What's up with flu shots?

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
My DH left work today for 2 hours to take a train into the city to get a flu shot because his company is giving them out free. He does it every year. I asked him if our doctor recommended it and he said he didn't ask her. He's a healthy middle-aged guy. Not elderly, not fragile, and not suffering from any diseases.

I've never had a flu shot. I've had the flu just a few times, and even then it's always mild and I've never missed more than 2 days of work. I know some people have flu symptoms after flu shots, and I don't see any reason to go through that.

Do you get a flu shot? If so, why? I'm not sure I get it. Thanks.

Nancy
 
Nancy, the CDC recommends that anyone who wants to reduce their risk of getting the flu take the vaccine. They still recommend highly that certain at risk groups such as the elderly, very young and those with certain chronic health problems definately take it. Because they are at higher risk of severe case or even death from the flu. BTW you can not get the flu from the vaccine.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

Catherine

http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/1.gif
 
OMG I was completely on the fence about getting one this year. I caved *today* so it's funny that you post this right now. ;)

I have absolutely no idea why I get a flu shot. Well, that isn't true. I get a flu shot so that if I *do* get the flu I can tell everyone "and I even got a flu shot this year!" and because most doctors ask me if I've had one. Since I'm in the high-risk category (the symptoms of the flu would be more problematic for me than for the average Joe) I am generally quizzed if I see a doc who is going down their "list".

I do not think I would have gotten one if I were not at school, where germs run rampant and in circles.

I've never had any symptoms from a flu shot other than a sore arm. Today he gave me the shot in the hip, so we'll see what happens.

And, I enjoy spending the completely superfluous $30. :p
 
Well, I only ever had one once when my job was giving them out free as well. I hadn't had the flu in nearly 3 years, and immediately after the shot, I was sick for 2 horrible weeks. I won't do that again :) I've also noticed that most people I know who get the flu shot still get sick at some point. I haven't really seen it ever work - at least in my personal experience. I think there are probably too many viruses out there, even if it's not "the" big flu, and this shot won't help with those.

Sara
 
Catherine, that website states:

"People at high risk for complications from the flu, including:

* Children aged 6 months until their 5th birthday,
* Pregnant women,
* People 50 years of age and older, and
* People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions;
* People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities."

I can't believe I'm in a high risk group! x( x( I turned 50 this year. I don't care what they say. I just don't feel old enough to be high risk! :p }( It was probably a typo. They probably meant 60. :p
 
OMG Nancy I didn't even pay attention to the over 50 LOL!! Guess you'd better be on your way to get yours :p

I work in health care so I am high risk and usually get one. Haven't this year and I am getting on a plane to Hawaii ~ 12 hour flight this weekend!! Oh I am so afraid I'll get sick! As long as it hits me after I get home I'll be ok LOL!



Catherine

http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/1.gif
 
Sara you are right there are a ton of other viruses out there. And there is more than one strain of the flu virus. The vaccination is given based on the most prevelent strain for the year. So yes some will still get the flu even with vaccination. Also it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take effect and I've seen people get the flu in that time period while waiting for the vaccine to kick in.


Catherine

http://bestsmileys.com/exercising/1.gif
 
I have never gotten a flu shot and I have never had the flu!:eek:

When my DH was in the military he got one every year and he always caught some sort of bug every year. He is out of the service now and no longer gets a flu shot - he hasn't gotten any kind of illness since discontinuing flu shots.

I certainly won't be signing up to get one.
 
Though I am healthy and rarely sick, I get one because I am on planes 4-8 times a month. I can't tell you how many times I have to either sit by or get stuck between sick people. It's an added protection for me.

On years I'm not traveling so much, I don't get one.

Jo
 
I get one every year because I work in healthcare and I am around just about every single bug out there! DH also gets one because he falls into a high risk category because of his disabilities. I know that it's not for everyone, but I have never had any problems with getting the flu after receiving the shot. It's a common myth as well that you get the flu after the flu shot...that's all it is is a myth because the viral strain they use to replicate the vaccine is dead/inert...it CAN'T cause the illness!!

I typically take either tylenol or motrin when I get the shot only because it causes my arm to hurt, but that's the only problems I have had from it.
 
The flu shot is not for me. I believe that I am healthy and not in the high risk bracket and therefore can't convince myself that injecting myself with a virus can be healthy for me.

If I was in the high risk bracket, I would definetly consider it but for now it is a "no" for me.
 
I get a shot every year. I had the flu once when I was a teenager and was very very sick. My fever got so high they were very close to taking me to the hospital. Luckily my step father's poker buddy was a doctor so he made a house call for us LOL. Whatever protection from being that miserable again, I'll take.
 
Part of the problem is there's many milder bugs out there people call the flu which aren't the flu meaning influenza. Last year was the first year my daughter didn't get a flu shot and sure enough she got it. This was verified by testing. She was started on Tamiflu right away but still missed eight days of school(temps to 104)and was dragging for several weeks afterwards. Even though she was 16 she was just too ill be home alone and so my hubby and I ended up taking time off work to be with her. Plus once she was back in school we had to do a lot of extra transportation as she needed to stay after school several days to make up her work. One person ill resulted in a total of 13 days of missed school and work and I don't know how many days there were where I had to leave early. Even an uncomplicated case of the real influenza is a nasty piece of work.

"Every year in the United States, on average:

5% to 20% of the population gets the flu;
more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and;
about 36,000 people die from flu." (quoted from CDC flu page)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm

I also work in health care and a couple of years ago our county got hit with a virulent flu--there were people in their 20's and 30's and no risk factors ending up with pneumonia and being sidelined for weeks. My boss was one of these--she almost died, was off work for 2 months altogether and had post-viral syndrome for 6 months afterwards (meaning colds turned into pneumonia or bronchitis). My point here is influenza isn't just a bad cold. Last year time got away from me and even though I knew the flu was ugly it just kept getting more and more inconvenient to get my daughter the shot and we missed it. The inconveniences of the shot is nothing compared to the hassles of actually getting the flu though. Won't be making that mistake again anytime soon.

Diana
 
No flu shot for me thanks! I completely understand getting it under certain circumstances but I think it's ludacris that any Joe can waltz into a Wal-Mart or Shopper's Drug Mart in Ontario and get a flu shot. I know precious little of the science behind it but I haven't had the flu in years and it creeps me out to think of all of those dead viruses accumulating within me. I'll save it for when I'm old and/or immunosuppressed.

Take Care
Laurie
 
Oh my goodness, Diana! You've certainly had some bad experiences with the flu! :eek: Maybe I've just been very lucky.
Nancy
 
No flu shot here, either. Our family doesn't do vaccines at all. You couldn't pay me enough to inject my body with the known neurotoxins the shot is preserved in. Just my opinion ;-)

Carol
 
Employers encourage you to get the shot because it does decrease your chances of getting the flu, however slightly. They don't want you calling in sick and they will do everything to prevent that.

Second, the flu vaccine is not live, and like another poster said, you can't "catch" the flu from it. BUT, for a short time after the shot your body is hard at work making antibodies to the flu strain, which leaves less of your immune system working on all the other stuff you may be getting exposed to.....say, a virus that LOOKS like the flu or a strain of the flu that was not covered in the shot. It is not 100%, but even if it only protects me from one strain, it is better than none. I was told it is actually the top three strains of the virus they are expecting each season. And the percentage of people who actually get sick immediately after the shot is very small.

As a healthcare provider, I believe it is my responsibility to get a shot. It is my opinion that it is irresponsible not to because you are contagious before you even know you are ill and the flu does kill.

JMHO
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top