How Do You Feel About The Flu Shot?

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  • brocantrs
    brocantrs Posts: 273 Member
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    I don't get them. My kids and I usually get the flu, and to everyone who says that's impossible I have this story.

    Last time my oldest got the flu shot was when he was 3, no one at his daycare had the flu or flu like symptoms, and no one my wife or I worked/interacted with had the flu or flu like symptoms. 2 or 3 weeks after getting the shot, he has the flu all Thanksgiving weekend. Since we stopped getting the flu shots, no one in my family has been that sick ever again, and we are going on 5 years.

    Knock on wood....

    We get the common cold a few times a year (and a special thank you to all the parents who treat their children as fashion accessories and send Little Suzy/Johnny to school with runny nose/fever), but we have yet to get the flu as a result of not getting the flu shot.

    If your child was only sick for the weekend, it probably wasn't the flu. Also there is no way that you would know that you didn't come in contact with someone carrying the virus unless you were isolated from all contact with others. The incubation period is 2-5 days.
    What is it you do that they can make you get it or lose your job? There are some jobs where it is a requirement.
  • shazzannon
    shazzannon Posts: 117 Member
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    I never have and I never will. My PharmD fiance and I argue about it sometimes. He calls me silly and I call him a drug-pusher :laugh:
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I work in a high school, and my mom who also works for the same school district, has been trying to make me get the flu shot.. and since I'm needle phobic, I say no thank you. I refuse to get any shot that isn't absolutely mandatory... and this shot isn't.

    I feel that by trying to kill off/vaccinate your self against every form of bacteria/germ, that all your doing is making that bacteria/germ stronger since it has to constantly mutate to overcome the vaccination and then make you sick.

    I also can't remember the last time I had the flu... and granted I had flu shots the past two years, but before that I don't really think I ever had the flu. Bad colds yes, but never the flu.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    As someone else with a healthcare profession that requires vaccination, I completely support vaccination for high risk groups such as medical professions, people that are highly medically compromised etc.

    I don't however think that vaccination of the general public is necessary or even a good idea.

    On a completely separate note - I get the flu shot every year and I do not believe I have had the flu since I started getting it. I have however had lots of nasty colds, which while awful are not the same thing. That said, until I had the flu, I never realised I hadn't had the flu. I always thought the flu was similar to a bad cold ie chesty, bad cough, blocked up head, bit of a fever but when I had the flu my muscles were so freaking sore that I literally could not move out of bed! Just something to keep in mind when criticising the effectiveness I guess.
  • jennmoore3
    jennmoore3 Posts: 1,015 Member
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    I definitely believe it should be a choice no way a job shld have a right to tell you you HAVE to get it. I am a nurse and it is highly encouraged where I work but not mandatory. I believe it is personal choice. Even if you get the flu vaccine it does not prohibit all of us from WASHING YOUR HANDS which spread more bacteria and viruses. Nasty dirty hands! Wash wash wash!!!!! It does not protect you from the common cold...another virus so still perform best practices....wash hands, eat plenty fruits and veggies healthy proteins for immune system and stay at HOME if sick...your co-workers will thank you!!!!!

    I work in Surgery in Indiana, and the talk is that by next year the shot will be mandatory for all healthcare. From what our infection control person says, if you get the flu after the shot, you were already going to get it. It takes 2 weeks or so to build immunity. The flu shot does not protect from the stomach flu. You know the crapping out your brains kind. It only protects from the lung kind of flu. My daughter has asthma and was in the Peds ICU for 4 days last year will be getting the shot. We can't afford any more scares with her.
  • SCOUSERWENCH
    SCOUSERWENCH Posts: 74 Member
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    Last time i had that (was first time, and deffo the last) I ended up with Bronchitis! Never again.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
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    in which case 36000 really is an irrelevant number of deaths in the grander scheme.

    I personally don't think that any number of deaths is ever completely irrelevant...
  • chanson104
    chanson104 Posts: 859
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    I use to get the flu shot, but I haven't gotten it in years. I haven't gotten the flu for years either. I think that good nutrition and exercise are far more successful tools for combatting the flu. I am a nurse, and we are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine (they just stop short of threatening our jobs), but I've yet to hear management say, "Give us a good reason for not eating your fruits and veggies or you're getting terminated." That would make much more sense to me than forcing me to put medication into my body.
  • twocsmom
    twocsmom Posts: 120 Member
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    I never used to get one until about 4 years ago...now I get it as soon as I can. Why? A friend died from the flu, my son and I both have asthma, and I don't ever care to repeat the experience of having H1N1-that was awful!
  • KimmieBrie
    KimmieBrie Posts: 825 Member
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    I have never had a flu shot and can not recall the last time I had the flu....
    In my 39 years maybe I've had the real flu twice and that was as a kid...
    I'm a healthy adult with no medical issues therefore I see no reason to subject myself to a flu shot.
    I'm sure there are those who have died from the flu, just like people die in car and plane crashes but I still
    drive and I still fly. Personal choice. Lots of people I know get the flu shot, and some won't fly.
  • netchik
    netchik Posts: 587 Member
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    I had my first one this year and promptly came down with the flu that had me bedridden for 10 days (developed into chest infection).

    so...
    1) The docs said it wasn't from the flu shot, it may have been a different strain. and
    2) How bad might it have been if I hadn't had the shot?
  • tiedye
    tiedye Posts: 331 Member
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    I'm an RN and we're required to either get the shot or wear a mask every day for the whole flu season *rolls eyes*

    I'm for the flu shot and all other vaccinations.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I feel that by trying to kill off/vaccinate your self against every form of bacteria/germ, that all your doing is making that bacteria/germ stronger since it has to constantly mutate to overcome the vaccination and then make you sick.
    I sure hope you're not a science teacher, because this is 100% wrong. The vaccine itself does nothing to the microorganism. The vaccine IS the microorganism, in a killed or inactivated form. By exposing a person's immune system to the killed or inactivated microorganism, it allows the immune system to develop a "memory" for that particular microorganism. When it "sees" it again during a real infection, it can quickly fight it off before it has a chance to make the person sick (or as sick). So people who DON'T get vaccinated are providing the microorganism a chance to mutate because it takes their bodies much longer to activate their immune system and fight off the infection, while people who DO get vaccinated are able to fight off the infection before it has a chance to mutate.
  • jumperchick
    jumperchick Posts: 79
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    i always get the vax. ive never had the flu, and i couldnt afford to be away from work that long anyways. can you even get the flu from the vax ? its made from a live virus, but its killed...

    it bothers me when people say vaccines cause autism, there is no proof of this at all.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    I feel that by trying to kill off/vaccinate your self against every form of bacteria/germ, that all your doing is making that bacteria/germ stronger since it has to constantly mutate to overcome the vaccination and then make you sick.
    I sure hope you're not a science teacher, because this is 100% wrong. The vaccine itself does nothing to the microorganism. The vaccine IS the microorganism, in a killed or inactivated form. By exposing a person's immune system to the killed or inactivated microorganism, it allows the immune system to develop a "memory" for that particular microorganism. When it "sees" it again during a real infection, it can quickly fight it off before it has a chance to make the person sick (or as sick). So people who DON'T get vaccinated are providing the microorganism a chance to mutate because it takes their bodies much longer to activate their immune system and fight off the infection, while people who DO get vaccinated are able to fight off the infection before it has a chance to mutate.

    Right, and what happens if you catch the mutated microorganism and not the one you have the "memory" for? Your still going to get sick because you have a memory for the pre-mutated microorganism and not the mutated one.. and then your body has to fight off the infection from the mutated one.

    Bottom line, if you want to get it, then get it.. if you don't, then don't.

    P.s You noticed I said, I feel that.. not this is fact. No need to jump down my throat for stating what I feel.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    I feel that by trying to kill off/vaccinate your self against every form of bacteria/germ, that all your doing is making that bacteria/germ stronger since it has to constantly mutate to overcome the vaccination and then make you sick.
    I sure hope you're not a science teacher, because this is 100% wrong. The vaccine itself does nothing to the microorganism. The vaccine IS the microorganism, in a killed or inactivated form. By exposing a person's immune system to the killed or inactivated microorganism, it allows the immune system to develop a "memory" for that particular microorganism. When it "sees" it again during a real infection, it can quickly fight it off before it has a chance to make the person sick (or as sick). So people who DON'T get vaccinated are providing the microorganism a chance to mutate because it takes their bodies much longer to activate their immune system and fight off the infection, while people who DO get vaccinated are able to fight off the infection before it has a chance to mutate.

    Right, and what happens if you catch the mutated microorganism and not the one you have the "memory" for? Your still going to get sick because you have a memory for the pre-mutated microorganism and not the mutated one.. and then your body has to fight off the infection from the mutated one.

    Bottom line, if you want to get it, then get it.. if you don't, then don't.

    P.s You noticed I said, I feel that.. not this is fact. No need to jump down my throat for stating what I feel.

    Yes, you can still get a different organism and get sick. But that's not because you got the vaccine, it's because someone else didn't get the vaccine. And you're still likely to be able to fight that one off faster because your immune system is still primed for the flu virus in general - it's not going in completely blind. If exposing a virus to a vaccine made it mutate, we never would have eradicated smallpox, and be close to eradicating polio.

    I'm a scientist, and feelings have little place in science. People should make their decisions based on facts.
  • summertime_girl
    summertime_girl Posts: 3,945 Member
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    The only time I ever got the shot, was the only year I've ever gotten the flu. I'll skip it. I'd reevaluate if I was high risk, but I'm not, and neither is anyone in my family.
  • chatterbox3110
    chatterbox3110 Posts: 630 Member
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    We get the flu shot via our GP as I am asthmatic and hubby is diabetic.

    The one year he didn't get his shot, he got the flu and was off work for almost 2 weeks. I rarely even get a cold now, so for the sake of a slightly sore arm for a couple of hours it's well worthwhile for us.
  • Malissas
    Malissas Posts: 64 Member
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    This is a pretty tricky situation. My husband and I and all the kids have the needle every year. We work for ourselves and really can't afford to be sick or take time off to florence nightingale sick kids. But this is our choice and none of the kids have complained yet.
    I might feel differently if someone was forcing us to, we dont force our employees, it's their choice and business although we probably have a much smaller office than you, and they dont take many sick leave days.
    We still get colds and I get hay fever in the most spectacular way but other than that we are pretty healthy, I'm happy with the needle.
  • kbonamour
    kbonamour Posts: 49 Member
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    I do not get flu shots, nor do I allow my son to get one even though every year they give them to all of the children at his school. The vaccine only protects you against one strain of the flu, and there are always several strains that are floating around. This year, the flu shots are the exact same as the shots they gave last year... so if you already got the shot last year, why would you need to get it again?

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