Flu shot this year? Yeah or Nay?

Not I.
I've always been a big one for enforcing the annual vaccine.. and may be administering a few myself.

However, after last year's reaction (and yes it WAS a reaction) being flat on my back for 3 days, and the odd feeling the previous year (blood shot eye, weakness all over the left side).. no.

I'd rather risk getting what's going around (might even have it now) than take something that the ID,NCIRD,CDC,DHHS and WHO feel might be.. might be the virus that one should be protecting themselves against.

Nay here.

Got the flu and pneumonia shot. Last year was the first I ever had one and it did kick my butt for a few days but after that I went all winter without being sick.

I got one. No reaction.

I'm undecided.

I never used to get a flue shot until the past 2 years and I've stayed healthy through both winters. Last year I did have a lousy 3 days after getting it but a family friend, who always gets a flue shot, had a severe reaction to it that had him hospitalized 4 times. I can't remember the name of the syndrome they said he developed but it was a really nasty reaction to the shot. Damned near killed him once and he's still taking rehab and physical therapy a year after getting it. I saw him about a week ago and jokingly asked him if he was getting his shot this year. I didn't think that a good Baptist knew that many swear words.

So, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want to get sick as I usually catch the crud late winter/early spring but I don't want to end up like our friend either.

So, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't want to get sick as I usually catch the crud late winter/early spring but I don't want to end up like our friend either.

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According to this article, take Vitamine D3.

EastTexFrank, that is terrible! I see why you'd be wondering if it was worth it.

DH has COPD so flu and pneumonia shots are pretty much a necessity. I had a flu shot too. No adverse reaction for either of us.

yes, in fact I plan to go to employee health after 8a.

Yep. I will.
Got one last year for the first time in 15 yrs. no reaction.
Year before that I did not get one and the flu bug found me. Sure don't want that again.

I was forced to get it in the '70's in the military, and got sick from it every time. Have not had one since 1973 and will probably never get one again. I get the flu every couple of years and just deal with it. I have enough foreign substances in my body without intentionally adding any more, thank you.

for the official statement from the CDC


What are the risks from getting a flu shot?
The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. The risk of a flu shot causing serious harm or death is extremely small. However, a vaccine, like any medicine, may rarely cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. Almost all people who get influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it.

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What are the side effects that could occur?
Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
Fever (low grade)
Aches
The intradermal flu shot may cause other additional mild side effects including:

Toughness and itching where the shot was given
If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last one to two days.

Can severe problems occur?
Life-threatening allergic reactions are very rare. Signs of serious allergic reaction can include breathing problems, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heartbeat, or dizziness. If they do occur, it is within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot. These reactions are more likely to occur among persons with a severe allergy to eggs, because the viruses used in the influenza vaccine are grown in hens’ eggs. People who have had a severe reaction to eggs or a flu shot in the past should not get a flu shot before seeing a physician.

Guillain-Barré syndrome: Normally, about one person per 100,000 people per year will develop Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an illness characterized by fever, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting GBS. Several studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines since 1976 were associated with GBS. Only one of the studies showed an association. That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine.

What should I do if I have had a serious reaction to seasonal influenza vaccine?
Call a doctor, or get to a doctor right away.

Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when you got the flu shot.

Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form, or call VAERS at 1-800-822-7967.

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Can the flu shot give me the flu?
No, a flu shot cannot cause flu illness. The viruses contained in flu shots are inactivated (killed), which means they cannot cause infection. Flu vaccine manufacturers kill the viruses used in the flu shot during the process of making vaccine, and batches of flu vaccine are tested to make sure they are safe. In randomized, blinded studies, where some people got flu shots and others got saltwater shots, the only differences in symptoms was increased soreness in the arm and redness at the injection site among people who got the flu shot. There were no differences in terms of body aches, fever, cough, runny nose or sore throat.

More information about these studies is available at:

Carolyn Bridges et al. (2000). Effectiveness and cost-benefit of influenza vaccination of healthy working adults: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 284(13):1655—1663.
Kristin Nichol et al. (1995). The effectiveness of vaccination against influenza in healthy working adults. New England Journal of Medicine. 333(14): 889-893.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/flushot.htm

I plan on getting one as I do every year. I have never had a reaction to one, but it is always in the back of my mind. Always a first time.

I was sick last week from Tuesday to Saturday. Felt a lot better Sunday and am back to normal today, happens this time of year. But so do flu shots. I almost got my flu shot last monday, if I had I would think it caused me to be sick. It is really very rare and is usually r/t egg allergies. Several years ago they had a faked utube video about a girl running backwards so she could talk or something like that supposedly a reaction. People still tell me about that one when they say they dont want to get it. I am going up to get mine right now. So if I start typing backwards...

TiredRetired said:

I plan on getting one as I do every year. I have never had a reaction to one, but it is always in the back of my mind. Always a first time.

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Thanks Mak! I have always been a little backward. Now i know why!

!ti eb thgiM

I used to figure if everyone else would just get the shot then no one would pass the flu on to me so I could pass on the shot. Worked most years. But then one year somebody didn't get the shot and they passed it on to me. It sucked enough that I got the shot last year, and will again this year.

I have had pnuemonia and the Flu most every year since my CPOD syndrome was diagnosed. In fact, I always caught what ever flu strain was going around since I can remember.

In the last two years I got both shots. Worth the pain and the post injection malaise.

mak2 said:

Guillain-Barré syndrome: Normally, about one person per 100,000 people per year will develop Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), an illness characterized by fever, nerve damage, and muscle weakness.

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Thanks Mak. That's what our friend got. He faithfully got his flue shot every year and there is no explanation of why he developed GBS due to the shot last year. So, just because it never happened before is no guarantee that it won't happen the next time. It has devastated both him and his wife. As I said, it's been a year and he's still in rehab.

You're welcome. I think GBS victims almost always complety recover. Eventually.

EastTexFrank said:

Thanks Mak. That's what our friend got. He faithfully got his flue shot every year and there is no explanation of why he developed GBS due to the shot last year. So, just because it never happened before is no guarantee that it won't happen the next time. It has devastated both him and his wife. As I said, it's been a year and he's still in rehab.

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Never have and don't intend to. Just my 2 cents.
The less interaction with doctors and hospitals the better I like it and the safer I feel. My insurance company loves me I have paid a lot more than I ever cost them.

If this "nanny state" continues to grow, the government will probably require everyone to get a flu shot using as the excuse that those who get the flu might have to be treated and "will run up the cost of insurance for all of us"

pirate_girl said:

Not I.
I've always been a big one for enforcing the annual vaccine.. and may be administering a few myself.

However, after last year's reaction (and yes it WAS a reaction) being flat on my back for 3 days, and the odd feeling the previous year (blood shot eye, weakness all over the left side).. no.

I'd rather risk getting what's going around (might even have it now) than take something that the ID,NCIRD,CDC,DHHS and WHO feel might be.. might be the virus that one should be protecting themselves against.

Nay here.

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PG, Since you won't be taking the flu vaccine, does your place of employment require you to wear a surgical mask all shift, every shift throughout the flu season?

No they don't.
The vaccine is strongly encouraged, but certainly not mandatory.

If they were to have us wear masks, then we'd better have someone standing at the door handing them out to family members or anyone else coming into the facility.

If I were ever told I had to get it or face termination.. then I don't know what I'd do.

So far that isn't happening around here.

yeah, both. too many germs here. i take public transport often, where people cough, sneeze, vomit (myself included on that 1). they let thier kiddos noses run, etc.
i was terrified of the 1st vaccinations. i'll take a few days of aches & sneezes over days/beyond of flu, tho. i noticed nary an effect, thank goodness.
the 1 fret i have is that i know 1 lady was blind for awhile from i think a flu shot. that was years ago.

pirate_girl said:

No they don't.
The vaccine is strongly encouraged, but certainly not mandatory.

If they were to have us wear masks, then we'd better have someone standing at the door handing them out to family members or anyone else coming into the facility.

If I were ever told I had to get it or face termination.. then I don't know what I'd do.

So far that isn't happening around here.

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I was just curious. Most hospitals require the vaccine or the wearing of a mask. I read an article on Medscape this week advocating mandatory vaccines for all healthcare providers. This was the argument;

"I know that a lot of people have said that it ought to be voluntary, that it ought to be something that I choose to do. I do not lose my right as a doctor or a nurse to say that I don't want to do that.
Well, I think you do. Ethically, your first obligation is to do no harm. If you are there to do no harm and that is your primary obligation, then you cannot put your personal choice or your personal reluctance to get that shot above doing harm. And you are likely to do harm to others if you do not get that shot." Art Caplan New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City head of the Division of Medical Ethics. Me thinks he is an advisor to the Mayor Bloomberg.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770383?src=mp

One of the schools I work for have made it mandatory for students and teachers.

never have, never will

I probably will, that and the pneumonia shot as well. Local drug stores offer it but I see my Doc in Nov. If she has any left, I'll get it there.

CityGirl said:

I was just curious. Most hospitals require the vaccine or the wearing of a mask. I read an article on Medscape this week advocating mandatory vaccines for all healthcare providers. This was the argument;

"I know that a lot of people have said that it ought to be voluntary, that it ought to be something that I choose to do. I do not lose my right as a doctor or a nurse to say that I don't want to do that.
Well, I think you do. Ethically, your first obligation is to do no harm. If you are there to do no harm and that is your primary obligation, then you cannot put your personal choice or your personal reluctance to get that shot above doing harm. And you are likely to do harm to others if you do not get that shot." Art Caplan New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City head of the Division of Medical Ethics. Me thinks he is an advisor to the Mayor Bloomberg.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770383?src=mp

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Once a nation wide mandate is called, I'll do it.
As for now, I am more concerned about catching something from a patient, than passing something on to them... and yes Letecia, I do practice infection control to the letter.

You asked about masks (gowns, goggles, gloves too) -- the only persons I have to be uber careful around are those 2 who are currently in house which calls for it.
A fella on reverse isolation, and a gal in her 40s who is on life support (o2 vent and feed) and has been with us for years.
Then we have those patients on rehab who get shipped back to us from area hospitals with MRSA, not to mention VRE.


Most long term care facility workers aren't required to get immunized against flu.
Hospitals may be, I wouldn't know.
I do keep up on my pneumonia vaccine, however.

CityGirl said:

I was just curious. Most hospitals require the vaccine or the wearing of a mask. I read an article on Medscape this week advocating mandatory vaccines for all healthcare providers. This was the argument;

"I know that a lot of people have said that it ought to be voluntary, that it ought to be something that I choose to do. I do not lose my right as a doctor or a nurse to say that I don't want to do that.
Well, I think you do. Ethically, your first obligation is to do no harm. If you are there to do no harm and that is your primary obligation, then you cannot put your personal choice or your personal reluctance to get that shot above doing harm. And you are likely to do harm to others if you do not get that shot." Art Caplan New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City head of the Division of Medical Ethics. Me thinks he is an advisor to the Mayor Bloomberg.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/770383?src=mp

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i've spent a minute inpatient. only time i've seen them use masks/disposable gowns is if a patient is highly contagious, as in mrsa, & my 1 roomie (she got placed elsewhere, stat-) tended to spit @ them. they used them then, too, & kept the curtain between us closed often. she was on stuff they found in her belongings b-4 she was carted away.
they scrub @ foot-operated sinks before entering rooms, & there's sanitizer dispensors in the rooms, here.
they put a few patients in masks- like the 1 that spat @ 'em, & mrsa ppl. very few have i seen put gear on for patients.
u notice plenty when in there.
point being, methinx it's a judgement call.

pirate_girl said:

... and a gal in her 40s who is on life support (o2 vent and feed) and has been with us for years.

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She's been there for years?