Is there anyone else who doesn't get a flu shot?

[Terapin]

I've heard the estimates for this year are a bit more optimistic than that... I think 60% is the figure I saw. Last year's was terrible, that's for sure. Despite very good participation at the on-campus flu shot events at my school, flu was absolutely rampant just before the holiday break. It was the first time I've gotten it, without a shot, but many of my vaccinated classmates got it too.

This is what the Canadian media is reporting from the CDC.

 

[AlohaNow]

Last week I drove my herd mentality over to Costco and got my annual el-cheapo flu shot. Now I’ve got to find some time to get the kids in there for theirs. When we lived in Hawaii the public schools gave each kid a flu shot compliments of the State Health Department. The form had the option of shot, mist, or opt out. I loved it…..one less thing for me to do! And free! Can you imagine a flu outbreak in Hawaii? What that would do to tourism? My co-workers and I were always on board with getting a flu shot. It was like showing some aloha for Hawaii.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I had one several years ago in the hospital when I was seriously ill and didn't need to deal with a virus on top of everything else, but I just don't see that the shot makes much difference.

A cousin in his fifties had such a bad case of the flu he was in intensive care, and it was touch and go. He survived but it took him a long time to recover. So now his mom (retired nurse) is a real advocate of getting the shot. But if the shot is for one strain of the flu and you get a different strain, what's the point?

 

[LinderInWonderland]

DH has to because he works with the elderly. Work makes it convenient for me by providing clinics at our office. Our insurance makes it free. I also got the TDaP booster when my sister was pregnant with her first child because we had a whooping cough epidemic in Washington that year.

That said, we only started getting the shots in the last 5 years and we are both in our mid-40s.

 

[gwynne]

I had one several years ago in the hospital when I was seriously ill and didn't need to deal with a virus on top of everything else, but I just don't see that the shot makes much difference.

A cousin in his fifties had such a bad case of the flu he was in intensive care, and it was touch and go. He survived but it took him a long time to recover. So now his mom (retired nurse) is a real advocate of getting the shot. But if the shot is for one strain of the flu and you get a different strain, what's the point?

I get the shot. I don't get into the minutia of one specific strain or another, I know overall each year's combo lessens the risk. DH can't get the shot, medically. I do what I can to stay healthy, for him.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I had one several years ago in the hospital when I was seriously ill and didn't need to deal with a virus on top of everything else, but I just don't see that the shot makes much difference.

A cousin in his fifties had such a bad case of the flu he was in intensive care, and it was touch and go. He survived but it took him a long time to recover. So now his mom (retired nurse) is a real advocate of getting the shot. But if the shot is for one strain of the flu and you get a different strain, what's the point?

It's not for "just one strain". It's a combo shot, generally with the top 3 or 4 strains that the CDC thinks will be the predominate ones in the next flu season. The problem is, since they have to make this decision pretty far out (something like 6-8 months), things can change. They're fairly good about the prediction, but not always, as evidenced last year, when they missed the mark. That being said, yes, you can still catch one of the "minor" flu strains (not included in the vaccine) even after receiving the shot, but you'll most likely have a milder case due to the antibodies you developed from the shot for the strains that are covered.

 

[ELSA711]

No flu shot for me but my kids get the nasal mist and have never had an issue. I had one when I was like 30 for the first time in my life and had a terrible reaction. Maybe coincidence maybe not but it was the one and only time I ever had the 'flu'.

I get the nasty 24 hr stomach bug once a year or two but never the full on flu like I had the year I got the shot.

 

[DizBelle]

I had one several years ago in the hospital when I was seriously ill and didn't need to deal with a virus on top of everything else, but I just don't see that the shot makes much difference.

A cousin in his fifties had such a bad case of the flu he was in intensive care, and it was touch and go. He survived but it took him a long time to recover. So now his mom (retired nurse) is a real advocate of getting the shot. But if the shot is for one strain of the flu and you get a different strain, what's the point?

What if the strain you are exposed to is one that is covered by the shot?

 

[MSLRAC]

I think you're right. I'm betting that people who don't get the shot haven't really experienced influenza (themselves or someone they know) and don't realize how horrible it is.

I think a lot of people who think they had the flu really had a bad cold. VERY different things.

While I do think many use the term flu for illnesses that are not the flu. I have had the flu before...nose swab, positive results, treated with Tamiflu...I know how horrible it is and we still don't get the shot.

 

[DizBelle]

While I do think many use the term flu for illnesses that are not the flu. I have had the flu before...nose swab, positive results, treated with Tamiflu...I know how horrible it is and we still don't get the shot.

I should have said "many people". Certainly not everyone.

 

[MSLRAC]

I should have said "many people". Certainly not everyone.

I totally get it. I think many people use the term flu for anything from a stomach virus to a cold. I did before I got it. Now, I know what the flu is and how bad it can be but my family does better with increasing our hand washing and taking measures to boost our immune system.

 

[Colleen27]

I totally get it. I think many people use the term flu for anything from a stomach virus to a cold. I did before I got it. Now, I know what the flu is and how bad it can be but my family does better with increasing our hand washing and taking measures to boost our immune system.

Same here. And honestly, I chalk my run-in with the flu last year up to playing in a new petri dish... after many years as a SAHM, even with a bunch of little kids in and out of my house and volunteering at the school, I think going back to college was a bit of a shock to my immune system. Little kids might run around with runny noses and minor illnesses, but they tend to stay home when they're really sick. College kids, on the other hand, will get up off their deathbeds not to miss class if they have a prof with strict attendance rules! So I think I just ran up against bigger, badder bugs than I'm used to fighting off.

 

[mefordis]

Hope this is rare.

http://m.aol.com/article/2015/10/07...hiv-after-receiving-unsafe-flu-shot/21246349/

 

[Unas]

While I do think many use the term flu for illnesses that are not the flu. I have had the flu before...nose swab, positive results, treated with Tamiflu...I know how horrible it is and we still don't get the shot.

I totally get it. I think many people use the term flu for anything from a stomach virus to a cold. I did before I got it. Now, I know what the flu is and how bad it can be but my family does better with increasing our hand washing and taking measures to boost our immune system.

Seems that it would be more effective, safer and convenient to get the flu shot and practice good hand hygiene.

 

[Hrhpd]

Hope this is rare.

http://m.aol.com/article/2015/10/07...hiv-after-receiving-unsafe-flu-shot/21246349/

Quite the sensationalism there. The unsafe part had absolutely nothing to do with the flu vaccine. It had everything to do with a stupid nurse who refilled the same syringe over and over again to give the workers their flu shots.

Nobody has contracted HIV and certainly nothing from the flu vaccine.

Because she used the same syringe although not the same needle, there is a very miniscule chance workers may have been exposed to other worker's blood, which may have been contaminated if one of the workers had HIV or hepatitis.

Of course you have to test every worker who received a shot from the used syringe.

But to reiterate, this has absolutely nothing to do with the flu vaccine itself. Any chance of illness has to do with a nurse using unsafe medical protocol.

 

[mefordis]

Quite the sensationalism there. The unsafe part had absolutely nothing to do with the flu vaccine. It had everything to do with a stupid nurse who refilled the same syringe over and over again to give the workers their flu shots.

Nobody has contracted HIV and certainly nothing from the flu vaccine.

Because she used the same syringe although not the same needle, there is a very miniscule chance workers may have been exposed to other worker's blood, which may have been contaminated if one of the workers had HIV or hepatitis.

Of course you have to test every worker who received a shot from the used syringe.

But to reiterate, this has absolutely nothing to do with the flu vaccine itself. Any chance of illness has to do with a nurse using unsafe medical protocol.

I guess it's a chance one takes whenever they have any vaccine injected into them. You just have to take a leap of faith that no contamination occurred, syringe is clean, dosage is correct, etc.

AS for this case, I wonder if it is quietly practiced (more widespread than one might think) to stretch revenues for the vaccine administrators.

 

[dvcmom14]

No flu shots for us. The one year we did get it for our kids, they've never been so sick....got 2 strains of flu at once. No thanks!

 

[MSLRAC]

Seems that it would be more effective, safer and convenient to get the flu shot and practice good hand hygiene.

I've had the flu one time in 37 years and I've never had a flu shot so I think I'm good with no flu shot.

 

[Geoff_M]

I guess it's a chance one takes whenever they have any vaccine injected into them. You just have to take a leap of faith that no contamination occurred, syringe is clean, dosage is correct, etc.

AS for this case, I wonder if it is quietly practiced (more widespread than one might think) to stretch revenues for the vaccine administrators.

Yep, just like dentist offices that are found to have not properly sterilized instruments between patients (perhaps to stretch revenues when it comes to buying cleaning supplies and it might be more widespread than we know)... but I guess that's the risk you take when you get your teeth cleaned!

 

[mefordis]

Yep, just like dentist offices that are found to have not properly sterilized instruments between patients (perhaps to stretch revenues when it comes to buying cleaning supplies and it might be more widespread than we know)... but I guess that's the risk you take when you get your teeth cleaned!

Also disgusting but not even close, sorry