How Do You Feel About The Flu Shot?

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  • RunningAddict
    RunningAddict Posts: 548 Member
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    I did end up taking the flu shot =( I had to in order to keep my job. I can see that there is a vast difference in oppinions here. I can say that the day after my shot I felt like total crap not sure if it was a mental issue or mainly physical but either way... I was joking with my mom the other day and told her I was going to have to find another job before next flu season lol but I'm guessing this will catch on quickly at all health facillities and its going to be a requirement everywhere. I just don't like meds period-unless i'm sick and need them.
    I can see that I'm not the only one that feels that way. I was also told that since I'm a needle phobia that if I would have said something sooner I could have had the nasal spray-after researching that I'm not so sure that is a good idea because the nasal spray is partially living-from what I read anyway.
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    i got it because i work with kids, and the kids i work with are...well, gross.
  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    I myself am highly upset that everyone here is being forced to take a flu shot regardless of whether you want it or not. It's either take it or lose your job- I have never taken one and I don't want one! What are your thoughts about the flu shot?
    I have never had one and never had the flu. My brother got ONE and within a week he had the flu. The flu shot is a strain of the flu. So why take the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu when the shot gives you the flu?
  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    No, thanks. I don't so much have a problem with the vaccine itself, it's the other stuff that concerns me. Like thimerosal, squalene, mercury, formaldehyde. And there's no guarantee the strain you get inoculated against will be the one you could possibly get infected with. The last time I got the flu was in 1994 after I got a flu shot.

    I know someone who is about to have a baby who told her parents and in-laws that if they wanted to see the baby they would need to get flu and hepatitis shots. If she said that to me, I guess I wouldn't be seeing the baby for a while. :( That seemed pretty overreactionary to me.
    I agree. If they have the flu keep the baby away from them, but for the babies immune system to grow around 2 mo they need to be exposed to germs. Without the exposure their immune system will not grow to protect them from germs and viruses in the future.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I myself am highly upset that everyone here is being forced to take a flu shot regardless of whether you want it or not. It's either take it or lose your job- I have never taken one and I don't want one! What are your thoughts about the flu shot?
    I have never had one and never had the flu. My brother got ONE and within a week he had the flu. The flu shot is a strain of the flu. So why take the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu when the shot gives you the flu?

    The flu shot doesn't contain any active flu virus, it contains proteins that various strains of flu carry, and our body learns to make antibodies to those proteins, so when they encounter them as part of a virus, they know to react. It takes a few weeks, so reports of someone getting flu straight after having the vaccination are pure bad luck - you caught it before your immune system had kicked in and started producing antibodies. You can't get flu from the vaccine.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I have never had one and never had the flu. My brother got ONE and within a week he had the flu. The flu shot is a strain of the flu. So why take the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu when the shot gives you the flu?
    The flu vaccine is either a killed virus (injected) or an inactivated virus (nasal spray). If you are not immunocompromised you can NOT get the flu from nasal spray, and no one can get the flu from the injected vaccine. It takes several weeks for your body to develop the antibodies that provide immunity, so if your brother truly had influenza a week after getting the shot (and keep in mind that many people call things "the flu" that are not actually influenza anyways) then he had already been exposed before getting the vaccine.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    delete this
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    My body responds poorly to flu shots-- it's worse than any flu I've ever had. I have a strong immune system, and I don't spend much time around children or the elderly, so I don't see the point of getting the shot and having to be home with flu-like symptoms for two weeks.


    Can I ask when you last had one? I used to react very badly, I was in bed for a week after having one when I was 15, but they are very different now. I had mine 3 weeks ago and didn't notice a thing.

    Last time was in 2005. They were giving them out free at work so I got one, and then had to use up all my sick leave recovering from it.

    I suspect it might have to do with the weight/size of the person. My girlfriend and I can't handle the flu shot, and we're both small adults.
  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    I have never had one and never had the flu. My brother got ONE and within a week he had the flu. The flu shot is a strain of the flu. So why take the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu when the shot gives you the flu?
    The flu vaccine is either a killed virus (injected) or an inactivated virus (nasal spray). If you are not immunocompromised you can NOT get the flu from nasal spray, and no one can get the flu from the injected vaccine. It takes several weeks for your body to develop the antibodies that provide immunity, so if your brother truly had influenza a week after getting the shot (and keep in mind that many people call things "the flu" that are not actually influenza anyways) then he had already been exposed before getting the vaccine.
    See it drives me nuts to hear people say that it is a dead strain because I have gotten into many an argument with my doctors over it for them to finally admit that the shot can cause people to get the flu.
  • diana160
    diana160 Posts: 28
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    I get one every year and would get one even if my employer did not ask me to get one or provide the shot. However, you should be able to sign a declination statement and may have to watch a video if you do not want to get the flu shot. The flu shot is much easier to get than the flu, just my 2 cents. :flowerforyou:
  • RunningAddict
    RunningAddict Posts: 548 Member
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    I get one every year and would get one even if my employer did not ask me to get one or provide the shot. However, you should be able to sign a declination statement and may have to watch a video if you do not want to get the flu shot. The flu shot is much easier to get than the flu, just my 2 cents. :flowerforyou:

    Nope, won't work here. Our employer rewrote their policy ( It was handed to me by the director on paper) so it is now part of the policy that if you don't take the shot they have the right to terminate you- I'm not overdoing it at all. You will seriously lose your job. I was one of the last to get it and the reason I did was because my Director started emailing me because the records showed that I hadn't had it done.
    There is only one way out and that is with a statement from your doctor on letterhead dated signed stating that you should not take the shot due to allergies and so forth....Only problem for me was that my doctor is afilliated but for the most part no doctor is not going to tell you not to take it because they are mostly for it unless you do truely have an allergy to something in it.
  • SarabellPlus3
    SarabellPlus3 Posts: 496 Member
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    I have never had one and never had the flu. My brother got ONE and within a week he had the flu. The flu shot is a strain of the flu. So why take the flu shot to keep you from getting the flu when the shot gives you the flu?
    The flu vaccine is either a killed virus (injected) or an inactivated virus (nasal spray). If you are not immunocompromised you can NOT get the flu from nasal spray, and no one can get the flu from the injected vaccine. It takes several weeks for your body to develop the antibodies that provide immunity, so if your brother truly had influenza a week after getting the shot (and keep in mind that many people call things "the flu" that are not actually influenza anyways) then he had already been exposed before getting the vaccine.
    See it drives me nuts to hear people say that it is a dead strain because I have gotten into many an argument with my doctors over it for them to finally admit that the shot can cause people to get the flu.
    Can you explain what your doctor said when he "admitted" this? I have never heard of a doctor, actually any person with appropriate medical background thinking this, it doesn't make any logical sense, so school me on how that could be logistically possible. :) I don't mean that snarky, I'd just like to know, if you mean something other than possible "flu-like symptoms" from most likely hypochondria, but also possibly an allergic reaction or something of that nature.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    See it drives me nuts to hear people say that it is a dead strain because I have gotten into many an argument with my doctors over it for them to finally admit that the shot can cause people to get the flu.
    Well, I'm sorry it drives you nuts to hear facts.

    http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

    "There are two types of vaccines:
    * The “flu shot” — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.
    * The nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that is given as a nasal spray (sometimes called LAIV for “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine”). The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine do not cause the flu. LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant. (*"Healthy" indicates persons who do not have an underlying medical condition that predisposes them to influenza complications.)"

    If you don't want to believe the CDC and hundreds of other medical professionals, I don't know what else to tell you.
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
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    I've never gotten it as far as I remember. I might've when I was a child but I haven't gotten it for the last 10 years or so and haven't been sick. I rarely ever get sick. Everybody at school could get sick, I never would. My whole family (4 others) could get sick and I wouldn't. For me it's just not worth it to get the shot. When H1N1 went around we were all told we should get the shot but my mom let us have a choice (I was in school still at the time, same with younger brother) and I chose not to. I think I got the flu just slightly but not that much and a day later I was feeling fine.
  • energy4life
    energy4life Posts: 63
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    I wouldn't do it !! It messes up your DNA! My Aunt decided to quit because of it. No one should be forced to get a shot if they don't agree with it! Have you read what is in the shot?
  • ennaejay
    ennaejay Posts: 575
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    I get one every year and would get one even if my employer did not ask me to get one or provide the shot. However, you should be able to sign a declination statement and may have to watch a video if you do not want to get the flu shot. The flu shot is much easier to get than the flu, just my 2 cents. :flowerforyou:

    Nope, won't work here. Our employer rewrote their policy ( It was handed to me by the director on paper) so it is now part of the policy that if you don't take the shot they have the right to terminate you- I'm not overdoing it at all. You will seriously lose your job. I was one of the last to get it and the reason I did was because my Director started emailing me because the records showed that I hadn't had it done.
    There is only one way out and that is with a statement from your doctor on letterhead dated signed stating that you should not take the shot due to allergies and so forth....Only problem for me was that my doctor is afilliated but for the most part no doctor is not going to tell you not to take it because they are mostly for it unless you do truely have an allergy to something in it.

    you may be able to claim religious exemption?? whether or not you are religious, your employer can't prove or disprove that; and not allowing one to practice their religious beliefs is discrimination. maybe a church could sign a document for you???

    ::edit:: being forced to have anything injected into your body against your will is WACK. :sick: suffering the flu is pretty rotten, but chances are you won't get it next season... take your vitamin D and strengthen your immune system by eating right. What's your employer going to mandate next????? *shudder*
  • lissavlog
    lissavlog Posts: 55
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    the last time i got a flu shot was when i was 13 (15 years ago) and i ended up getting the flu. i haven't had the vaccine or the flu since then. but if i was told i'd have to get the vaccine, it wouldn't be a big deal.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    It messes up your DNA!
    :laugh: [Citation needed]
  • wamaverick
    wamaverick Posts: 68 Member
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    Okay I read the first three pages of comments on this....

    First and foremost I would like to say I am in favor of vaccines, but I'm also a statistics girl.....and nobody has brought this point up in the first three pages of comments I read so hopefully I am not repeating what someone else has said.

    The single reason I do not get a flu shot is that they start working on NEXT YEARS flu shot, RIGHT NOW! Okay now I'm sorry but I have a degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. I'm not stupid, I work with Doctors, nurses, the elderly and the sick. But you can not tell me that the folks in the laboratory at the CDC can predict the flu that will strike next year, when the weather man can't accurately predict the weather all the time.

    Here's the deal they take the most likely 20 strains of flu that they think will hit next year based off of numbers and calculations from statisiticians and mathematical wizzes and say "Use these 20, to make your shot"

    Sorry there are billions of strains of the flu and they mutate and genetically code themselves overs so they are more resistant. So no thank you I will not take a flu shot when there is NO real statistical chance that the "20 strains" they picked are going to be the one of the billions strains of the flu that could be going around next year.

    Sorry I'm not gonna do that and no I'm not a granola person. I just think that if you want to not catch the flu, eat properly, stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, stay away from sick people, wash your hands and don't touch your face. If you are sick with the sniffles, a cough or cold or anything else for GOODNESS sakes for everyone else STAY HOME!

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