# Have You Had Your Flu Shot Yet?



## Lon

I just had mine at CVS today.


----------



## Kadee

In Australia we have ours in March ..there has been a really nasty flu here this winter ( I missed it thank goodness) many who had the flu shot still suffered with it as the strain that affected so many was not included in the shot , it left many in bed for up to six weeks


----------



## muffin

No not had the flu jab yet, I always forget when it starts, the doctors don't remind you.
must phone them and check.


----------



## SeaBreeze

No, it's been many years since I've taken the flu shot or had the flu.  When I was younger and used to get the flu shot annually is the last time I was sick with the flu.


----------



## fureverywhere

It's not something I worry about. I'm fortunate enough to only get sick every few years.


----------



## Don M.

When we lived in the city, I used to get the flu, and a couple of head colds, nearly every Winter....probably as a result of people coughing/sneezing in a crowded elevator, or crud on their hands attaching to every doorknob, etc.  Knock wood, since moving to the country, I haven't had to upchuck once, and it's been years since I've had a cold.  Last year, the wife's doctor convinced her to get a flu shot, and within hours she was sick as a dog, and in misery for 3 or 4 days.  I think I'll continue to "pass" on these shots.


----------



## jujube

No, and I need to get it soon!  I'm heading to Seattle in a couple of weeks and flying for several hours in a metal can full of people breathing on me is always a recipe for hack-hack-wheeze-wheeze fricassee....


----------



## imp

Kadee46 said:


> In Australia we have ours in March ..there has been a really nasty flu here this winter ( I missed it thank goodness) many who had the flu shot still suffered with it as the strain that affected so many was not included in the shot , it left many in bed for up to six weeks



Never thought about it, Kadee, but your seasons are indeed reversed from ours, so that our flu protection administered in October, November, in preparation for winter's onslaught, conversely, Australia begins it's winter as we begin summer. Small wonder then that I am "topsy-turvy" when it comes to seasons! Still, a nagging question persists: during what month(s) do you pick oranges?  (Stupid question, I guess, but really, I do not know.)     imp


----------



## Butterfly

Don M. said:


> When we lived in the city, I used to get the flu, and a couple of head colds, nearly every Winter....probably as a result of people coughing/sneezing in a crowded elevator, or crud on their hands attaching to every doorknob, etc.  Knock wood, since moving to the country, I haven't had to upchuck once, and it's been years since I've had a cold.  Last year, the wife's doctor convinced her to get a flu shot, and within hours she was sick as a dog, and in misery for 3 or 4 days.  I think I'll continue to "pass" on these shots.



If you ever get the real influenza, not the crud that everyone talks about as the "flu," you'll never miss another flu shot.  Take it from one who has been there . . .    I'd take 3 or 4 days of misery over two weeks of being absolutely bedridden and seriously wondering if I were going to recover  - - any day of the week.      I never got flu shots, and hadn't been sick for years, and then WHAM!  Influenza is nothing to mess with, believe me.


----------



## Linda

My husband gets a flu shot every year.  I've gotten it once and it was the sickest year of my life since I left Oregon in 1980.  I doubt I ever have another one again.


----------



## QuickSilver

You did not get sick from the flu shot..


----------



## JustBonee

QuickSilver said:


> You did not get sick from the flu shot..



I'm with Linda on this one. I never get the flu shot .. not around crowds of people in winter months... don't really even get colds most of the time. 
I got my 'healthy' self a flu shot four years ago ... within two days, I was sick as a dog for over 4 weeks!   NOTHING can convince me that it was anything but that flu shot that did it.  One and done for me.


----------



## QuickSilver

Simply coincidence..  The vaccine is made up of only components of a virus and cannot cause the flu.    If anything at all... the mild malaise and sniffles following a flu shot are a very good thing.. and show that your body is reacting to the pathogen and forming antibodies of the actual flu..


----------



## jujube

I got one while I was out and about yesterday.  Other than a sore arm, so far I'm doing great.


----------



## QuickSilver

I'm getting mine tomorrow..


----------



## Capt Lightning

I've never had flu and I've never had a flu jab.  The health centre used to offer it to me but since I always declined, they've stopped asking.  It might be a foolish approach, but I'll just keep my fingers crossed.


----------



## Linda

QuickSilver said:


> You did not get sick from the flu shot..




I know I didn't get sick from the flu shot.  I think it lowered my immunity and also I think by me just thinking I needed to get the shot I made myself more susceptible to getting this or that.  I believe in positive thinking and the power of attraction which I realize isn't that popular but it's how I feel.    (Some people think I fit in good here in California with the other fruits and nuts)


----------



## QuickSilver

I have had years when the shot made me feel really punk for a day or so... feverish.. burning throat... etc... and then I have had years where I didn't notice a thing..   I think it's when you are not immune to a strain that you get a reaction... and that's a good thing.. you are making antibodies to fight the real deal...


----------



## QuickSilver

Just got back from having mine...  I will let you know how I feel tomorrow...  I understand some are getting immune reactions this year..


----------



## Shirley

Linda said:


> I know I didn't get sick from the flu shot.  I think it lowered my immunity and also I think by me just thinking I needed to get the shot I made myself more susceptible to getting this or that.  I believe in positive thinking and the power of attraction which I realize isn't that popular but it's how I feel.    (Some people think I fit in good here in California with the other fruits and nuts)




I absolutely believe in the power of attraction. People who always expect the worst *ALWAYS*​ get the worst.  I have seen it happen over and over.


----------



## QuickSilver

QuickSilver said:


> Just got back from having mine...  I will let you know how I feel tomorrow...  I understand some are getting immune reactions this year..



So far nothing... not even a sneeze..   I did hiccup though... does that count?


----------



## QuickSilver

Nothing yet.. My arm doesn't even hurt...  Did I really have the shot?


----------



## Mrs. Robinson

Thanks for the reminder! Have to give my oncologist a call and see when/if he recommends I get it. Since my body has been fighting this infection for over 2 weeks now,I don`t want to do anything to give it more to fight-but I definitely don`t want the flu either. The first week of this I thought it WAS the flu,and no thank you....


----------



## Raven

I had the flu shot a week ago.  My arm was a bit sore the next day but nothing else.


----------



## Pookie

Not yet, but I got my three-year rabies shot.


----------



## muffin

I am off to get mine on Saturday, never had any reaction yet touch wood.


----------



## QuickSilver

It's been 48 hrs... not a sniffle...  Guess I'm over the hump...  So.. go get your flu shot people!!

To be fair.. there ARE people that cannot have flu shots.. those that are immunosuppressed from cancer treatment or from other illnesses.. they are very susceptible to any infection.  This is why choosing to NOT be vaccinated is pretty selfish  IMO..   You are putting yourself at risk.. and that's ok as far as I'm concerned... suffer then..   BUT what is selfish is that you can spread the flu to people that are not able to be vaccinated and that are at risk of dying from it should they get it.   It's called vaccinating the herd.   There is a threshold where if enough people refuse vaccination an epidemic will break out.    Thats selfish...


----------



## imp

Don M. said:


> When we lived in the city, I used to get the flu, and a couple of head colds, nearly every Winter....probably as a result of people coughing/sneezing in a crowded elevator, or crud on their hands attaching to every doorknob, etc.  Knock wood, since moving to the country, I haven't had to upchuck once, and it's been years since I've had a cold.*  Last year, the wife's doctor convinced her to get a flu shot, and within hours she was sick as a dog, and in misery for 3 or 4 days*.  I think I'll continue to "pass" on these shots.



Other side of the coin: I got sick with flu-like symptoms every single year, yet resisted getting the vaccine. About ten years ago, I relented, got the shot, no flu. Continued getting them since, no flu in  10 years. Got ours yesterday, shoulder a bit sore. I watched my wife's shot: needle was over an inch long, shoved in to the hilt!

BTW, why is it that the dog is always the sick one, when we make comparisons??    imp


----------



## imp

*1918 Flu Epidemic and my Dad*

Side note: in 1918, a Pandemic of Influenza encircled the globe, killing 50 to 100 million  people, 5% of the entire world's population. It's called one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.

"The global mortality rate from the 1918/1919 pandemic is not known, but an estimated 10% to 20% of those who were infected died. With about a third of the world population infected, this case-fatality ratio means 3% to 6% of the entire global population died.[SUP][2][/SUP] Influenza may have killed as many as 25 million people in its first 25 weeks. Older estimates say it killed 40–50 million people,[SUP][4][/SUP] while current estimates say 50–100 million people worldwide were killed."  Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

I happen to know about the 1918 flu because it was discussed within our family. My Dad got it, he was then 17, and very nearly died, sick for many weeks. Being 17, he was old enough to understand and remember it all his life. In his later years, right around retirement age, he began experiencing strange symptoms of mental imbalance, and began taking short, shuffling steps. First Dr. said multiple sclerosis. Specialists decided on Parkinson's Disease. L-Dopa was then an experimental drug, which he received under special consideration for testing. It made him worse. 

My Mother cared for him at home. It became very difficult for them both, and when he died, it was actually a relief, hate to say it, to all of us. He never had the classic symptom of shakiness, or palsy. In later years, I heard of a brain affliction which "mimics" Parkinson's, called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, PSP. I have since considered that very likely, his affliction was PSP, it's fairly unimportant, now, no known cause or cure. 

I've also wondered over the years whether some lingering factor from the 1918 bout with Influenza, left my Dad with some kind of residual "sleeping virus" within his system, just like Chickenpox can cause Shingles later in life. Thanks for reading.   imp


----------



## Bobw235

Get one every year and had mine last month.  A couple of years ago had the shot, but still got sick, as did my wife.  This thing just lingered until I went to the doctor, who said that sometimes you catch a strain that the vaccine isn't effective against.  Also told me that the shot at least kept me from being even sicker than I was, which was a bit disconcerting since I was miserable.  Having had a few bad cases of the flu in my past, including the dreaded "Hong Kong" variety as a young teen that went through my entire household, I never want to experience that again.  Never been so sick in my life.  So, I get my shot every year.


----------



## QuickSilver

The thing to remember is not every winter illness that seems to not go away is the flu..  You can get a very bad cold that turns into bronchitis or pneumonia.. and it's not the flu.    The flu shot only protects from the influenza virus.. not the rhinovirus or other upper respiratory bugs.


----------



## Don M.

imp said:


> Other side of the coin: I got sick with flu-like symptoms every single year, yet resisted getting the vaccine. About ten years ago, I relented, got the shot, no flu. Continued getting them since, no flu in  10 years. Got ours yesterday, shoulder a bit sore. I watched my wife's shot: needle was over an inch long, shoved in to the hilt!
> 
> BTW, why is it that the dog is always the sick one, when we make comparisons??    imp



I think a lot of the reasons people get the flu are related to the overall strength of their immune system, and the environment they circulate in.  If a person has general good health, and does not find themselves in a situation where there are large numbers of people hacking and coughing, their risk is minimal.  Even with these shots, the risk is still there to get some strain of the flu.  The CDC data shows that the effectiveness of these shots is usually in the 50 to 60% range...and some years has dropped below 40%.  If a person is worried about the possibility of getting the flu, then getting the shot is at least a bit of "insurance".  

Insofar as "sick as a dog" is concerned....have you ever watched the gyrations a dog goes through when they have to upchuck?....it can be both Amusing, and disconcerting to watch them.


----------



## imp

*"Insofar as "sick as a dog" is concerned"

*Ha, Ha! No, I don't think I've observed that, but have seen the cat puke up. They tend to move backwards as it happens, like trying to get away from it. Funniest thing about most cats, after they finish taking a dump, and covering it, they run like hell away from it!    imp


----------



## tortiecat

Had mine about 3 weeks ago when I had my 6 mos. check-up.  They also give them here at the senior's residence.


----------



## hossthehermit

Had mine this morning. Had to go have blood drawn at the clinic, they reminded me.


----------



## NancyNGA

Had mine today.  They talked me into the high-dose shot, whatever that is.  About 3 hours later, ran a mild temp of +2.0 deg F and couldn't get warm.  Never had that happen before.

 I would not have believed it if someone told me that would happen.   I wonder if the low dose would have been the same.


----------



## Butterfly

NancyNGA said:


> Had mine today.  They talked me into the high-dose shot, whatever that is.  About 3 hours later, ran a mild temp of +2.0 deg F and couldn't get warm.  Never had that happen before.
> 
> I would not have believed it if someone told me that would happen.   I wonder if the low dose would have been the same.



Dunno, but I had a reaction to the high dose flu shot this year and I've never had one before.  The pharmacist told me there was a new strain in it.  I actually felt sort of punk for a couple days, and my arm was REALLY sore.


----------



## Steve

I had mine about 2 weeks ago..
NO reaction at all..


----------



## Pappy

Wife and I had ours two weeks ago. Just a bit of a sore arm for us both.


----------



## Ameriscot

I'm going to try to get one on Monday at the chemists (drug store).  Husband got his at doctor's office about a month ago since he's over 65 and it's free.


----------



## Meringue

Yep, had mine a week ago, free so far, but I worry about charges for our National Health Service in the future here in the UK.


----------



## Ruthanne

I am going to get one at the doctor's on Monday.


----------



## nmgirl63andcounting

Yes by golly I did. And glad of it!


----------



## Babsinbloom65

Lon said:


> I just had mine at CVS today.



On December 21. 2015 I had my flu shot and my pneumonia vaccine. Four days later I came down with a full blown case of pneumonia with flu like side effects and after two rounds of antibiotics it wasn't until last week that I finally had a few days of feeling like my normal self again. Today, I had my first appointment with my new Medicare Doctor and one of the first things I had her do was listen to my lungs and I am happy to say they are clear as a bell.


----------



## lydiag

Yep, I got mine October 16 and I had a black and blue mark for over a month!  But it is supposed to make any colds you have 'lessened' in its effects.


----------



## Bluecheese50

We always have ours in late September early October, which are free as we are over 65.


----------



## SifuPhil

Nope. Never had it (except as a kid, when I was forced to) and don't plan to.


----------



## QuickSilver

I for one wouldn't miss having the flu shot...  and here's why....  I had my shot in October of last year.   On Thanksgiving, my son came over and he was deathly ill..  Coughing, sneezing and feverish..  I was a bit miffed that he would come by being so sick... ANYWAY...  in about  4 days, I started feeling sniffley and my throat was scratchy...  All I could think of was "Gee thanks, Son"...   now I have what you do.    In about 24 hours my symptoms completely went away.  The same thing happened to my husband, who also had his flu shot in October.  

My son was still deathly Ill, and went to the Doctor.. Guess what..  He was positive for Influenza b...   the real deal...  he remained sick another week..  So.. what does that tell you..?    Flu shots work, and I was protected.  My body had the antibodies against the flu and fought it off.


----------



## SifuPhil

QuickSilver said:


> I for one wouldn't miss having the flu shot...  and here's why....  I had my shot in October of last year.   On Thanksgiving, my son came over and he was deathly ill..  Coughing, sneezing and feverish..  I was a bit miffed that he would come by being so sick... ANYWAY...  in about  4 days, I started feeling sniffley and my throat was scratchy...  All I could think of was "Gee thanks, Son"...   now I have what you do.    In about 24 hours my symptoms completely went away.  The same thing happened to my husband, who also had his flu shot in October.
> 
> My son was still deathly Ill, and went to the Doctor.. Guess what..  He was positive for Influenza b...   the real deal...  he remained sick another week..  So.. what does that tell you..?    Flu shots work, and I was protected.  My body had the antibodies against the flu and fought it off.



That's good - I'm glad it worked for you.

I've just read too many articles about some of the bad side effects of the shots - Alzheimer's Disease, Guillain Barre Syndrome - or how they made you feel even worse, or prove ineffective, when the flu bug came around. Some vaccinations are said to contain mercury. There are lawyers who specialize in flu shot reactions, and the trick is you cannot by law sue the manufacturers - there is a Flu Vaccine Court headed up by the Federal government. 

I'm still young enough to think I'm immortal, though. My thinking might change in a few years.


----------



## QuickSilver

All I can tell you is that my son (age 43) wishes he had gotten his flu shot with the rest of the family.


----------

