Anyone getting their flu shot?

[Volzfan]

You may want to read what's in them before you do!

http://www.flu-treatments.com/flu-shot-ingredients.html

[Mike.357]

Not a chance here. My wife gets them and ends up sick every time

[vontar]

I took one in College and 2 months later was the only time in my life I ever had the flu. I don't plan on taking it this year or next.

[Oh Shoot]

I got one last year for only the second, maybe third time ever, since I had a doc appointment about that time anyway. Got what seemed to be flu twice.

Screw it.

- OS

[runco]

I got my two weeks ago, and became sick with flu like symptons 3 days later. I will seriously consider not geting one next year.

[Guest Razz]

People should talk to their healthcare providers about the flu vaccination, then make an educated choice armed with knowledge from a professional. These Internet based articles never impress me.

At least educate yourself on the difference between ethyl mercury and methyl mercury. It's a good starting point.

[TMF]

I've gotten the flu shot every year for over a decade now. Sometimes I get sick, sometimes I don't. I'm not sure if the sickness I get is flu-related, but I don't think it matters. It's never been enough to put me down.

[Reservoir Dog]

I have gotten a flu shot every year for the past 15 years or so. Never gotten the flu. I will be getting the shot this year, as well.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Reservoir Dog

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Didn't get the shot the last couple of years but took one yearly for more than a decade and didn't have noticeable side-effects.

For old folks (maybe younger as well) there is a pneumonia vaccination which is good for about 5 years or so. Except for slight risk of spontaneous mutations or sudden anaphalactic shock allergic collapse, pneumonia resistance seems maybe better than partial flu resistance. The pneumonia is what most often "gets ya" if you catch a bad flu you can't shake.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[jtmaze]

I have gotten one every years for the last 6 years and have never gotten sick past a little light headed the first day.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

[Pain103]

I'll be getting it again this year. Deal with too many germ heads to not have it. Also it's free.

[daddyo]

I'll get mine in a couple of weeks. Employer provides it free.

I've never gotten sick after getting one.

Edited September 25, 2012 by DaddyO

[UncleJak]

I won't let them inject that poison in me...

[Wingshooter]

I've never had one. I hardly ever get the flu anyway (maybe once in the last 7 years). I'm a needle chicken though, so I'd rather take my chances than get stuck with one of those thangs. So, NO... no shot for me.

My wife used to get one every year until she realized that she was suffering more than me. She didn't get one last year and was better off.

[Guest G23FM]

I've gotten it once... And had the flu once, both of these events happened within a month of each other....

Not getting one again.

[DWARREN123]

Me and the wife got ours last Thursday. The company I work for provided for employees and spouse free of charge. First one I have gotten in years, no effects so far.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Lots of allegations that the shots are bad for you. Various theories why. Dunno. They mix em up for whatever strains of flu they expect to be common each year but supposedly if something new comes along the shot you took took might not be at all effective against new strains.

Some vaccines are supposedly very effective, i.e. effective enough that it is real low odds you would catch the disease. Polio vaccine and smallpox vaccine are apparently near 100 percent effective or otherwise they wouldn't have been able to practically wipe out the diseases via immunizations.

But have read that flu shots only "reduce the odds" of getting the flu. They are effective but only in a statistical fashion. According to the logic, the more you are exposed to a flu virus the higher the odds of catching the flu, so if you reduce the incidence of flu in a population with a partially-effective vaccine, then it directly reduces flu infections via the partially-effective vaccine, and also secondarily reduces the odds of catching the flu because you meet fewer people sick with the flu. So the partial effectiveness of the vaccine is "multiplied" if a good percentage of the population is innoculated.

Pain103 probably does get exposed to lots of nasty bugs. When I worked at a psychiatric hospital and later did social work, was young and presumably with a good immune system but got several colds and bugs per year. When started working as a musician around lots of people in nightclubs, didn't get as many bugs as working in the hospital or out among po folks. Last 15 years working at home might as well be in quarantine I go out and meet people so infrequently. Going to wally world once a week doesn't seem much exposure risk, but seems most bugs I get coincidentally happen after a doctor appointment or visiting somebody in the hospital. Guess hospitals are bad for your health.

Hard to figure though. As one gets older, and you keep catching occasional bugs, maybe after a few decades you are less likely to catch bugs because you have developed immunity to more of them?

[Rightwinger]

No

[Dennis1209]

I worked in a hospital for many years and use to get our free yearly flu shots. It never seemed to eliminate or reduce the flu symptoms for me at all.

Talking to some of the doctors and nurse's about flu shots, it's a long range gamble, much like playing the roulette table on what strain of flu will make its way and then there's the mutation factor.

In addition, about 2% of the population will experience symptoms worse than the flu from the shot itself.

So, for me, myself, my shadow and my reflection... No thanks.

[Caster]

I don't want the flu, why would I let them inject it into me?

in 35 years, I've never had the flu so I'm not about to change it up and take a chance on getting it.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Caster

[Guest MilitiaMan]

Never have, never will. I rarely get the flu anyway, maybe once a few years depending on the weather, my sleep patern etc.

[reed1285]

Like others, ive had one every year for the past few and have never had any problems

[Oh Shoot]

....As one gets older, and you keep catching occasional bugs, maybe after a few decades you are less likely to catch bugs because you have developed immunity to more of them?

It's really impossible to know. In my two year stint as a high school teacher way back when I went from being one of those "hardly ever get anything" folks to having something damn near the whole time. I once had pinkeye, strep throat, and acute bronchitis at same time!

On the other hand, the last gig I had (FedEx delivery) I touched average 70 people per day or what they had just touched (like my scanner), not to mention being around beau coup others as 75% of the deliveries were to stores, and often crowded ones. Don't know I had the flu in the whole three years, certainly never missed a day. And no flu shots.

So this might indicate building up lifetime immunities to some degree over 60 years. Or not.

But like you, I've had quite limited contact by comparison in the last 4 years or so, near hermit status 50% of the time, but I've had something or other to feel pretty rough for a day or three 2-3 times a year. So maybe the "contact immunity" has to be somewhat constant. Or maybe the YMCA, Kroger, and shooting ranges are higher risk areas that the average! Or not.

Can tell you that at least half the times over last few years I've come down with something have been after a week at Mom's in 'Nooga. Which entails eating out every day and attending church on the Sunday. And going to the Y down there also. Although pretty careful about touching public doors, since Mom is obsessed with not doing that, and wash hands often. So maybe YMCAs are all deadly, or the Baptist church is calling hellfire down on this heathen, or maybe Hamilton County germs are just more virulent than Knox County ones!

Or not.

No way to do a valid statistical sampling on just oneself.

- OS

[Caster]

It's really impossible to know. In my two year stint as a high school teacher way back when I went from being one of those "hardly ever get anything" folks to having something damn near the whole time. I once had pinkeye, strep throat, and acute bronchitis at same time!

- OS

AND he's still here. Definitive proof Heaven doesn't want him and hell is scared to death he'll take over.

J/K

[Oh Shoot]

AND he's still here. Definitive proof Heaven doesn't want him and hell is scared to death he'll take over.

J/K

Dunno if a joke or not. Might actually explain how I've survived such a strange run thus far!

- OS