Flu shot...do you get one?

[Cubbiecakes]

I get one every year, as early as possible. I cruise a lot and am therefore around a lot of old farts; it would be insanely selfish of me not to get the shot to protect them.

Never have, never will. Husband gets one every year, and every year without fail, he's still gotten the flu!

Your husband gets a 2-3 week debilitating illness every year? Because most people call simple colds/rhinoviruses "flu" when it's not actually influenza. An actual flu is a quite serious, dangerous illness - and if your husband is getting an actual flu every year, you need to see his doctor and figure out what the heck is wrong with your husband.

 

[gotomu212]

I get one every year, as early as possible. I cruise a lot and am therefore around a lot of old farts; it would be insanely selfish of me not to get the shot to protect them.



Your husband gets a 2-3 week debilitating illness every year? Because most people call simple colds/rhinoviruses "flu" when it's not actually influenza. An actual flu is a quite serious, dangerous illness - and if your husband is getting an actual flu every year, you need to see his doctor and figure out what the heck is wrong with your husband.

I know a ton of people who also call a stomach bug “the flu”, drives me NUTS. It’s inFLUenza. They claim they get the flu every year, sometimes twice.

I got the flu 2 years ago when the vaccine was off- I had to be wheeled into the doctors office because I couldn’t make the long walk through the building, my husband then got it and couldn’t walk down the stairs of our house without resting. We are both healthy late 30s/early 40s with no other health conditions. I don’t think most people understand the flu until they get it.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Every year, but I’m a big believer in vaccination in general. I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation that gets circulated about flu shots and people tend to use their own experiences as proof that they do or don’t work. I think it’s awesome that there’s groups working on a different type of vaccine that would target all flu variants. Hopefully they’ll succeed and people will be less wary of the flu shot.

 

[wgeo]

Hubby and kids always get it. I usually do, but sometimes get lazy - did get one this year. It is pretty incredible how many different illnesses people just call the flu.

 

[Meglen]

People who magically get the flu when they get the shot are so un informed. Maybe just maybe you got a cold the week before and it's just showing now, or going to the doctors or pharmacy where people are generally sick passed something on to you. Unless you went to the doctors and got a positive diagnosis that it's flu don't be here saying it causes sickness it's wrong to spout such things .

 

[DeniseJH]

Yup - I had the flu in 1998 and never want it again.

 

[mousefan73]

Nope, I am a healthy younger person with no other pre-conditions; and do not work in a high risk environment. I never had one and also plan on not getting one in the near future. Here are my reasons

1. The shot is never a guarentee and is often for the wrong strain. Believe I read the 2014/15 shot was only 19% effective. Hand washing is more effective in this case.
2. I wash my hands ALL the time, and when riding public transport never touch anything and if I did I wash my hands all the time..Especially before eating.
3. I am a believer in letting the body learn to fight it own battles. The common cold and flu will always be here in its millions of strains.
4. Many who I know have had it, got sick anyways.. I didnt.

Now if I were older, or had conditions I say yes..

No I am not anti-vac.. my kids have all the shots, except chicken pox as that got them before we had a change to give them that one.. I am though on the edge if my DD should get the HPV shot.

 

[mousefan73]

I know a ton of people who also call a stomach bug “the flu”, drives me NUTS. It’s inFLUenza. They claim they get the flu every year, sometimes twice.

I got the flu 2 years ago when the vaccine was off- I had to be wheeled into the doctors office because I couldn’t make the long walk through the building, my husband then got it and couldn’t walk down the stairs of our house without resting. We are both healthy late 30s/early 40s with no other health conditions. I don’t think most people understand the flu until they get it.

this is why if one does have inFLUenza rest is vital to a good recovery and not causing other conditions. The real flu can get deadly if it causes myocarditis (heart muscle infection). A real flu can take weeks. When it knocks you off your feet, you need to stay literally off your feet.. Old school bed rest. Many think a few days I am rested and push it.. Decide then to go work out and drop dead (myocarditis).

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I know a ton of people who also call a stomach bug “the flu”, drives me NUTS. It’s inFLUenza. They claim they get the flu every year, sometimes twice.

I got the flu 2 years ago when the vaccine was off- I had to be wheeled into the doctors office because I couldn’t make the long walk through the building, my husband then got it and couldn’t walk down the stairs of our house without resting. We are both healthy late 30s/early 40s with no other health conditions. I don’t think most people understand the flu until they get it.

The flu is nasty business and I agree people call lots of things the flu that aren’t.

My immune system is pretty strong and it’s been years since I’ve had anything other than a sinus infection (thanks crappy sinuses) that’s fine in two days with the proper antibiotics. Honestly, I caught a cold this year and couldn’t believe how crappy I felt. I do not want to mess with the flu.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

The best description that I ever heard about how to tell a cold from the flu:

A bad cold can make you think you're going to die, the flu makes you want to die.

 

[pweyl36]

Never have, never will. Husband gets one every year, and every year without fail, he's still gotten the flu!

has he been Dx with the flu?

 

[pweyl36]

I know a ton of people who also call a stomach bug “the flu”, drives me NUTS. It’s inFLUenza. They claim they get the flu every year, sometimes twice.

I got the flu 2 years ago when the vaccine was off- I had to be wheeled into the doctors office because I couldn’t make the long walk through the building, my husband then got it and couldn’t walk down the stairs of our house without resting. We are both healthy late 30s/early 40s with no other health conditions. I don’t think most people understand the flu until they get it.

I work in the medical field and every day people call and say the have the Flu. its crazy if you have the flu you would know, its not fun.

 

[camreesmom]

Everyone in our house gets the flu shot every year because I have asthma and so does our oldest DD. That being said, DD15 has tested positive for the flu the last 3 years even after getting the flu shot. One year she had both flu A and flu B just a month apart. The real flu that a doctor swabbed her for and diagnosed her with, not the kind of flu that people just assume that they have because they feel crummy. I know that it is not 100% effective but I feel like it is better than nothing.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Yes, definitely. I had the flu once, and I never want to go through that ordeal again if I can help it.

 

[North of Mouse]

For several years I got vaccinated, then sort of lost confidence in it's reliability, so has been about 5 years since I had one.

So many people 'claim' to have the flu, yet are back at work/school in 3-4 days. Nope, not the flu - high fever, aches and pain, weakness for a couple weeks, that's the flu! Had it a few times and it's rough!

 

[nkereina]

Nope, I am a healthy younger person with no other pre-conditions; and do not work in a high risk environment. I never had one and also plan on not getting one in the near future. Here are my reasons

1. The shot is never a guarentee and is often for the wrong strain. Believe I read the 2014/15 shot was only 19% effective. Hand washing is more effective in this case.
2. I wash my hands ALL the time, and when riding public transport never touch anything and if I did I wash my hands all the time..Especially before eating.
3. I am a believer in letting the body learn to fight it own battles. The common cold and flu will always be here in its millions of strains.
4. Many who I know have had it, got sick anyways.. I didnt.

Now if I were older, or had conditions I say yes..

No I am not anti-vac.. my kids have all the shots, except chicken pox as that got them before we had a change to give them that one.. I am though on the edge if my DD should get the HPV shot.

Fair enough and to each their own. But from the other perspective, the logic of your #1 reason is flawed. Even if the shot were only 19% effective (which is rare), that's still 19% more protection that you'd have over not getting the shot. If I can take a quick 10 minutes to get the vaccine to give myself even slightly better odds of not getting the flu, I'm doing it. I can't wrap my head around people who roll the dice.

 

[kdonnel]

I do whatever I can to reduce my chances of getting the flu and that includes getting a flu shot. Some years it turns out to not be very effiective but even then it still reduces my odds of getting the flu.

 

[jo-jo]

Used to work with the public so DH and I always got the flu shot. Then my mom went to a retirement home and they required all visitors to have the shot, or you couldn’t get in to visit. Now that I’m older, I live in an over 55 community and I get the shot, for me and for others. Some years the match of components in the shot to what’s actually going around is better than other years. I still do it. Every. Single. Year. It takes me maybe 20 minutes total to get the shot free at the pharmacy. I couldn’t stand the idea that my failure to get the shot carried the flu to a vulnerable young child or older person. Getting off the speaker’s box now.

With the nursing home, how did you prove you had one? Did you have to have a dr note on file or something?


To the OP, I started getting flu shots maybe about age 45. I remember one year there was such a shortage, I wasn't old enough to get one (I think you have to be 60).

I too tend to lump anything with throwing up as the flu. And aside from a two day sick as a dog episode at disney about 5 years ago, we've been pretty healthy.

 

[VandVsmama]

We all get flu shots every year. Didn't used to. We used to "pooh pooh" people who did that. Until the year that DH worked retail one winter and got it from a coworker. Then I got it. We were sick as dogs for 2 weeks and then we both ended up with a week of pneumonia after that. It was pretty awful. I had to stop and rest halfway up the stairs.

I think it's really really stupid to not get a flu shot if you don't have a religious reason or legitimate medical reason (i.e., you're allergic to one of the substances in the vaccine) to not get vaccinated.

 

[kirstenb1]

No, I used to get them when the kids were young. I had the flu once about 20 yrs ago, and it was bad.