Will you get a flu shot this fall?

[rubybeth]

Just got my flu shot today! I try to get it every year. I have had the flu twice, and I felt like I was dying both times (once Tamiflu helped). The muscle aches, headache, and fatigue were so awful. My husband is on an immunosupressant, so I think it's especially important for me to get the shot.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

My son got his first shot yesterday (he's 9 months) and will get his second in a month. My husband and I are getting ours tomorrow and the rest of my family who he has regular contact with gets theirs by the end of the month. FWIW the baby was a little more restless last night and slightly crabby today but nothing bad at all.

 

[NOYFB]

Got mine yesterday!

 

[canuk-gal]

Got mine yesterday!

 

[BeekeeperBetty]

I had confirmed influenza A one year. I had not gotten a flu shot. I was a seemingly healthy 20 year old and ended up hospitalized after 2 weeks running a 106.5 fever. I don't remember much of that 2 weeks except just unending suffering. Before modern medicine I would have died. I always get a flu shot now.

Except this year so far. I'm having some serious health problems and I can't get it now. In addition, I've been in and out of the hospital almost constantly, so I am picking up every cold known to man. I've been sick as a dog. As I am the primary caregiver of our kids because my husband works a lot, they haven't gotten theirs because I am constantly running back and forth to the hospital and doctor appointments or stuck in bed because I can't get up. My husband had his months ago, thankfully. He works with a critically ill population and it is required. Plus he'd do it anyway. We are very pro-vaccine. If all goes well, I'm hoping to troop the whole crew down this weekend and shoot the kids up. I don't know when I'm going to be cleared to get it, but I hope it's soon. Flu is the last thing I need right now.

 

[ihy138]

Sigh, I'm not sure, but I have been anxious about this lately. I have never gotten the flu shot before. No real reason why, I just didn't think it was necessary or that I was "high risk" enough. I'm in my late 20s and relatively healthy, although I do have asthma that is well controlled. I want to add that I am not anti-vax AT ALL. I am very much pro-vax.

In 2014, my husband gave me confirmed H1N1 (thanks, honey). He was sick and out of work for one week. Docs said it would have been worse if he didn't have the vaccine. I stayed out two days, probably could have used a third. It wasn't a really horrible illness for me, but I'm wondering if the version I got was weaker because he had the flu shot? We both had Tamiflu as well. I'm not downplaying the flu at all. I know people die from it. I just don't remember it being super horrible.

I'm scared of having the flu again because I have asthma and I don't want to risk pneumonia and the flu generally sucks for me because I can't breathe. I also don't want to get my parents sick because they are older. I work with a population who are fairly immuno-compromised in a lot of ways because of their substance use and risky behaviors. Would hate to expose them or likewise be exposed. I'm not worried that the flu shot will give me the flu. What worries me is getting a brand new vaccine that I've never had before and I don't know how my body will react to it. Seems like this can range from mild annoyance to really not feeling well for a few days.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

DH and I got our flu shots yesterday at the local CVS. DH has a bit of a bruise and the usual sore arm, I was pretty tired after and also have a sore arm. That's about it and we're 24 hours out now.

 

[Ellen]

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

I haven't forgotten. I'm responding in depth, so it's gonna take a while.

 

[cmd2014]

I got mine yesterday (it was the first day available here). According to the pharmacist, this year is particularly important as they are giving a quad shot. Influenza A, B, H1N1, and H3N2 - with the last one being the most serious strain in terms of being the cause of hospitalizations and death in the elderly, children, and people with compromised immune systems. Apparently 80% of flu deaths can be linked back to H3N2. They are pretty confident about the accuracy of the vaccine this year, as H3N2 cases have already begun to present at hospitals - flu season has apparently started a bit earlier than expected this year.

I also asked about carry-over immunity from previous shots (I was curious as I have been immunized for all of these strains in the past several years). Unfortunately, the viruses mutate too quickly to obtain good immunity from previous vaccinations, so the carry-over benefit year to year is pretty minimal. I was the only one there, so I had time to chat with the pharmacist while I was waiting for my 10 minutes to be up before leaving.

So, as usual, my shoulder is very sore and I have quite a lump around the injection site. Feeling a bit tired but so far this one seems to have fewer side effects than previous years have had (at least for me). Now I just have to pester DH into getting his...

 

[purplesparklies]

Received mine two days ago. No noticeable side effects other than a bit of soreness if I poke around near the injection site.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lyra]

Flu shots just became available here this week. I got it a few days ago. Can't even remember what side. I'm on an immunosuppressant medication, so I need to have protection for myself and everyone in my family. I realize the flu shot isn't 100% effective, but I'll take any odds in my favour at this point. Plus I'm helping out others around me who have similar issues. Everyone I know gets the flu shot, but it may be a Canadian thing. If you've never had the flu, you are extremely lucky.

 

[msop04]

Well, we've seen our first cases of flu at the clinic... One was a preteen who was Type A & B positive. It begins... :: sigh ::

 

[MissGotRocks]

Got my flu shot yesterday! Arm is a bit sore (as usual) but that is it. Beats the flu any day though!

 

[AGBF]

I dug up this thread because I wanted a little feedback. I am a firm believer in 'flu shots, which I may have said upthread. I live with my 96 year-old father, who had his while hospitalized earlier this fall, his full-time caregiver, who already had his, and my 24 year-old daughter. My daughter and I got our 'flu shots a little later than usual this year. (We usually get them in October.) We got them three or four days ago. This year the nurse at CVS said she was going to give me the 65 years and older vaccine. I asked her how it was different, thinking it might not be as strong as the usual vaccine (which I wanted), and she said it was stronger. Since I had only recently (in months) turned 65, I didn't see that it made much difference which one I got, but I went with the recommendation. For the first time that night I was slightly nauseated and had the tiniest of minor coughs. (I went back and read the brochure with which I had been sent home. No worries.) But the site is still red and very itchy. It is nothing I would call a hotline about. It is nothing worse that a mosquito bite. There is no longer even any raised bump, just redness and itching. It is not an allergic reaction. But I wonder if it was because I got a different "type" of vaccine? msop, do you have a guess? I know it would be a guess and that you cannot diagnose over the 'net. But can the vaccine for older adults produce stronger reactions? I will ask my doctor if I should get the regular or the older adult version next year if you do not have a recommendation.

Deb/AGBF

 

[ksinger]

I dug up this thread because I wanted a little feedback. I am a firm believer in 'flu shots, which I may have said upthread. I live with my 96 year-old father, who had his while hospitalized earlier this fall, his full-time caregiver, who already had his, and my 24 year-old daughter. My daughter and I got our 'flu shots a little later than usual this year. (We usually get them in October.) We got them three or four days ago. This year the nurse at CVS said she was going to give me the 65 years and older vaccine. I asked her how it was different, thinking it might not be as strong as the usual vaccine (which I wanted), and she said it was stronger. Since I had only recently (in months) turned 65, I didn't see that it made much difference which one I got, but I went with the recommendation. For the first time that night I was slightly nauseated and had the tiniest of minor coughs. (I went back and read the brochure with which I had been sent home. No worries.) But the site is still red and very itchy. It is nothing I would call a hotline about. It is nothing worse that a mosquito bite. There is no longer even any raised bump, just redness and itching. It is not an allergic reaction. But I wonder if it was because I got a different "type" of vaccine? msop, do you have a guess? I know it would be a guess and that you cannot diagnose over the 'net. But can the vaccine for older adults produce stronger reactions? I will ask my doctor if I should get the regular or the older adult version next year if you do not have a recommendation.

Deb/AGBF

It's new this season, and here is the CDC page about it. Should answer your questions.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/65over.htm

 

[UrsTx]

Just got mine this week! I'm a little late this year, I usually get it in September but got sooo busy. I haven't missed a flu shot in 15+ years. DH never gets one. He's prob gotten a flu 2 times in the past 6 yrs - and just says oh well.

 

[msop04]

I dug up this thread because I wanted a little feedback. I am a firm believer in 'flu shots, which I may have said upthread. I live with my 96 year-old father, who had his while hospitalized earlier this fall, his full-time caregiver, who already had his, and my 24 year-old daughter. My daughter and I got our 'flu shots a little later than usual this year. (We usually get them in October.) We got them three or four days ago. This year the nurse at CVS said she was going to give me the 65 years and older vaccine. I asked her how it was different, thinking it might not be as strong as the usual vaccine (which I wanted), and she said it was stronger. Since I had only recently (in months) turned 65, I didn't see that it made much difference which one I got, but I went with the recommendation. For the first time that night I was slightly nauseated and had the tiniest of minor coughs. (I went back and read the brochure with which I had been sent home. No worries.) But the site is still red and very itchy. It is nothing I would call a hotline about. It is nothing worse that a mosquito bite. There is no longer even any raised bump, just redness and itching. It is not an allergic reaction. But I wonder if it was because I got a different "type" of vaccine? msop, do you have a guess? I know it would be a guess and that you cannot diagnose over the 'net. But can the vaccine for older adults produce stronger reactions? I will ask my doctor if I should get the regular or the older adult version next year if you do not have a recommendation.

Deb/AGBF

Yes, the vaccine can produce a stronger reaction... the CDC site listed says everything about that though.

 

[AGBF]

I dug up this thread because I wanted a little feedback. I am a firm believer in 'flu shots, which I may have said upthread. I live with my 96 year-old father, who had his while hospitalized earlier this fall, his full-time caregiver, who already had his, and my 24 year-old daughter. My daughter and I got our 'flu shots a little later than usual this year. (We usually get them in October.) We got them three or four days ago. This year the nurse at CVS said she was going to give me the 65 years and older vaccine. I asked her how it was different, thinking it might not be as strong as the usual vaccine (which I wanted), and she said it was stronger. Since I had only recently (in months) turned 65, I didn't see that it made much difference which one I got, but I went with the recommendation. For the first time that night I was slightly nauseated and had the tiniest of minor coughs. (I went back and read the brochure with which I had been sent home. No worries.) But the site is still red and very itchy. It is nothing I would call a hotline about. It is nothing worse that a mosquito bite. There is no longer even any raised bump, just redness and itching. It is not an allergic reaction. But I wonder if it was because I got a different "type" of vaccine? msop, do you have a guess? I know it would be a guess and that you cannot diagnose over the 'net. But can the vaccine for older adults produce stronger reactions? I will ask my doctor if I should get the regular or the older adult version next year if you do not have a recommendation.

Yes, the vaccine can produce a stronger reaction... the CDC site listed says everything about that though.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond, msop. Thanks, also, to you, K!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Wow. All I can say is that I never expected to learn anything more about 'flu vaccines this year. Not that I thought I knew anything. I generally only research an area of medicine when someone in my life is affected by it. I am not a medical professional. But the CDC site sent me looking for more information. It made me realize that not only had I not known that the vaccine I got was new this year (I knew I had never heard of a "65 and older vaccine", but I thought that it was due to my own ignorance), but that after looking at the site I had even more questions.

The visit to the CDC website made me wonder if I had received a "high dose 'flu vaccine" or an "adjuvanated 'flu vaccine", which was supposedly going to be on the market for the 2016-2017 'flu season. So I returned to the receipt for my vaccination. There I noticed that not only was the description for my daughter's vaccination different, but so was the price. Hers cost $18.99 whereas mine cost $43.99 although both were covered by insurance. I had to go to the Internet to find out what type of vaccine I had gotten; it was the regular "high dose', not the adjuvanated type, although, supposedly, people over 65 are supposed to be able to choose from three types of vaccines this year. (Or maybe it is only the manufacturers of the adjuvanated vaccine or saying that!)

The type of vaccine I got is the one at the bottom of the list on the first page. Not that you need to know this. I am just proud I could figure it out!!!

Link...https://www.vaxserve.com/assets/pdf/library/mkt17493-1r.pdf

Deb, the scientific wizard