Flu Shot

[Cathy baby RN]

How many people here have gotten or are going to get a flu shot?
I work in a hospital and could have gotten a free one and didn't, but now I'm reconsidering,,,,,would hate to have the flu for our Christmas WDW trip!! Did anyone have a reaction to the shot itself? Just wondering????

 

[wuv tigger]

for 3 years & never have gotten the flu. I understand that the virus is a dead one in the shot.

 

[shep]

Good Luck...Heard tonight that they are out of the shots...
They said it takes 4 months to prepare the thing or whatever it takes...
btw--DW got the shot but noone else in the family did..

 

[KimRaye]

I've been getting a flu shot every year for maybe 9-10 years. Got the flu once and, it just floored me. (I have bronchitis) Yes, I got the flu the same year as I got a shot but, it's not related, trust me - different strains of the virus every year.

Used to be free from DH's employer, then they started charging $10-$15 then, I just went to Walgreens this year for $20 I think.

I am also the only one to get the shot every year, between myself, dh, DS and DD.

P.S. The very 1st time I got the shot, I was light-headed for a minute or two, almost giving me a panic attack at the time but, every year since, it's milder and milder, to almost no reaction.

 

[Pin Wizard]

DS and I both had them. Neither one of us had a reaction. And I barely even felt the injection. My doc's nurse had me hang around the office 15 minutes before letting me go in case I had a reaction. But all was fine!

 

[shortbun]

I got mine-no reaction other than my arm itched a little two
days later. DS is getting the nasal vaccine on Monday.
Hoping we don't get sick this year.

 

[DVC-Don]

My wife and I have been getting the shots for years. Other than the occasional sore arm, no reactions at all. Our children got their first shots last week. 11 yo DD had a sore arm that night. 12 yo DS had no reaction.

 

[my3kids]

Never a reaction in this family...kids or adults. It from a killed virus. You can not get the flu from the shot. But, manufacturer's are now out of the shot. Maybe you could get the FluMist Nasal vaccine, if you can't find any more available doses of the injection.

 

[wld]

I work employee health and we have given about 2000 shots this year. One red arm where someone left their bandaid on too long and had a reaction to it. One person had an allergic reaction to the preservative and her arm was swollen for a couple of days. Most people tell me their arm never hurt, but some mine included had a slightly sore arm for about 24 hours.

Please keep in mind that the nasal spray is the live virus so those that get it should not be around immunocompromised(people with little natural protection from diseases} people for about 3 weeks. Not good for health care workers to get since many of our patients are this way.

As of Friday Aventis, the company that makes the vaccine was saying the stockpile was still plentiful. There may be a huge demand now and perhaps a bottleneck.

Sorry if this is more information then anyone wanted, I get carried away sometimes!

 

[goofy4tink]

I try to get one every year. Got it last Monday. Had a pretty sore arm for about 24 hr. but that was it. I took my 10 y/o dd to the pedi yesterday for another issue and asked about the flu shot for her. The pedi told me that she doesn't vaccinate her own kids. And that they are just about out of the vaccine anyway. They are saving it for the second round of shots for the littler kids. Here in Ma we're being told that it's pretty much out of stock at this point.

 

[Mskanga]

My kids have been getting it for the last 7 years and I got it this year for the first time ever , since now I work in the school.
Neither one of us have never had a reaction and the shot has helped tremendously , especially because the kids never got the flu , and if they get a cold it's mild.
Aventis , the facility that produces the vaccine is 10 minutes away from me , I know people who work there and they shipped out the last order they had placed of 43 million doses, just a couple of days ago. According to them, they receive orders months in advance for the upcoming season , production takes 4 months , so if they started production again now for more , they would not be ready until April.

 

[Kitty 34]

I was scheduled to get one this coming Tuesday but they called yesterday and said they were out so I have to wait.

 

[Blondie]

Since I work in a hospital I can also get the flu shot for free, but I decline.

Many (if not all) of the OB/GYN's I work with don't get the shot either.

There's a BIG article in my local newspaper today about how fast the supply is dwindling, so if you all want to get it, you better do it now!

We were told (at the hospital) that if we get the nasal mist vaccine, we are not allowed to work for up to a week because we can easily spread it to our patients since it is made from the live virus.

 

[cats mom]

This is the first year any of my crew have gotten it.
No reactions at all for the 3 of us that had it.

dd age 16 is coaching gymnastics - around lots of little ones every day - so I took her to get it and figured I may as well get mine while there.

dh then decided since he has an important business trip to Europe planned mid-Dec. it would be a good idea for him too.

dd age 13 NEVER gets sick - really! and absolutely panicks at the sight of a needle. So no way for her.

I asked about it for my little ones (ages 5 & 8) but my Dr. office said they did not have the right formulation for them. Now with all the news reports, I wish I had tried a little harder to find one for them. Seems like several of the flu related deaths are in children in that age range.

We'll have to have a post Feb. or so to report how it worked for everyone. Stay well!

 

[njfamily]

Called our local walk-in medical place this morning and they still have shots. Unfortunately we have 12 " of snow to dig out from so we will not get there today. We plan to go on Sunday afternoon for the shots. Never had a flu shot before. DS is 4 and DD is 6.

 

[JESW]

I just got mine yesterday - not sure why I waited so long. I am still trying to talk DH into going Monday before they run out again. No reaction for me except my arm is a little sore. The two nurses at my Dr's office were telling me that they have been seeing a lot more sickness than usual already - lots of pnemonia (sp?) that started back in spetember!. They are very concerned about the flu this year.

Jill

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I asked my mom last night if I should get one as I can get it for free through school.
I am still contemplating.

 

[Snoozan]

My DH, DS and myself have been getting the flu shot for years now, since my youngest DS has had asthma. We've never had any reaction to the shot, except a sore arm for 24 hours or so. I hate needles so this is a big deal for me. I've had the flu only once since getting flu shots(knock on wood)and the doctor told me I got another strain that what I was vaccinated against. That still didn't discourage me from getting the shot the next year!

It makes me angry to hear people say they got the flu from the flu shot - don't these people read up/listen to info about this?!? It's a dead virus so it's impossible to get the flu from the shot. If they even had the flu, it means they were already exposed before they had the shot or they got another strain than what they were vaccinated against. It also irks me when people say they've got the "flu" when they really have a stomach virus.

 

[Snowysmom]

My kids got the flu shot at the pediatrician. DH and I have to wait because our doctor ran out. They are calling back next week to let us know if they can get any more in. Our town public health nurse is done for the season.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

After quite the runaround (I showed up at the Dr yesterday for an appt to get the shot and they had run out by the time I arrived), the kids and I got shots yesterday at a walk-in treatment center. Nobody has had any reactions.

The only other time we got the shot was 4 years ago, when there was another big epidemic. I got it in October or November. In January, I got "a" flu, and was sick as a dog. I know the two aren't related (getting the shot and getting the flu), but I never bothered again after that. I was sick for several months...ended up at a lung specialist, and he recommended a pneumonia shot, which lasts for about 10 years, I think, and I got that. It seems that more people should get the pneumonia shot, since pneumonia is one of the bigger risks of flu...but what do I know.

I think from now on I'm just going to keep getting the flu shot every year. I'm not getting any younger!