Flu shots? For them or against ?

LesbianBicycle · March 2017

I've observed that people who get them always get horribly sick a few times a year, usually with some type of disgusting flu like bug. So I'm not sure I understand the point of it. It's not guaranteed anyway, because you can get sick if it ends up being a different strain than what you were immunized against.

I've never gotten one and never will. I haven't been sick with anything more than a cold in over 10 years. *knock on wood

Sabine_Stroehm · March 2017

LesbianBicycle wrote: »

I've observed that people who get them always get horribly sick a few times a year, usually with some type of disgusting flu like bug. So I'm not sure I understand the point of it. It's not guaranteed anyway, because you can get sick if it ends up being a different strain than what you were immunized against.

I've never gotten one and never will. I haven't been sick with anything more than a cold in over 10 years. *knock on wood

I get a flu shot every year, in part because it makes sense with my work. I rarely get a cold. I usually get a cold only when I travel overseas. The so called "airplane cold". I get no other "bugs". I'm rarely sick at all.

T1DCarnivoreRunner · March 2017

LesbianBicycle wrote: »

I've observed that people who get them always get horribly sick a few times a year, usually with some type of disgusting flu like bug. So I'm not sure I understand the point of it. It's not guaranteed anyway, because you can get sick if it ends up being a different strain than what you were immunized against.

I've never gotten one and never will. I haven't been sick with anything more than a cold in over 10 years. *knock on wood

I get flu shots each year and it has been decades since I've gotten the flu. I've known the type and source of each illness I've had for many years. I've had water-borne infections and genetic, but not a cold or flu.

janejellyroll · March 2017

LesbianBicycle wrote: »

I've observed that people who get them always get horribly sick a few times a year, usually with some type of disgusting flu like bug. So I'm not sure I understand the point of it. It's not guaranteed anyway, because you can get sick if it ends up being a different strain than what you were immunized against.

I've never gotten one and never will. I haven't been sick with anything more than a cold in over 10 years. *knock on wood

I've gotten them every year for over a decade now. I'm rarely sick and haven't had the flu once in all that time.

Basing decisions like this on personal observations can lead to faulty decisions. Even *if* everyone you knew that was vaccinated (are you surveying everyone you meet on their vaccination status, btw?) always got ill a few times a year with a "flu like bug," that doesn't invalidate actual data on the subject which certainly doesn't show that the flu vaccine causes everyone who gets it to get ill a few times a year.

dfwesq · March 2017

LesbianBicycle wrote: »

I've observed that people who get them always get horribly sick a few times a year, usually with some type of disgusting flu like bug.

I get flu shots and never get horribly sick like that.

kimny72 · March 2017

I have gone through long periods of routinely getting the flu shot and long periods of not getting the flu shot, and to the best of my knowledge have never had the flu. This would be why n=1 or other personal observations are not a good way to make this kind of decision.

I also don't keep a vaccination record for every person I know, so determining who got the flu and who was vaccinated would be impossible for me.

And as has been stated multiple times, most people who don't go to the doctor when they are sick but self-diagnose with the flu actually have a bad cold. Which has nothing to do with the flu shot. People like to say they have the flu because it makes you sound more sympathetic, unlike the rest of the weaklings who get wimpy little colds.

Sivadee00 · July 2017

A close relative of mine became hospitalized after being given a flu shot. That one shot cost her hundreds of dollars and repeat visits to the doctor. She also contracted a second illness when she received treatment at the hospital. Thankfully she recovered. She has been well ever since she stopped accepting the yearly flu shot. This is the main reason I refuse to get any flu shot myself.

paperpudding · July 2017

Sivadee00 wrote: »

A close relative of mine became hospitalized after being given a flu shot. That one shot cost her hundreds of dollars and repeat visits to the doctor. She also contracted a second illness when she received treatment at the hospital. Thankfully she recovered. She has been well ever since she stopped accepting the yearly flu shot. This is the main reason I refuse to get any flu shot myself.

You dont say what she was hospitalised with.

Of course some people will be hospitilised after having flu shots - they co incidentally have a heart attack or whatever soon afterwards.
Like some people are hospitilised after having a roast dinner or logging into facebook or anything.
That wouldnt make me say that is why I refuse have roast dinners now
(silly example, I know, but I think illustrates the point)

In my many years of vaccinating literally thousands of people, none have been hospitilised as a direct result of flu vaccine

TonyB0588 · July 2017

TeacupsAndToning wrote: »

Noooooo! This thread was dead for months and I was hoping it would stay dead.

Me too. This is just not part of my reality.

Mum24Kids · July 2017

My whole family had the flu a few years back, and my oldest was hospitalised with pneumonia. Every year I don't have one, i end up with the flu. I decided to get it this year, because I simply do not have time for that kind of hassle. I have four school-aged children, so without it I'm a sitting duck.

Sivadee00 · July 2017

paperpudding wrote: »

Sivadee00 wrote: »

A close relative of mine became hospitalized after being given a flu shot. That one shot cost her hundreds of dollars and repeat visits to the doctor. She also contracted a second illness when she received treatment at the hospital. Thankfully she recovered. She has been well ever since she stopped accepting the yearly flu shot. This is the main reason I refuse to get any flu shot myself.

You dont say what she was hospitalised with.

Of course some people will be hospitilised after having flu shots - they co incidentally have a heart attack or whatever soon afterwards.
Like some people are hospitilised after having a roast dinner or logging into facebook or anything.
That wouldnt make me say that is why I refuse have roast dinners now
(silly example, I know, but I think illustrates the point)

In my many years of vaccinating literally thousands of people, none have been hospitilised as a direct result of flu vaccine

My relation had a very very high fever and of course....flu symptoms (those symptoms occurred soon after the shot was given and not weeks later).

Those symptoms were alarming enough for the hospital to admit and treat her. It wasn't something random and whimsical as you have presumed.

So far, we both have been doing just fine without any shots. Go figure.

inertiastrength · July 2017

midlomel1971 · July 2017

Absolutely for them. 100%

100catscrazy · July 2017

singingflutelady wrote: »

Before I was immunosuppressed I never got them but now that I am hell yes I am getting them. I know they only cover a few strains but since I could get very, very sick any immunity is better than none

Same here.

LettingTheSmallStuffGo · July 2017

I had the flu and it put me in the hospital. It was miserable. I really thought I was going to die. That made me rethink it.

JeromeBarry1 · July 2017

I get flu shots annually. I don't get cruddy sick. People who get sick and die of the flu don't get online and recant all their anti-vax postings.

Sp1tfire · July 2017

I totally believe that they prevent the strain they are designed against. I believe that vaccines work, but there are so many different strains of flu going around I usually don't worry about getting it every year.