Flu Shot

jalara
jalara Posts: 2,599 Member
edited October 3 in Chit-Chat
Hi there - I was on another forum recently and something came up so I thought I would ask here.

What reasons (well founded, based in common sense) are there NOT to get a flu shot? I ask because I honestly don't understand the aversion.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!
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Replies

  • calibri
    calibri Posts: 439 Member
    Paranoia and a general dislike of science.

    Oops. sorry, you said well founded. :flowerforyou:
  • kdelost630
    kdelost630 Posts: 196 Member
    I don't get them because 1) getting the shot just injects your body with the disease so that it fights it off now instead of later. 2) It's better for our immune systems to fight things off on their own. We take too many pills/shots/etc to keep our systems strong. Just not worth it for me.
  • Ashley4445
    Ashley4445 Posts: 4 Member
    An allergy to eggs/egg products.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I had a nasty reaction last year, and my husband has egg allergies that have made it so he doesn't normally get it.
  • poustotah
    poustotah Posts: 1,121 Member
    I have no logical basis for this but here's what happens in our house.

    My husband and I have known each other for 6 years and every year he religiously gets a flu shot. And every year he religiously gets the flu. While living in the same house and taking care of him while he's sick, me, my 10 year old, my 8 year old, my 2 year old and my 4 month old have never caught the flu from him or gotten it from some other source and none of us has ever had a flu shot.
  • MissingMyOldSelf
    MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
    My husband's physician told him that the flu shot is the same as last year.... meaning it's the same strand, so if you got one last year, you should still be good this year. Plus, we never get the shot, anyways. We get sicker than if we get the actual flu.
  • Bonita_Lynne_58
    Bonita_Lynne_58 Posts: 2,794 Member
    Afraid I can't give good solid reasons to not get the flu shot. I get one every year. Simply said, I hate being sick with the flu. The last year I didn't get one my youngest was in the hospital for surgery and guess what? I picked that time (worst time possible) to get the flu. My daughter was 6mths at the time and definitely need me there, she did not need the flu.

    I do believe that everyone has the right to decide to accept or decline any medical treatment. And I respect whatever decision they make.
  • ChrisStoney
    ChrisStoney Posts: 479 Member
    The vaccine has Guillain-Barré as a possible side effect. A temporary, Multiple Sclerosis like illness. Also reported are breathing problems, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat, or dizziness.

    also the vacine you get andf the strain of actual Flu will likely not match and you will get the Flu.
  • mamafrahm
    mamafrahm Posts: 132 Member
    I don't get them because 1) getting the shot just injects your body with the disease so that it fights it off now instead of later. 2) It's better for our immune systems to fight things off on their own. We take too many pills/shots/etc to keep our systems strong. Just not worth it for me.

    ^ this.
    It also injects your body with poisons. Plus, most of the people I know who have had the vaccine end up getting the flu anyways.. so what's the point of the vaccine??
  • scapez
    scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
    I've never gotten a flu shot 'cause...

    "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    Bump...there was another vaccination thread on here a while ago...did you want me to send you the link?
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    I don't think I've ever gotten one.

    And I've only called in sick once for work. Back in highschool, to go camping.

    Personally, I feel the 'flu' needs to get a 'kiwiburger shot' if anything.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    I don't get them because 1) getting the shot just injects your body with the disease so that it fights it off now instead of later. 2) It's better for our immune systems to fight things off on their own. We take too many pills/shots/etc to keep our systems strong. Just not worth it for me.

    ^ this.
    It also injects your body with poisons. Plus, most of the people I know who have had the vaccine end up getting the flu anyways.. so what's the point of the vaccine??

    Deleted my question because frankly, I was not going to bother coming back to read the response.
  • dlei456
    dlei456 Posts: 201 Member
    I get a flu shot every year and so do my kids and (*knock on wood) no one has ever had the flu, Despite being a teacher and being around H1N1 at school and pregnant. Even though this year's strand it the same, I still got it as a booster.
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Personally, I just don't get it because I don't get sick...I haven't gotten the flu shot in years (probably not since I was a little kid and my mom made the choices) and I haven't gotten the flu in YEARS! So why get the flu shot??

    When H1N1 went around and my school was telling us to get the H1N1 shot...my mom asked me and I said no. Why bother? Plus I think I had a very mild case of it before anyway (literally half my school was home sick, all with the exact same symptoms and only some got tested and resulted positive for H1N1) and I was over it and that was it.

    So I don't bother getting the flu shot because I don't get sick and I'm really not worried about it.

    And some people I know end up getting the shot (just flu or the H1N1) got sicker than most people who didn't get the shot.
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    A reasonable to my mind reason is if you are likely to get such from it. I typically get it because I work with people who are ill, elderly, and children. I also get such easily and badly. When I get the flu it literally knocks me or for three weeks and often comes with lovely complications like pneumonia. However, if I get the flu shot I am likely to run fever for a week, injection site reactions, muscle fatigue, and sore aching joints. If I wasn't so worried about making one of my patients ill I might not get it. I am quite afraid one day I will have an irepairable response our reaction.
  • efwolfcub
    efwolfcub Posts: 99 Member
    I'm a fairly new RN (started in the last 2 years) so getting the flu shot is basically required for me - it would be irresponsible for me to NOT get the shot. It doesn't inject you with poisons, or with toxins, or with the a live version of the flu. The flu virus in the vaccine is a dead/inactive version of the current flu strain.

    Yes, the is a risk of Guillain–Barré - from the actual flu :) an estimated 1 in 10,000 who get the flu die from GB. from the vaccine? since 1976, there have been 4 cases of GB (out of 46 million vaccinations) that have been conclusively linked to the vaccination.

    Allergic to eggs? no, you shouldn't get it. Had a reaction to it in the past? no, you shouldn't get it. "I'll just get the flu if I get it" - nope, sorry. "I'll become autistic/get GB/ get implanted with a tracker from the US government!" - nope, sorry.

    YES, some people do get mild 'flu like' symptoms from the vaccine - a fever for a day or two, and not feeling great. that's versus 2-3 weeks with a case of the flu. I'll take the vaccine any day of the week, thank you.
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    Haven't had once since 2005........had a really bad reaction (red raised area about 6 inches long, 4 inches wide and. Raised skin about an inch, it was hot and red for awhile. Days.......it isn't reccomended for me to get it, so I just suffer. When I actually get the flu, I have had it 3 times including 2005 and have worked in healthcare 3 of those years.......to each their own, but my choice was to not risk a more detrimental experience......
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    I'm a fairly new RN (started in the last 2 years) so getting the flu shot is basically required for me - it would be irresponsible for me to NOT get the shot. It doesn't inject you with poisons, or with toxins, or with the a live version of the flu. The flu virus in the vaccine is a dead/inactive version of the current flu strain.

    Yes, the is a risk of Guillain–Barré - from the actual flu :) an estimated 1 in 10,000 who get the flu die from GB. from the vaccine? since 1976, there have been 4 cases of GB (out of 46 million vaccinations) that have been conclusively linked to the vaccination.

    Allergic to eggs? no, you shouldn't get it. Had a reaction to it in the past? no, you shouldn't get it. "I'll just get the flu if I get it" - nope, sorry. "I'll become autistic/get GB/ get implanted with a tracker from the US government!" - nope, sorry.

    YES, some people do get mild 'flu like' symptoms from the vaccine - a fever for a day or two, and not feeling great. that's versus 2-3 weeks with a case of the flu. I'll take the vaccine any day of the week, thank you.

    This^^^
    Also, MOST of the people here are not in high risk groups or occupations.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    SUPERFLU!
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
    A friend of mine and her mother faint when they get the flu shot. Any other boosters they are fine with, just a physiological response that they have. weird.
    I have gotten the shot before because I was travelling, and again because I wanted to lower the risk of getting it and passing it on to elderly people. We were attending a church with a lot of elderly people with conditions that we didn't want to make worse.
    The flu is an optional shot, but my kids are vaccinated for the regular ones. Mmr, pneumo, meningicoccal and chicken pox, etc. Although when I was a kid, when a friend had chicken pox, suddenly everyone was playing at that kids house so we caught it as kids, because its really really bad if you get it as an adult. That was the old school chicken pox vaccination. Haha
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
    SUPERFLU!

    It has a cape and everything.
  • missebony88
    missebony88 Posts: 6
    i don't get it because i cbf booking in to the surgery and waiting for hours to see the nurse then paying them money to hurt me. I will suffer if i get sick but if i eat right and stay away from sick people/ use good hygeine... i usually come out of flu season healthy. :) plus i don't think i can give blood if i do... don't quote me on that though
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
    I don't get them because 1) getting the shot just injects your body with the disease so that it fights it off now instead of later. 2) It's better for our immune systems to fight things off on their own. We take too many pills/shots/etc to keep our systems strong. Just not worth it for me.

    ^ this.
    It also injects your body with poisons. Plus, most of the people I know who have had the vaccine end up getting the flu anyways.. so what's the point of the vaccine??

    I agree here, too.
  • bikermike5094
    bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
    I dont get the flu shot because everybody else gets it. If everybody else is vaccinacted and not infected,then they wont infect me. Im a civilian and work with the military and they are required to get the flu shot so everyone around me is vaccinated. I havent had one my entire life and I dont get the flu either.

    Seriously.. wash your hands folks with soap 3-4 times a day and use hand sanitizer 3-4 times a day. Thats the best prevention from disease there is
  • ejohndrow
    ejohndrow Posts: 1,399 Member
    I'm a fairly new RN (started in the last 2 years) so getting the flu shot is basically required for me - it would be irresponsible for me to NOT get the shot. It doesn't inject you with poisons, or with toxins, or with the a live version of the flu. The flu virus in the vaccine is a dead/inactive version of the current flu strain.

    Yes, the is a risk of Guillain–Barré - from the actual flu :) an estimated 1 in 10,000 who get the flu die from GB. from the vaccine? since 1976, there have been 4 cases of GB (out of 46 million vaccinations) that have been conclusively linked to the vaccination.

    Allergic to eggs? no, you shouldn't get it. Had a reaction to it in the past? no, you shouldn't get it. "I'll just get the flu if I get it" - nope, sorry. "I'll become autistic/get GB/ get implanted with a tracker from the US government!" - nope, sorry.

    YES, some people do get mild 'flu like' symptoms from the vaccine - a fever for a day or two, and not feeling great. that's versus 2-3 weeks with a case of the flu. I'll take the vaccine any day of the week, thank you.

    If i remember correctly it's the flu mist that has the live, weakened flu virus-right? I have to get one yearly because the military requires it. I have always had the mist and I've never had a reaction from it. Although instead of the flu this year I got to enjoy a case of strep which isn't any better.
  • SmangeDiggs
    SmangeDiggs Posts: 238 Member
    I've never had the flu, the one year i decided to get the flu shot due to work pressure i had an allergic reaction to the vaccine....so no more flu vac for me.
  • Queen_JessieA
    Queen_JessieA Posts: 1,059 Member
    I don't get them because 1) getting the shot just injects your body with the disease so that it fights it off now instead of later. 2) It's better for our immune systems to fight things off on their own. We take too many pills/shots/etc to keep our systems strong. Just not worth it for me.

    ^ this.
    It also injects your body with poisons. Plus, most of the people I know who have had the vaccine end up getting the flu anyways.. so what's the point of the vaccine??

    I agree here, too.

    At one point, I was very torn...because we do have three asthmatics in our family. But, I have three kids and I have been a mom for almost 12 years now. We have had one case of the flu in that time. We practice heavy duty hand washing and good hygiene. I may change my mind in the future...but for now, we opt out of the flu vaccine.

    I have read recent studies on how the flu shot is being linked to alzheimers. With my grandmother being an alzheimers patient, it is definitely something to take into consideration. Of course I know what the medical community will say...but I choose to research both sides of the fence on ALL vaccine issues. I saw my brother have a severe reaction to a vaccination as a child...he was in traction in the hospital for 3 days because the day after he got a vaccine, he kept falling down and couldn't walk. The drs, of course, denied it having anything to do with the vaccination.

    As much as I love our drs, they operate a medical PRACTICE. It isn't always as accurate as we would like it to be. I listen to their advice and I research.
  • catshark209
    catshark209 Posts: 1,133 Member
    I had it a few years back and came down with a fever of 103 two days later, so I stopped getting it. Last year and the year before I didn't have it and was sick as a dog for two weeks straight both years.
    This year I said f uck it and had it done. I was dizzy the day after but rather that than two weeks of hell.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,978 Member
    Hi there - I was on another forum recently and something came up so I thought I would ask here.

    What reasons (well founded, based in common sense) are there NOT to get a flu shot? I ask because I honestly don't understand the aversion.

    I'm interested in hearing your thoughts!
    Because if your immune system isn't compromised, then there isn't a need for it. If you get it, then you'll fight it off. Not to mention that there are so many various strains of flu, that the one you get may not even defend you from it.
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