think I would get one if I were to be pregnant during flu season now though. It never even occurred to me when I was pg with ds though...
 
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