Can you stand another flu shot vent??

[Mskanga]

My kids both in high risk , are not getting shots this year either. My doctor's office only received 200 doses . My oldest suffers from chronic bronchitis and borderline asthmatic , my youngest one gets bronchitis real easy and since age 2 both of them have gotten the flu shot. Not this year.
My oldest one has already started to have problems and it's not even the beginning of the season. All I can do is try to raise their immune system with lots of vitamins , and lots of washing hands.

 

[wld]

I am very suprised and saddened about the surgical center that was having family members come in. In our department we had about 2000 flu shots and we did not have any family members come in nor did we take any home. Some of our employees wanted us to give them their shot in the syringe so they could take it home to a family member. We did not allow this either.

It gets so complicated and it really shouldn't be. Many doctors don't order flu vaccine for their patients and expect them to get them elsewhere. Many others ordered from Chiron because it was cheaper so they didn't get any to give. Still others just order a few vaccines. So people are forced to look elsewhere. The same situation is in nursing homes in our area. Our home health is trying to get to all nursing homes that didn't receive their shipments and we are diverting our flu vaccine from factories that agreed to cancel their flu clinics when the shortage appeared. Hooray for them, most of their employees wouldn't have qualified. I admire the fact that they did this.

As stated before 36,000 will die from influenza in any given year. They may have great medical care, but will die anyway. 29-40% of at risk people hospitalized in the fall will return to the hospital in the winter with influenza. Many hospitals will have trouble with this many admits in a high admit time of year.

I'll get off my soap box now. Stay healthy and if you are sick stay home unless you are sick enough to seek medical attention.

 

[totalia]

Originally posted by CheshireVal
I guess I'm just sort of ill-informed about medical issues, but.... I remember a time when there was no flu shot, and that wasn't too long ago!

How can it be such a big deal now that people aren't able to get one?

I realize there are some high-risk groups that are the exception but, I mean, it's the flu. Come on.

I agree with you.

 

[totalia]

Originally posted by Aimeedyan
Why am I not so worried about it? Is anyone else not worried? And I am VERY high risk, and my docs have all said to get one. I just am not worried. Perhaps I am naive? The flu has been around for years, I have great medical care, I've had it before, I wash my hands frequently and get into a doc as SOON as I think I'm ill due to my other health issues. But I'm just not worried.

I'll be honest - I think part of it is because I refuse to buy into the panic/frenzy that the media has created about the vaccine. They blow things out of proporation so badly, I just refused to be part of the masses that freaked out.

Okay, call me naive and irresponsible, please =)

I agree with you too.

 

[wilderness01]

Speaking from someone who has asthma and has gotten the flu, believe me you can get very very ill. I was sick for a solid month and weak for about a month afterwards. Not a pleasant experience. The doctor said it would have been even worse if I hadn't of had the flu shot. I can't imagine it being any worse than it was and hope I never get this sick again. I get my flushot tomorrow. Hope everyone who truly needs the shot is able to obtain it. I never thought I would be so happy to be stuck!