Does the flu shot really work?

Did you get a flu shot this season?

  • Yes

    Votes: 408 56.8%

  • No, I don't think they work

    Votes: 143 19.9%

  • No, they are not safe

    Votes: 91 12.7%

  • No, I have a health issue that doesn't allow it

    Votes: 21 2.9%

  • Other: please explain

    Votes: 55 7.7%
  • Total voters
    718

New Posts

Jmoose said:
Maybe not, but then it doesn't prevent all flu viruses, so you could still get very sick-my brother and I, two states apart, both got the flu several days (maybe 3) after getting the shot. And there have been lots of cases of Guillain Barre following the flu vaccine. I wouldn't forgo certain vaccinations (smallpox, etc) but I won't get another flu shot unless a doctor told me that getting the flu would likely kill me.
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Yes. I know 2 people who this has happened to. I will concur with other posters.....I never had the flu until the year h1n1 was around...that year I had a nursing newborn so I got the shot....AND the flu (within days). I have had the shot, and the flu each year since. Until this year. Didn't get the shot.
 
Jmoose said:
Aren't you afraid your kids will bring it home from school? Also, watch the handle on the shopping cart at the grocery store.

I grew up in a house with 5 other kids, so have been exposed to a great many viruses, and get sick so infrequently that my husband says in the olden days they would have burned me as a witch-this is why I roll the dice on the flu shot. Also, the last time I got the shot I got very sick ( the shot may not have caused it, but didn't prevent it, either)
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I have a friend who has 3 yr old twin girls and they rarely go out of the house. the only interaction they have is with family members and close family friends..they don't go to play groups or interact with children their own age...she is obsessed with keeping the house clean and people washing their hands..no one touches the girls
YET the mother and the twins are constantly sick with colds and the mother had the flu a few weeks ago.
 
Tawny said:
I actually wish there were a way for doc's offices to have 2 separate waiting rooms. One for those there for an illness and those there for routine check ups, vaccinations, and non-contagious injuries. I mean, it wouldn't be 100% effective, I'm sure, but it would reduce the risk.

I am always nervous taking my daughter to a routine checkup because there are sick kids there being seen for everything. JMO
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My kids Pediatrician's office had 2 waiting areas..one for Well Visits and one for Sick visits.
 
LinasK said:
Yes, me. I got the shot in early Nov., and on Sunday I contracted what I think is a mild case of the flu. I still feel crappy, but it could've been much worse. I've had the full-on flu with nausea and fevers for days! Now I'm mostly just very congested, achy, and weak.
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Same here ... flu shot in early November, and this weekend having mild flu symptoms. Either something that was not included in the vaccination is circulating, or the vaccine didn't quite do the job.
 
I get my flu shot every year as soon as it is available. I am not willing to take the risks of dying from a flu. I have gotten sick during flu season even after the vaccine but my concern is that people don't realize how bad the full blown flu is. I have seen patients die from it and what I thought was flu symptoms was nothing compared to what they experienced. My mom calls every bug she gets the flu and that just is not the case.
 
Angela, I agree! I once had a case of the flu so bad that my cat jumping up on the bottom of the bed caused unbearable muscle pain. So did turning over in bed, getting up to go to the bathroom, drinking a glass of water, etc. I'm really a weenie about pain and any pain reliever stronger than extra strength Tylenol makes me nauseous. Not to mention that my husband typically falls prey to every virus that comes along and he is NOT the ideal patient if you know what I mean! ;) So we'll keep getting the flu shot every year and also using a lot of hand sanitizer when out in the public or at work alongside people who just will NOT stay home when they are clearly extremely ill.
 
angela said:
My mom calls every bug she gets the flu and that just is not the case.
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Absolutely! I cringe when I think back to all the times I *thought* I'd had the flu...I think I could have passed a lie detector test thinking I'd had it at least a dozen times.

But when I actually caught it (H1N1) it was unforgettabley horrible. Just recovering from the two weeks of hell took about as long as recovering from major surgery. I was weak/fatigued/raspy for weeks and it wasn't until about 6-8 weeks later that I finally felt 100%.

The actual flu has massive involvement in the lungs. It is SO hard to breathe. And I'm someone who is a strong healthy adult who has no asthma or other health issues. I kept thinking of poor elderly people or small children struggling to fight the thing off. I totally saw how it could lead to pneumonia and other complications that lead to death.

It's a scary disease that I feel is greatly underestimated.

But in the end...to each their own. We all feel we are doing what is best for ourselves.
 
Minette said:
So we'll keep getting the flu shot every year and also using a lot of hand sanitizer when out in the public or at work alongside people who just will NOT stay home when they are clearly extremely ill.
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This is a huge issue. I worked all week with people hacking and coughing all day everyday. By friday, they all stayed home in bed so when I starting feeling bad, I had no choice but to stay. Everyone else had called off. We feel a tremendous amount of pressure not to miss work even when sick. I have an office job so I was able to avoid patients.
 
I never understood how people could go to work or anywhere when they had the flu.

However, this year, we all got the flu and for us, it was very mild. I thought we had annoying head colds, until our daughter ended up with an extremely high fever and ended up in the ER. That was the only way we even knew we had it this time. I know it's not that mild for everyone, and I wish I had known it was more than a cold so I wouldn't have left the house.
 
I'm also one who had mumps despite having both doses of the MMR vaccine growing up, but I still get a flu shot every fall. My reason is that in 2009, an otherwise healthy friend of mine died from H1N1 complications.
 
Intermezzo said:
I have a friend who has 3 yr old twin girls and they rarely go out of the house. the only interaction they have is with family members and close family friends..they don't go to play groups or interact with children their own age...she is obsessed with keeping the house clean and people washing their hands..no one touches the girls
YET the mother and the twins are constantly sick with colds and the mother had the flu a few weeks ago.
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My youngest started daycare at 8 months and play dates by age 1. She is in kindergarten now and never gets sick. While I wish I could have stayed home with her instead of daycare I do think being around other children (germs) so much built up her immunity.
 
Angelonline said:
My youngest started daycare at 8 months and play dates by age 1. She is in kindergarten now and never gets sick. While I wish I could have stayed home with her instead of daycare I do think being around other children (germs) so much built up her immunity.
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When mine was about 6 months old, in daycare, us parents got horrendously ill on a cycle about every month. First me for 24 hours, then DH for 24 hours. She would only get sick for about 3 hours right before I caught it. Then after that, we didn't get sick again until just last month when we all got Flu A. She's 4. So for nearly 4 years, no one got sick.

I really do think situations like daycare, playgroups, etc help to build a child's immunity. JMO!
 
My anecdata is that I've skipped the flu shot and been hospitalised with influenza. I've also received the flu shot and did not contract influenza. I will keep getting the flu shot each year from now on (I get it free at work).

It's common for people to feel mildly unwell after having the shot but it's NOTHING compared to being sick with influenza. About two days after the shot I'm usually sick for 48 hours and have to spend a day in bed (body aches, chills etc). It's very, VERY mild compared to the illness that comes with influenza.
 
I voted "other," so I guess I need to explain. I haven't gotten the flu shot this year and don't intend to. I'm not sure I've ever gotten a flu shot. About 15 years ago, my doctor wanted me to get a flu shot because I'd just gotten over a lingering respiratory infection that resisted antibiotics. I don't remember, but he may have given me a flu shot. If so, I don't remember having an adverse reaction.

Possibly in the same year (I had the same doctor), I was offered a Hepatitis B vaccine at my place of employment, since I worked in healthcare. Before giving me the injection, the nurse gave me a brochure with information about the vaccine. It contained thimerosal --- a form of mercury that was once an ingredient in most contact lens solutions. When I started wearing contacts, my eyes itched terribly and I didn't think I could wear contacts until I discovered I was allergic to the thimerosal in the solutions and began buying thimerosal-free solutions. I mentioned this to the nurse and she advised me to call my doctor. The doctor's office advised me not to get the vaccine because they didn't know what effect it would have.

Years later, I had the opportunity to get a flu vaccine at another place of employment. Again, I was given a brochure about the vaccine and it contained thimerosal. I mentioned my allergy to thimerosal to the nurses giving the injection and they again advised me not to get the vaccine.

Until I was in high school, I was often sick with stomach viruses and ear infections, missing quite a bit of school. I remember getting the Hong Kong Flu, which was pretty severe, and I did get the Russian Flu when I was in high school. When I worked in healthcare, I mostly had upper respiratory infections. I did have a pretty severe virus with a high fever about 3 years ago, and another one 2 years ago. Then, I had a bad cold last month which is unusual for me. I think I was susceptible because I didn't work for 1½ years and so wasn't exposed to many germs. Now, I work in a place with a lot of employees and we work in close proximity to one another.

I do try to stay healthy through other means -- by taking probiotics, eating garlic, onions, hot peppers and lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
 
If anyone does come down with Influenza, please contact your physician immediately. They may be able to prescribe Tamiflu if you have had the symptoms for less than 2 days. It shortens the duration of the flu. It really works. IMO
 
'Anecdata.' :floorlaugh:

Fruity, you crack me up!
 
Indy Anna said:
I voted "other," so I guess I need to explain. I haven't gotten the flu shot this year and don't intend to. I'm not sure I've ever gotten a flu shot. About 15 years ago, my doctor wanted me to get a flu shot because I'd just gotten over a lingering respiratory infection that resisted antibiotics. I don't remember, but he may have given me a flu shot. If so, I don't remember having an adverse reaction.

Possibly in the same year (I had the same doctor), I was offered a Hepatitis B vaccine at my place of employment, since I worked in healthcare. Before giving me the injection, the nurse gave me a brochure with information about the vaccine. It contained thimerosal --- a form of mercury that was once an ingredient in most contact lens solutions. When I started wearing contacts, my eyes itched terribly and I didn't think I could wear contacts until I discovered I was allergic to the thimerosal in the solutions and began buying thimerosal-free solutions. I mentioned this to the nurse and she advised me to call my doctor. The doctor's office advised me not to get the vaccine because they didn't know what effect it would have.

Years later, I had the opportunity to get a flu vaccine at another place of employment. Again, I was given a brochure about the vaccine and it contained thimerosal. I mentioned my allergy to thimerosal to the nurses giving the injection and they again advised me not to get the vaccine.

Until I was in high school, I was often sick with stomach viruses and ear infections, missing quite a bit of school. I remember getting the Hong Kong Flu, which was pretty severe, and I did get the Russian Flu when I was in high school. When I worked in healthcare, I mostly had upper respiratory infections. I did have a pretty severe virus with a high fever about 3 years ago, and another one 2 years ago. Then, I had a bad cold last month which is unusual for me. I think I was susceptible because I didn't work for 1½ years and so wasn't exposed to many germs. Now, I work in a place with a lot of employees and we work in close proximity to one another.

I do try to stay healthy through other means -- by taking probiotics, eating garlic, onions, hot peppers and lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
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It is possible to get dosages of the flu vaccine without thimerosal in them. My daughter's pediatrician does. Look into it. I highly advise you to get a flu shot, especially if you are in healthcare, or working with the general public. When I worked in healthcare, it was a job requirement to get the Hep B series of vaccines. And I got exposed to TB on the job, and had to take INH for a year!
 
lisser said:
http://www.kptv.com/story/24361002/doctors-confirm-oregon-boy-5-dies-from-h1n1-virus

He had a nasal spray done in November, and still died from the flu.
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How tragic. I feel so badly for his family. The swine flu is horrible. I say this as one of the few that survived in October 2009. When I was admitted, the X-ray showed a lower lobar pneumonia. The cat scan the next morning showed an 80% loss of lung function. I could not breathe and could not support myself to walk. Very rapidly, specialists were at my bedside and I was given huge amounts of steroids and antibiotics in addition to breathing treatments every two hours and oxygen. The virus affected my heart and I was diagnosed with a viral cardiomyopathy. Most people don't live 3 days past diagnosis. I was extremely lucky to have survived. One of the few that did, diagnosed that month and year. I am not the same person I was prior, cognitively or physically.

If you can get the vaccine, I implore you to do so. JMO
 
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