Flu Shot...Are you getting one?

[allison443]

The plural of "anecdote" is not "data."

Except on the DIS!!!

(I love that saying you used! I have thought of it often while reading these boards..)

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I got my flu shot last week. I've had the flu twice (that I am aware of) and the last time was six years ago when I was five months pregnant. I thought that I was going to die and swore that from then on I would get the shot every year.

Two of my kids have already had the flu mist this year and the third will be getting hers soon!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Flu Shot...Are you getting one?.......I am scared to get the shot because I may get sick from it, and I am worried to NOT get it, as I cannot afford to get the flu...Stuck between a rock and a hard place...

Are you getting one this year?

Absolutely, I get one every year (2 last year to cover H1N1 also). And free is even better. Since you can not get sick from the vaccine, I would say you are not between a rock and a hard place. DO yourself a favor, get it and relax.

 

[Nancy]

I don't get it?!

what is there to get...the poster has had the flu but doens't get the shot. So did I ..I was so sick over 25 years ago that I lost close to 15 pounds in a few weeks time, but I don't get the shot. I haven't been sick with the flu since then and I think my immune system works just fine without getting one.

I get the occasional cold, sinus infections, and even a stomach virus now and then..even that has been a long time ago. Colds..yeah those I'm good for at least 1 a year..but no shots for those. I am not anti vax..just anti things that I don't feel I or my kids needs. Of course my kids are old enough now to decide if they want them or not and I have no idea if they get them or not. I don't ask.

 

[tlbwriter]

For those of you who had a debilitating bout of the flu, but still choose not to vaccinate... I'm curious. Why did you make that decision? Is it because you feel the risk from the vaccine is worse than the flu itself? Do you feel you're unlikely to catch the flu again and therefore don't need the vaccine? Do you just really hate shots?

 

[Denine]

DD and I already did.

 

[pigletgirl]

what is there to get...the poster has had the flu but doens't get the shot. So did I ..I was so sick over 25 years ago that I lost close to 15 pounds in a few weeks time, but I don't get the shot. I haven't been sick with the flu since then and I think my immune system works just fine without getting one.

I get the occasional cold, sinus infections, and even a stomach virus now and then..even that has been a long time ago. Colds..yeah those I'm good for at least 1 a year..but no shots for those. I am not anti vax..just anti things that I don't feel I or my kids needs. Of course my kids are old enough now to decide if they want them or not and I have no idea if they get them or not. I don't ask.

It's a rhetorical question.

And another reason for mine is that a good friend of mine lost her 27 year old brother to the flu. He had no underlying conditions. He basically went to the ER, next thing was on the ventilator and died of multisystem organ failure and sepsis. So, its really hard for me to understand why someone would refuse even after having the flu.

 

[zigzagzerr]

Most definitely! I work in healthcare and don't want the risk of infecting patients (or being infected by them)

 

[PghLybrt]

Nope.

 

[Aristomommy]

The one issue that I don't think has been discussed is that even though a person is healthy and can shake off the flu in a few days time, they can still infect those around them that can't get the vaccine and get seriously ill. During the flu season many people go to work, school, church, grocery store etc. with the flu and expose so many people to the virus. Parents send children to school as soon as their fever is down even though they are coughing and exposing other children to the flu virus. In my area the H1N1 hit hard early in the flu season and the main culprit was children going to school sick. If you are ill (esp. with the nasty H1N1) please limit your contact with other people and don't send your kids to school until they are well.

 

[Art 1]

No, never have. I don't seem to get sick, thank God.

 

[Deb in IA]

Update:

Just went to a Grand Rounds from the state epidemiologist, who reports that this year's flu vaccine will contain both seasonal influenza as well as H1N1, so no hunting and scheduling for 2 vaccines.

Also, manufacturers will have 170+ million doses this year - so that NO shortages are expected!!

 

[kldmom2000]

After watching my 2 kids (ages 2 and 4 at the time) and my DH suffer through true-influenza the year of the flu shot shortage in 2004, we will never again go without flu shots (we only did that year because there weren't any to be had). My 2 year old was nearly hospitalized and I've never seen my DH so sick ever. It was the longest 3 weeks.... (each were sick for 2 weeks and it overlapped between the 3 of them for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year's). Worst Christmas ever

Both DD's have some health issues that make it necessary to get one and I help take care of my mother who is battling metastatic breast cancer, so it's imperative they I be immunized as well.

 

[Eeyore5]

I got my flu shot last week. I am a special ed teacher and many of my students have significant medical issues. I do not want to risk spreading the flu around. To those who say they are healthy and young so not at risk, keep in mind the people who are most likely to die from H1N1 are in that group. The more common flu is the opposite - young children and elderly are more vulnerable.

And, the two years I didn't have a flu shot, I got the flu. Since we are relying on anecdotal evidence in this thread, you should now be convinced to have the flu shot.

I love this video for addressing the anti-vax crowd. Warning - there are some obscenities. Don't watch if you are easily offended

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhk7-5eBCrs

 

[Eeyore5]

The one issue that I don't think has been discussed is that even though a person is healthy and can shake off the flu in a few days time, they can still infect those around them that can't get the vaccine and get seriously ill. During the flu season many people go to work, school, church, grocery store etc. with the flu and expose so many people to the virus. Parents send children to school as soon as their fever is down even though they are coughing and exposing other children to the flu virus. In my area the H1N1 hit hard early in the flu season and the main culprit was children going to school sick. If you are ill (esp. with the nasty H1N1) please limit your contact with other people and don't send your kids to school until they are well.

I don''t understand why people go to church sick. I know some people have limited sick leave and job security issues (too many sick days and you are fired). It is better to stay home but not always an option. But going to church or other not critical places when sick is just rude in my opinion.

 

[mhsjax]

I think that it's important to remember a few things. First, since the flu vaccine contains no live virus, you can't actually catch the flu from the vaccine shot. It's also important to note that the vaccine doesn't protect you immediately upon receiving it. It takes time to become effective. During this time, a person can certainly catch the flu (perhaps from those sick people in your doctor's office when you went to get vaccinated ). Finally, the flu shot doesn't provide protection against all strains of the flu. It includes vaccine against what has been predetermined to likely be the few worst flus, but others are certainly out there.

Again, teh flu shot doesn't provide protection against every flu strain.

Our doctor 'ordered' my wife to get vaccinated last year so the wiggly one would receive the antibodies via breastmilk.

The reason that analogy is flawed is because this is a Disney forum, not a GBS forum. Also, it should be noted that people sometimes 'color' thier posts by saying that something has directly affected them, when it hasn't. Sadly, this is behavior is fairly common and is just one more reason why no one should believe anything that they read on an internet forum without doing additional research. (This, of course, is not to say that those who have stated in this thread that they have been personally affected by GBS are lying. )

I understand you can't get the flu from the flu shot, I felt like crap but it wasn't the flu.

I did have the flu one year, but I hadn't gotten the shot. I had a mild case it wasn't so bad. Not much worse than the way I felt after the shot about 20 years prior. Yep 47 years old and only one very mild case of the flu and only 1 flu shot in my life time and one shot was enough. I will take my chances. that will free up my dose for someone that may really want or need it more than I do.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Nope. No flu shots for any of us.

 

[KatieA]

Nope!!! Not for us.

 

[Nancy]

For those of you who had a debilitating bout of the flu, but still choose not to vaccinate... I'm curious. Why did you make that decision? Is it because you feel the risk from the vaccine is worse than the flu itself? Do you feel you're unlikely to catch the flu again and therefore don't need the vaccine? Do you just really hate shots?

For me it is just that I don't think I need to be getting the vaccine. I think that all these shots, anti bacterial stuff and the way doctors prescribe antibiotics at the drop of a hat (not all but some) are making the super bugs that are out there. I don't think the vaccine will make a person sick, I don't think there is anything wrong with it..I just have always chose to to get it and not have my kids get it.

Kids are 17, 21 and 22 and none of them has ever had the flu. Colds, stomach viruses and last winter my youngest did get walking pneumonia...but the flu shot wouldn't have prevented any of that.

I work with someone who is anti flu shots and doesn't shut up about it. We offer the flu shots for free to employees and she is constantly telling everyone about the "dangers". Me, I don't get the shot but would never tell someone that their personal choice is wrong.

 

[Nancy]

It's a rhetorical question.

And another reason for mine is that a good friend of mine lost her 27 year old brother to the flu. He had no underlying conditions. He basically went to the ER, next thing was on the ventilator and died of multisystem organ failure and sepsis. So, its really hard for me to understand why someone would refuse even after having the flu.

That is totally understandable. Something like that happening to someone I knew would probably make me take a second look at the shot but I can't say I would 100 % get it even in that situation.