To Flu Shot or not to flu shot

To flu shot or not to flu shot

That is the question

Whether tis nobler to bare the stab and prick

Of poisonous needles

Or to sniffle and sneezesand thereby through endurance

Emerge stronger

I get one every year, have since my first year in college and I've never gotten the flu. Regardless of what people say, the flu shot does not and cannot give you the flu, its a dead virus. Yet I hear people say they got the flu after getting the shot, which probably meant they already were exposed before the shot could work its magic or they got a different strain. Anyhow, it takes up to 2 weeks after you get it to build up immunity and lasts one year. Most people get them end of Oct. - Nov.

don't usually get the shot, but I am leaning towards it this year because my office has been pretty buggy this year. Feels wrong though lol.

The news is that down here in the South, everybody's "all ate up" with it, lol, so we got our very first ones this year. Hubby got the chills after-effect about 8 hours later. I had no side effects at all.

The news is that down here in the South, everybody's "all ate up" with it, lol, so we got our very first ones this year. Hubby got the chills after-effect about 8 hours later. I had no side effects at all.

I will say that I had a real lowgrade fever and some chills one time, actually back in college, from the shot. Something like 100.1 temp, that broke after a few advil and a few hours sleep. Typically, you only get soreness at the injection site as its a fairly large needle and it goes into the muscle of your arm (or leg).

Got it once and I'll NEVER do it again. Felt like death a few hours after getting the shot and I was out of commission for 2/3 days. Since then, I've taken my chances every year (only had it once since).

don't usually get the shot, but I am leaning towards it this year because my office has been pretty buggy this year. Feels wrong though lol.

My company actually offers free flu shots to anyone that wants them. They bring in nurses to the office and we sign up and get them there. Since I work from home, I was told I could go to CVS and get one, that felt wrong lol. I personally didnt feel right when I was told that one of the pharmacist would administer the injection, not a nurse. So I went to an Urgent Care center up the road from my house. Im sure its fine getting them at CVS, but the thought seemed awkward.

---------- Post added January-5th-2013 at 11:12 AM ----------

Got it once and I'll NEVER do it again. Felt like death a few hours after getting the shot and I was out of commission for 2/3 days. Since then, I've taken my chances every year (only had it once since).

Did they use a live virus? Cause, the shots with the dead virus shouldnt do that. The Flu-Mist nasal spray they do actually use a weakened live virus and it gives you flu symptoms for a couple of days, but screw that lol.

After I had a horrible case of the flu 4 years ago I've gotten the flu shot every year since, and I've been able to miss it every year since (knocks on wood). I usually get in mid-October to allow it to fully build up my immune system before the flu season comes around.

I have never gotten the shot and never plan to. I rarely get sick.

I've never gotten it. I just try to do all the little things well that help boost your immune system. Something got me last February though. It was the sickest I've ever felt in a long time, but it only lasted a day and I was fine (but tired) the next day.

Just up your vitamin D3 intake in the winter months (boosts immune system and makes up for the lack of sunlight) and you'll be fine. No need for a flu shot. Multi-vitamins don't contain much D3 so that won't cut it.

I take 8,000 iu's a day in the winter, and scale it back in the summer & spring to about 4,000 iu a day.

We went to CVS, found out our insurance covered it with no co-pay (gotta love that darn Obamacare, lol), all good. The muscle soreness stuck around about two days, but even as active as I have to be at work, it wasn't a problem.

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I had GBS and am one of 11 people that can't get the Flu shot as it may re-trigger the (Your white blood cells think your nerve ending are a virus and attack!).

and though i'm not a fan of discussing the 3% of the cases, there has to be "something" to the flue shot if some people can't take them....

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Though because of it I take the Vitamin Shoppe Super Antioxidant that are chock full of goodness

My company actually offers free flu shots to anyone that wants them. They bring in nurses to the office and we sign up and get them there. Since I work from home, I was told I could go to CVS and get one, that felt wrong lol. I personally didnt feel right when I was told that one of the pharmacist would administer the injection, not a nurse. So I went to an Urgent Care center up the road from my house. Im sure its fine getting them at CVS, but the thought seemed awkward.

---------- Post added January-5th-2013 at 11:12 AM ----------

Did they use a live virus? Cause, the shots with the dead virus shouldnt do that. The Flu-Mist nasal spray they do actually use a weakened live virus and it gives you flu symptoms for a couple of days, but screw that lol.

Must have been a live virus...and it was a shot. Probably the 2nd worst time I've ever been sick.

I usually never get a flu shot.

Had to get one this season.

My wife and I have a new baby and a sick baby is no bueno. He just turned 5 months old a few days ago.

My mother in law got a flu shot last week. She has been sick all week with the flu, throwing up like crazy and resting all day. I haven't had a flu shot in my entire life, and the last time I got the flu was in middle school. I have a job where I handle money all day. Hand sanitizer is my friend.

Glad you came to ES for medical advice, let me give you my expert opinion!

I think that since I work in public health, I am mandated to say go get one.

Since I realize I don't know all, I say maybe talk to your doctor if you have questions.

After asking pertinent questions to a nurse or physician or even pharmacist (the pharmacists, especially the younger ones these days coming out of school, know a heck of a lot more about prescriptions, diseases, and contraindications than the lay person realizes), and you don't have any contraindications to the flu vaccine, I recommend getting it. There really is only an extremely small risk of any negative outcome.

Here's a link to probably the best place for influenza and vaccine information.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

Good luck!!

My mother in law got a flu shot last week. She has been sick all week with the flu, throwing up like crazy and resting all day. I haven't had a flu shot in my entire life, and the last time I got the flu was in middle school. I have a job where I handle money all day. Hand sanitizer is my friend.

The flu doesnt make you throw up, thats a stomach illness. Flu is only cold like symptoms and muscle/body aches with a fever. Like a cold on steroids. There is no such thing as the stomach flu either. That usually means someone has the flu on top of a stomach bug.

i have to get it every year being that i'm in the military. i've gotten both the shot and the nasal spray. i have never gotten sick from either of them, outside of a few sniffles, which would happen if you put anything in your nose. if you get sick from a weakened or dead virus, i can only imagine what the real thing would do to you. i make fun of all the babies at work who cry about it. the big thing with the nasal spray is to blow it out or spit it out after you leave the room. bunch of pansies. i laugh at them and say that they won't survive the real thing, and how humans are getting in the way of natural selection of weeding out the weak ones. it's all in good fun though. i wouldn't be surprised if the people getting sick are experiencing a placebo effect, where they think VIRUS IN MY BLOOD = ME DYING.

i've also only missed about 4 days of work in 9 years in the military due to being sick. i'm just a manimal.

The flu doesnt make you throw up, thats a stomach illness. Flu is only cold like symptoms and muscle/body aches with a fever. Like a cold on steroids. There is no such thing as the stomach flu either. That usually means someone has the flu on top of a stomach bug.

She has the awful muscle aches and fever on top of puking her guts out, so you tell me what it seems to be.

She has the awful muscle aches and fever on top of puking her guts out, so you tell me what it seems to be.

You dont puke with the flu. Unless its something on top of the flu. Period. End of story. There is no such thing as the stomach flu. Look it up. The flu shot is a dead virus, you cannot get the flu from it. I dont know how many nurses/doctors have told me that over the years.

Don't know if it is psychosomatic but after the shot I'm suddenly feeling tired and coughing a bit. I suspect it's in my head because I refuse to be sick tomorrow.

:doh1: < ------ what I think of this argument

The "stomach flu," which it is commonly referred to as, even by some physicians (gasp), is known by it's official name - viral gastroenteritis.

FYI - A flu vaccination isn't necessarily a "dead" virus.

Just wanted to help you guys out

---------- Post added January-5th-2013 at 03:28 PM ----------

Don't know if it is psychosomatic but after the shot I'm suddenly feeling tired and coughing a bit. I suspect it's in my head because I refuse to be sick tomorrow.

That settles it. You're crazy!

Actually, there are a variety of minimal sides effects specific to certain vaccines that an individual can experience the first few days following the vaccination.

Here are some of the effects attributed to the influenza vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm#flu

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That settle's it. You're crazy!

Actually, there are a variety of minimal sides effects specific to certain vaccines that an individual can experience the first few days following the vaccination.

Here are some of the effects attributed to the influenza vaccine:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/side-effects.htm#flu

Crazy is always possible. Actually, just ate dinner and feel a bit better. Made a nice bbq salmon for supper with green beans and sweet potato. Not quite sickie food, but as I said I refuse to be sick.

Frankly, the other reason I feel tired is my body decided to wake up at 4:30 this morning

My mom's a nurse, and Special K is spot on.

Most symptoms of what may seem to be a "stomach flu" may also be some light version of a food-borne illness. Bad versions I wouldn't wish on a Cowboys fan, honestly. Wash your hands often, always, not just in cold/flu season. And hand sanitizer should be everybody's friend nowadays, but you should still do the soap and water thing if you can.