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Will you get a flu shot this fall?

msop04

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ksinger|1474819957|4080592 said:
AGBF|1474798360|4080509 said:
Queenie60|1474472311|4079234 said:
Yes. A few years ago I got the flu even though I had the shot.

If that was the same year it happened to me, it may have been the year that that the "wrong" 'flu strain was in the vaccination. I do not recall the details, because I didn't read about it at the time, only heard about it from my doctor, but the 'flu strain that hit wasn't the same that was expected when the vaccine was prepared. Maybe it simply mutated; maybe it wasn't the same strain at all. As I said, I didn't read about it, but the problem that year was, apparently, in the vaccine.

The 2014-15 shot was the one that was targeted for strains that subsequently drifted, as I recall. I got caught in that one. I got the flu shot in November. Then in Jan of 2015, I got the flu. I caught it quickly though, and was prescribed Tamiflu, which some studies say does not shorten duration or decrease hospitalizations. Regardless, I took it, and got over it pretty quickly. While it kinda sneaked up on me and only gave me fever and cough, my boss had the flu that season too, and it hit her VERY hard and fast. She was seriously down for the count....

Yes, Tamiflu is time-sensitive. It must be taken ASAP at onset of symptoms, and it really only shortens the duration by couple of days.

Copays can be very high for it, and I often counsel patients (and parents of pts) to not feel badly if it's just too expensive. It's heartbreaking to see tears come to a mother's eyes because she can't afford her child's Tamiflu... It often makes them feel a little better when they know that it merely shortens the duration of symptoms and their child will be just fine without it. :))
 

ksinger

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msop04|1474823539|4080608 said:
ksinger|1474819957|4080592 said:
AGBF|1474798360|4080509 said:
Queenie60|1474472311|4079234 said:
Yes. A few years ago I got the flu even though I had the shot.

If that was the same year it happened to me, it may have been the year that that the "wrong" 'flu strain was in the vaccination. I do not recall the details, because I didn't read about it at the time, only heard about it from my doctor, but the 'flu strain that hit wasn't the same that was expected when the vaccine was prepared. Maybe it simply mutated; maybe it wasn't the same strain at all. As I said, I didn't read about it, but the problem that year was, apparently, in the vaccine.

The 2014-15 shot was the one that was targeted for strains that subsequently drifted, as I recall. I got caught in that one. I got the flu shot in November. Then in Jan of 2015, I got the flu. I caught it quickly though, and was prescribed Tamiflu, which some studies say does not shorten duration or decrease hospitalizations. Regardless, I took it, and got over it pretty quickly. While it kinda sneaked up on me and only gave me fever and cough, my boss had the flu that season too, and it hit her VERY hard and fast. She was seriously down for the count....

Yes, Tamiflu is time-sensitive. It must be taken ASAP at onset of symptoms, and it really only shortens the duration by couple of days.

Copays can be very high for it, and I often counsel patients (and parents of pts) to not feel badly if it's just too expensive. It's heartbreaking to see tears come to a mother's eyes because she can't afford her child's Tamiflu... It often makes them feel a little better when they know that it merely shortens the duration of symptoms and their child will be just fine without it. :))

Yeah, I started feeling....something....poking around the edges on a Thursday evening. Friday, I felt like I was getting a cold with a touch of upper respiratory stuff, but not too bad. Saturday was about the same as Friday. Sunday afternoon though, I started running an actual fever, and fevers for me are rare, and fevers are not ever colds so I was pretty sure I had flu at that point. So I high-tailed it to an after hours place, where they gave me the flu test, which was positive. And yes, the Tamiflu was pricey even with good insurance. The fever was gone by Tuesday though, so maybe it did shorten the duration some. I don't think I was ever destined to have a really bad case of flu that year though, not like my boss had. Mine always felt kind of mild to me, although having it at all caused other problems. I'm just glad I didn't give it to my husband.
 

Ellen

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MollyMalone|1474817433|4080583 said:
Yes :)) I started getting annual flu shots 18 years ago when I became a hospice volunteer (in both of the hospice programs for which I've volunteered, flu & pneumonia vaccinations were-are required of volunteers). 4 years ago, I got hit with the flu in early September -- before I'd received the shot (I was in the forefront of the "flu season" which started early that year) -- and I was miserably sick and out of the office for almost a full 2 weeks.

Ellen said:
msop04|1474483787|4079305 said:
* * * You can't get the flu from the flu vaccine. It's a dead virus.
Really? because my pastors wife got one (flu shot) last year and got deathly ill immediately afterwards. Swore she would never get another one. I just don't believe it was "coincidence", and neither did she. * * *
Ellen, the flu vaccination does not confer immediate immunity; no surprise that it takes time for your body to fully develop the antibodies, about 2 weeks.
Ok, I'm going to just chalk it up to a super duper coincidence. Same with the other people it happened to also.
 

AprilBaby

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I had a killer immune system until this summer. I had my spleen out in June. Since then I have been nothing but sick. This year for the first time I need to get the flu shot.
 

AGBF

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ksinger|1474819957|4080592 said:
AGBF|1474798360|4080509 said:
Queenie60|1474472311|4079234 said:
Yes. A few years ago I got the flu even though I had the shot.

If that was the same year it happened to me, it may have been the year that that the "wrong" 'flu strain was in the vaccination. I do not recall the details, because I didn't read about it at the time, only heard about it from my doctor, but the 'flu strain that hit wasn't the same that was expected when the vaccine was prepared. Maybe it simply mutated; maybe it wasn't the same strain at all. As I said, I didn't read about it, but the problem that year was, apparently, in the vaccine.

The 2014-15 shot was the one that was targeted for strains that subsequently drifted, as I recall. I got caught in that one. I got the flu shot in November. Then in Jan of 2015, I got the flu. I caught it quickly though, and was prescribed Tamiflu, which some studies say does not shorten duration or decrease hospitalizations. Regardless, I took it, and got over it pretty quickly. While it kinda sneaked up on me and only gave me fever and cough, my boss had the flu that season too, and it hit her VERY hard and fast. She was seriously down for the count....

That is probably the one. I know I was fine last 'flu season, which would have been 2015-2016. I get the 'flu vaccination every year, as does everyone in my family. Only once, since around 1990 (pre-child), have I gotten the 'flu.

Deb
 

dk168

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No as I do not consider myself as being "at risk".

DK :))
 

Paz

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NO, never again!!! :snooty:

I have an egg allergy and was advised to avoid the flu shot by my ENT.

Four years ago, I was going into the hospital for major surgery and the preop team strongly encouraged me to get the flu shot. I told them about my allergy, and they said it shouldn't be an issue. :rolleyes: Within seconds my arm swelled up, and the itchy rash appeared! I was a sniffly, scratching mess for a week.

Needless to say, I don't listen to anyone other than my ENT now. :angel:
 

msop04

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Paz|1474848368|4080715 said:
NO, never again!!! :snooty:

I have an egg allergy and was advised to avoid the flu shot by my ENT.

Four years ago, I was going into the hospital for major surgery and the preop team strongly encouraged me to get the flu shot. I told them about my allergy, and they said it shouldn't be an issue. :rolleyes: Within seconds my arm swelled up, and the itchy rash appeared! I was a sniffly, scratching mess for a week.

Needless to say, I don't listen to anyone other than my ENT now. :angel:

Oh, wow! I'm so sorry, Paz! Egg allergies are a no-no... geez! :shock: Glad your ENT advised you not to get one.
 

jaaron

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Although we're not 'at risk', we always do and our teenagers do too. One of the more compelling theories I've heard was from our paediatrician (quite a few years ago). According to him, in the influenza epidemic of 1918, teenagers and young adults died at a much higher rate than older adults, the theory being that they'd had fewer years to be exposed and develop immunity to illness. Ever since, I've been all for being as immune as possible to as many strains of influenza as possible.
 

PintoBean

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No, I will not get a flu shot. I've had the flu in 1997 and then in 2005 when I was taking care of a boyfriend with the flu, and caught it from him. :wall:

I am at a lower risk for anything nowadays because I now work from home, and rarely venture out nowadays.
 

shaggy1

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jaaron said:
Although we're not 'at risk', we always do and our teenagers do too. One of the more compelling theories I've heard was from our paediatrician (quite a few years ago). According to him, in the influenza epidemic of 1918, teenagers and young adults died at a much higher rate than older adults, the theory being that they'd had fewer years to be exposed and develop immunity to illness. Ever since, I've been all for being as immune as possible to as many strains of influenza as possible.
A friend of mine's father was 18 in 1918. His entire family died from that flu. I believe it was H1N1 (aka Swine flu) . He only survived because he was on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, having just joined the Navy.

I got H1N1 during the outbreak 7 or 8 years ago. It was my second worst illness ever , after only the chicken pox which almost killed me.

So yes, I'll absolutely be getting the flu shot. I do every year.
 

Ellen

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Interestingly, I went to a luncheon Monday, and a woman I'd never met came up to our table. She was letting a friend know she was feeling much better after being sick briefly. In her words, she (felt fine) got a flu shot and had a violent reaction to the shot (sick), but recovered fairly quickly and was feeling much better. I quickly informed her some women on line said that can't happen. She must have been getting the flu anyway and it was big coincidence. She totally disagreed and said now I can tell them I know someone who really got sick from the actual shot. I said I already did, but they insisted that can't happen.

Wish you could have seen the look on her face. But I'm sure you are all right, she couldn't possibly know her own body. (just like the others) :rolleyes:
 

Amber St. Clare

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I got mine last week at Walgreens because I like their program of supplying children in need with necessary injections.
 

baby monster

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I"m getting it in the next couple weeks whenever I have enough time to go to health center at work. My first grader brings all sorts of wonderful germs home from school so I need as much help as I can get. I only had the flu once after he brought it home from pre-K.
 

msop04

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e98021ac5cbac4ecc118d485d1acd4ae.jpg
 

katharath

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What?? You're telling me that anecdotal stories *aren't* more accurate than science?? Hmm :think:
 

Ellen

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You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)


Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.

At what point does something stop being a coincidence?
 

lovedogs

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Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)


Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?

When science proves otherwise. When there are actual studies to back up the claims of people setting sick. Mild fever + arm soreness are normal side effects of the flu shot, and can feel like you've gotten sick. But it isn't the flu, and tons of science is behind that claim.
 

Dancing Fire

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lovedogs|1476317518|4086410 said:
Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)


Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?

When science proves otherwise. When there are actual studies to back up the claims of people setting sick. Mild fever + arm soreness are normal side effects of the flu shot, and can feel like you've gotten sick. But it isn't the flu, and tons of science is behind that claim.
Why would anyone wanna go through that?.. :wacko: Don't sound like fun to me.. :knockout:
 

msop04

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vtigger86 said:
lovedogs|1476317518|4086410 said:
Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)


Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?

When science proves otherwise. When there are actual studies to back up the claims of people setting sick. Mild fever + arm soreness are normal side effects of the flu shot, and can feel like you've gotten sick. But it isn't the flu, and tons of science is behind that claim.
Why would anyone wanna go through that?.. :wacko: Don't sound like fun to me.. :knockout:

Not fun, DF... but if you want a real doozy, just catch flu! Lots of fun for a week or so! [emoji51]
 

Dancing Fire

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msop04|1476318507|4086415 said:
vtigger86 said:
lovedogs|1476317518|4086410 said:
Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)


Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?

When science proves otherwise. When there are actual studies to back up the claims of people setting sick. Mild fever + arm soreness are normal side effects of the flu shot, and can feel like you've gotten sick. But it isn't the flu, and tons of science is behind that claim.
Why would anyone wanna go through that?.. :wacko: Don't sound like fun to me.. :knockout:

Not fun, DF... but if you want a real doozy, just catch flu! Lots of fun for a week or so! [emoji51]
Still waiting for the flu to hit me after 30 + yrs... :praise: I'd understand your POV since you are a pharmacists. We have 3 pharmacists in our family and they all advise me to get a flu shot every yr.
 

MollyMalone

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Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)

Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
[bold in Ellen's post]
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?
Ellen, even Dr. Mercola, whom you revere so much, does not contend that there are live viruses in the injected flu vaccinations. So I'm wondering why you believe that the several people of your acquaintance would not have become sick had they not received a flu shot; what are your bases for rejecting the alternative: that they had been exposed to flu or other viruses before receiving the flu shot?

Here's my own thought for the day (well, actually throughout life :sun: )
correlation =/= causation
 

Ellen

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Molly, I will be responding to your post, but it might be a few days. Working and other obligations. Plus, I want to address it thoughtfully. ttyl :))
 

House Cat

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MollyMalone|1476321370|4086437 said:
Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)

Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
[bold in Ellen's post]
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?
Ellen, even Dr. Mercola, whom you revere so much, does not contend that there are live viruses in the injected flu vaccinations. So I'm wondering why you believe that the several people of your acquaintance would not have become sick had they not received a flu shot; what are your bases for rejecting the alternative: that they had been exposed to flu or other viruses before receiving the flu shot?

Here's my own thought for the day (well, actually throughout life :sun: )
correlation =/= causation
Hi Molly,

My son takes immunosuppressants and absolutely can NOT be around anyone who has had the oral polio vaccine or the nasal flu vaccine because they contain the live virus.

I think they are moving away from administering and producing these vaccinations, but they do exist and we have been warned against them.
 

House Cat

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ksinger|1474827115|4080622 said:
msop04|1474823539|4080608 said:
ksinger|1474819957|4080592 said:
AGBF|1474798360|4080509 said:
Queenie60|1474472311|4079234 said:
Yes. A few years ago I got the flu even though I had the shot.

If that was the same year it happened to me, it may have been the year that that the "wrong" 'flu strain was in the vaccination. I do not recall the details, because I didn't read about it at the time, only heard about it from my doctor, but the 'flu strain that hit wasn't the same that was expected when the vaccine was prepared. Maybe it simply mutated; maybe it wasn't the same strain at all. As I said, I didn't read about it, but the problem that year was, apparently, in the vaccine.

The 2014-15 shot was the one that was targeted for strains that subsequently drifted, as I recall. I got caught in that one. I got the flu shot in November. Then in Jan of 2015, I got the flu. I caught it quickly though, and was prescribed Tamiflu, which some studies say does not shorten duration or decrease hospitalizations. Regardless, I took it, and got over it pretty quickly. While it kinda sneaked up on me and only gave me fever and cough, my boss had the flu that season too, and it hit her VERY hard and fast. She was seriously down for the count....

Yes, Tamiflu is time-sensitive. It must be taken ASAP at onset of symptoms, and it really only shortens the duration by couple of days.

Copays can be very high for it, and I often counsel patients (and parents of pts) to not feel badly if it's just too expensive. It's heartbreaking to see tears come to a mother's eyes because she can't afford her child's Tamiflu... It often makes them feel a little better when they know that it merely shortens the duration of symptoms and their child will be just fine without it. :))

Yeah, I started feeling....something....poking around the edges on a Thursday evening. Friday, I felt like I was getting a cold with a touch of upper respiratory stuff, but not too bad. Saturday was about the same as Friday. Sunday afternoon though, I started running an actual fever, and fevers for me are rare, and fevers are not ever colds so I was pretty sure I had flu at that point. So I high-tailed it to an after hours place, where they gave me the flu test, which was positive. And yes, the Tamiflu was pricey even with good insurance. The fever was gone by Tuesday though, so maybe it did shorten the duration some. I don't think I was ever destined to have a really bad case of flu that year though, not like my boss had. Mine always felt kind of mild to me, although having it at all caused other problems. I'm just glad I didn't give it to my husband.
My son who takes immunosuppressants got H1N1 that year when it was brand new and not included in the vaccination. I had him into the doctor the moment he had flu symptoms and a fever. His meds make it so that his body doesn't really react to bacteria and viruses, so he doesn't really run a fever until he is really sick. Sure enough, he had H1N1. The doctor gave him Tamiflu and I believe that saved him. He didn't end up in severe respiratory distress and it shortened the flu to just a week. The doctor kept him out of school for 21 days to keep him from infecting the rest of the students.


This is why I am an advocate of the flu vaccination. There are strains of the flu out there that are deadly. If a kid with asthma catches H1N1, there is a strong chance that kid might have to fight for his life. Usually, the flu seems achy, yucky, and harmless, but sometimes it can be a frightening ordeal.
 

ksinger

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House Cat|1476371699|4086655 said:
MollyMalone|1476321370|4086437 said:
Ellen|1476315547|4086392 said:
You just keep telling yourself that msop. :)) (I would have included your pic but it wouldn't let me submit)

Thought for the day, for those so inclined to think on such things.
[bold in Ellen's post]
At what point does something stop being a coincidence?
Ellen, even Dr. Mercola, whom you revere so much, does not contend that there are live viruses in the injected flu vaccinations. So I'm wondering why you believe that the several people of your acquaintance would not have become sick had they not received a flu shot; what are your bases for rejecting the alternative: that they had been exposed to flu or other viruses before receiving the flu shot?

Here's my own thought for the day (well, actually throughout life :sun: )
correlation =/= causation
Hi Molly,

My son takes immunosuppressants and absolutely can NOT be around anyone who has had the oral polio vaccine or the nasal flu vaccine because they contain the live virus.

I think they are moving away from administering and producing these vaccinations, but they do exist and we have been warned against them.
I did some quick reading at the CDC yesterday, and as I recall, they are saying no population should get the flu mist this season. Traveling, so can't get perfect details at the moment.
 

minousbijoux

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I'm of two minds about it: I rarely get sick so no, don't want it. OTOH, the last time I got really sick, I was down and out for 10 days. Granted it was 15 years ago, but I still remember feeling like I would never get better. So if a shot could prevent that, and it happened to be convenient for me, then yes why not?

Question: is one flu shot the same as another? It seems that you can get flu shots in a host of places - at your place of work, at local drugstores, at hospitals, and at your doctor's. Does it matter where? Are they all the same in terms of the flu strains they go after? I apologize if this is already been asked; I probably should have read the whole thread!
 

msop04

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minousbijoux|1476378584|4086712 said:
Question: is one flu shot the same as another? It seems that you can get flu shots in a host of places - at your place of work, at local drugstores, at hospitals, and at your doctor's. Does it matter where? Are they all the same in terms of the flu strains they go after? I apologize if this is already been asked; I probably should have read the whole thread!

MB, there are several different manufacturers of the flu shot. Those made for the same year (2015/2016, etc.) guard against the same strains of flu, so it really doesn't matter which one you get. The manufacturer used in different locations usually depends on contracts with specific manufacturers/wholesalers -- i.e. money. Hope this helps.
 

cmd2014

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As a health care provider I have gotten the flu shot every year for the past 15 years (at least). If we are wanting to talk about anecdotal evidence (which any scientist will tell you is the weakest form of evidence, and not even in the same universe as large scale epidemiological studies or double blinded clinical trials, and yet seems to be the thing that convinces people the most about the 'truth' of what they are saying), what I can tell you is that I have never once gotten the flu from the flu shot.

Everyone I know gets the flu shot too, as everyone I work with and socialize with also tend to be health care providers. Or teachers. With a few other random professionals thrown in who don't have time to be sick. No-one I know in the past 15 years (which is impressive given how many people I come into contact with in any given year) has gotten the flu from the flu shot. Sick because of delays in the vaccination schedule, sure (sometimes it's late and the flu is already going around by the time the vaccinations are available). Had a reaction to the vaccine, sure (some years are worse than others...the H1N1 year was a doozy). Had a less than perfect response to the vaccine and gotten sick later on, sure (especially older colleagues who have weakened immune systems as they are at higher risk of an imperfect antibody response).

I can also tell you that I personally am sensitive to the after effects of the shot. I can predictably expect a sore arm. I get a large lump around the injection site. I also get enlarged lymph nodes in my neck and underarms as well as symptoms of body aches, fatigue, and sometimes a low grade fever. These symptoms predictably last a day or two and then go away. If I was a lay person who didn't know to expect this (or didn't understand the difference between this and the *real* flu), I'd probably tell you that this was the flu. My husband keeps trying to insist every year that it is. Although he has stopped saying it around me, I still hear him complaining to his friends and family on the phone about this when I'm not around. So someone out there is using *him* as anecdotal evidence that the flu shot causes the flu, even though he has never once actually had the flu after getting his shot.

But it is still worth it to me to get vaccinated for a bunch of reasons: 1) herd immunity. The more people vaccinated, the fewer will get sick, and fewer people with compromised immune systems will become terribly ill or die. Influenza still kills people every year. Mostly grandparents and babies, and I don't want to be responsible for that. 2) I work with people with compromised immune systems who may not be able to be vaccinated, or for whom vaccination is likely to be less successful. 3) I work with people who work with children. If I'm not sick, they're not sick, and the children are less likely to get sick. 3) I just don't want to get sick personally. Honestly, I'll take a couple of days of feeling like I'm coming down with something to avoid 1 - 2 weeks of misery (and all the inconvenience and lost income that comes from this). and 4) we have children in our family who are too young to be vaccinated. I'm not risking them either.

Of these, I'm selfish and #3 and #4 probably trump the other reasons. I also nag and harass my husband, my parents, my siblings, and anyone else I know to get vaccinated. We've already had one Christmas ruined where my whole (un-vaccinated) family got the flu and guess who the lone survivor was who had to take care of that hot mess? Yup. That year the whole bowl of eggnog was mine I tell you!
 

msop04

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cmd2014|1476394094|4086814 said:
As a health care provider I have gotten the flu shot every year for the past 15 years (at least). If we are wanting to talk about anecdotal evidence (which any scientist will tell you is the weakest form of evidence, and not even in the same universe as large scale epidemiological studies or double blinded clinical trials, and yet seems to be the thing that convinces people the most about the 'truth' of what they are saying), what I can tell you is that I have never once gotten the flu from the flu shot.

Everyone I know gets the flu shot too, as everyone I work with and socialize with also tend to be health care providers. Or teachers. With a few other random professionals thrown in who don't have time to be sick. No-one I know in the past 15 years (which is impressive given how many people I come into contact with in any given year) has gotten the flu from the flu shot. Sick because of delays in the vaccination schedule, sure (sometimes it's late and the flu is already going around by the time the vaccinations are available). Had a reaction to the vaccine, sure (some years are worse than others...the H1N1 year was a doozy). Had a less than perfect response to the vaccine and gotten sick later on, sure (especially older colleagues who have weakened immune systems as they are at higher risk of an imperfect antibody response).

I can also tell you that I personally am sensitive to the after effects of the shot. I can predictably expect a sore arm. I get a large lump around the injection site. I also get enlarged lymph nodes in my neck and underarms as well as symptoms of body aches, fatigue, and sometimes a low grade fever. These symptoms predictably last a day or two and then go away. If I was a lay person who didn't know to expect this (or didn't understand the difference between this and the *real* flu), I'd probably tell you that this was the flu. My husband keeps trying to insist every year that it is. Although he has stopped saying it around me, I still hear him complaining to his friends and family on the phone about this when I'm not around. So someone out there is using *him* as anecdotal evidence that the flu shot causes the flu, even though he has never once actually had the flu after getting his shot.

But it is still worth it to me to get vaccinated for a bunch of reasons: 1) herd immunity. The more people vaccinated, the fewer will get sick, and fewer people with compromised immune systems will become terribly ill or die. Influenza still kills people every year. Mostly grandparents and babies, and I don't want to be responsible for that. 2) I work with people with compromised immune systems who may not be able to be vaccinated, or for whom vaccination is likely to be less successful. 3) I work with people who work with children. If I'm not sick, they're not sick, and the children are less likely to get sick. 3) I just don't want to get sick personally. Honestly, I'll take a couple of days of feeling like I'm coming down with something to avoid 1 - 2 weeks of misery (and all the inconvenience and lost income that comes from this). and 4) we have children in our family who are too young to be vaccinated. I'm not risking them either.

Of these, I'm selfish and #3 and #4 probably trump the other reasons. I also nag and harass my husband, my parents, my siblings, and anyone else I know to get vaccinated. We've already had one Christmas ruined where my whole (un-vaccinated) family got the flu and guess who the lone survivor was who had to take care of that hot mess? Yup. That year the whole bowl of eggnog was mine I tell you!

THIS. ...all of it. :appl:

Thanks for posting, cmd!

FWIW, I had a less than stellar reaction to this year's flu shot -- felt like crap for about 24 hours with enlarged lymph nodes and elevated temp... Ugh! But I'll take it over the flu ANY DAY!
 
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