Did you/will you get a flu shot?

[*Meagan*]

Never have gotten a flu shot and never will. And not because I think I will get sick or for any reason really. I don't find it to be necessary... and I work in healthcare.

But I also do not judge people who do get the flu shot... it is a matter of opinion/experience/thought. To each is own.

 

[CruisinEars]

I have every year for the past 20 years or so. The one time it was rationed and not available a few years ago, I got the flu. I have had some other types of viruses, but not the flu (confirmed by my dr.). We were able to get the H1N1 vaccine last year after the high risk groups. I also had the pneumoccal (sp) vaccine after I kept getting bronchitis after colds. Been relatively healthy ever since.

I took my kids yesterday and we all got this year's shot. My dh also gets one at work every year. We usually travel at the holidays and I don't want anyone to get sick.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Yes, I will be getting one sometime between Monday and Nov. 1, just whenever I have a free moment to get it. I work in healthcare and will get mine for free at work. Both of my kids got theirs this week and my husband will come to my work and get his around the same time I get mine.

 

[jam217]

I never got one until two years ago when my mom was going through chemo and her doctor urged us to get one. Since then I've gotten one. For me, it's not a big deal. Our local hospital provides free shots to anyone regardless of income at a drive-through clinic so it's super convenient.

 

[Mermaid02]

No. I have had them before but the last time I had one I broke out in a rash from my shoulders to my knees. My PCP said it was a drug rash and I would not be getting another flu shot.

My son is 13 and he is not getting one- he has a real needle phobia and it's just not worth it to me.

Dh already had his. Not sure if dd is getting one or not.

 

[pyrxtc]

I wanted to get one this year but at my Dr's they are only offering the one combined wiht H1N1 and I don't want that one.

 

[mtemm]

I've had the flu once in about 15 years, so I have decided not to get the flu shot for myself. have never had one, actually. I do get it for my kids, mainly because my DS8 has asthma. If he didn't, I might not for them, either. DH varies...he does some years, doesn't other.

 

[kacaju]

I have had 2 flu shots in my life and that was also the only 2 times I have had the flu in my life, so no, I no longer get flu shots. When my new Doctor asked me if I wanted a flu shot this year, I told her no and why and she agreed that if it were her, she doubted that she would either.

You can tell me how wrong I am, but I remember just how sick I was both times, so thats enough to make me say no thanks.

LOL I have gotten the flu shot for the past 20+ years and never have gotten the flu..one year I forgot and sure enough, I remember just how sick i was and that is enough for me to make sure I get it every year!!!

 

[Bilberry]

No, no plans on having the flu shot. I used to develop a cold once or twice a year. Then I read about the sunshine vitamin/ vitamin D3 helping prevent infections. So ever since I began taking D3, keeping my testing levels between 60 to 70ng/ml year round, I've only had one short cold in the last 5 years. it's wonderful!

As far as I know Dr. Cannell was the first to observe the lack of colds in his patients that took D3. And in someways it makes sense as it is winter times where the sun shines little, and hence little d3 is manufactured by our skin, that flu season occurs.

Here is an article with a link to a video that talks about D3 benefits, and the video addressing the flu fighting aspect.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/vitamin-d-treatment-for-metabolic.html

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Absolutely not... I'm terrified of needles and would much rather get the flu then have one shoved into my flesh.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Absolutely not... I'm terrified of needles and would much rather get the flu then have one shoved into my flesh.

Actually, I went yesterday and was very pleasantly surprised that I really didn't even feel it. It wasn't painful AT ALL. I didn't even feel the prick. The pharmacist(got it at walgreens) said it's because the needles are all very very skinny now you almost don't feel it.

So go, look the other way and you may not even feel it!

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I appreciate that, but no. I'm terrified of them. I can't even see a picture of a needle on TV without breaking out into a cold sweat. It's not the pain. It's the needle itself.

 

[4nana]

Got mine this week at Rite Aid and DH got his at VA a couple weeks ago. My 82yo Mom is faithful about getting hers, as are most of our kids, and thankfully grands will get theirs at school free. As seniors who don't like to gamble, we wouldn't think of skipping them, as even tho shot is not 100% protective, feel 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'

 

[MIGrandma]

Yes, I got mine on Wednesday while I was already at the doctor's for other reasons. She said their price for the shot was cheaper than any of the local pharmacies.

I'd never had a bad reaction to a flu shot, until then. I got the shot about 2:30 in the afternoon. About 5:00 I started feeling a lump in my throat when I swallowed. Then I started feeling chilled, super achy, my eyes felt tired, just a general crappy feeling. And I was breathing harder than normal. This lasted the entire evening. The lump in my throat never got any worse, or the hard breathing, otherwise I would have had DH take me to the emergency room. Finally, about 10:00 in the evening I decided to take some Motrin and it really helped the crappy feeling symptoms. I was fine the next morning. But it was weird to feel that way after the shot.

And my arm hurt for 2 days, where she gave me the shot.

It wouldn't keep me from getting another one though next year. I'm getting rather elderly and have diabetes so I feel it's important to get one.

 

[indimom]

We've never gotten the shot. We are not afraid of needles and do not believe the shot will give us the flu or any other reaction. We're just not worried about catching the flu. If we get it, we'll stay home, drink lots of fluids, treat the symptoms as necessary.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Nope. Never had one and don't plan on starting. Didn't get the H1N1 last year and neither did my 10yo daughter. It is just a flu, it won't kill you, despite what people will have you believe.

Huh? Tell that to the tens of thousands of people that die from the flu each year.

I got one because a guy walked by my office offering me one for free. If it hadn't been so easy, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

 

[pperfectmom]

We've never gotten the shot. We are not afraid of needles and do not believe the shot will give us the flu or any other reaction. We're just not worried about catching the flu. If we get it, we'll stay home, drink lots of fluids, treat the symptoms as necessary.

This is pretty much my thoughts on the matter. I'm not the least bit concerned since we are all pretty darn healthy to start with. Almost every story you hear of people dying there is an underlying health issue.

 

[Feralpeg]

I'm going next week to get mine.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Nope..never do

The vaccine is just a guess at whatever they think this year's strain will be and sometimes the guess can be waaay off (w/ efficacy as low at 30%).

I'm just not willing to chance the side effects of the adjuvants in the vaccine for a 30% chance that it will protect us.

If they can perfect their "guess" I'll think about getting them.

...and for those that get sick from the shot...yes it is a dead virus so it doesn't directly give you the flu, but the shot lowers your resistance so it may leave you susceptible to getting sick (or the flu) before the vaccine can kick in.

 

[Gigi22]

Yes, I made an appointment online for DH and I to get our flu shots this year. We have been getting them regularly for about the last 10 years. I first got one because I dealt with members of the public at my workplace, and it was my employer's policy that people meeting the public should have flu shots. Then my mother moved into a retirement home, and you were not permitted to visit people living in the home if you had not had a flu shot--there were too many frail elderly people living there for it to be safe to do otherwise.