Are you getting a flu shot this winter? Why? Are you part of an "at-risk" group? Or are you just wanting to avoid the inconvenience of having flu this season?
Some people point out that the side effects of a flu shot are worse than a case of the flu itself. Others say that the flu shot - and other innoculations for disease prevention for that matter - have reduced the incidence of disease over all. Some say there is a risk for everything.
I've had flu shots before. Never had problems with them. This year I decided to let someone else have "my" shot. I decided that since I'm not in a high risk group that my body doesn't need something foreign in it. (I'm sure that I'm ingesting plenty of foreign things daily . . . just not the flu shot this year!)
What are your thoughts?
For approximately 12 years, now, I've received a flu shot each year. Until I hit 65, I always held off getting my flu shot until the announcement was made that the "at risk" groups had been served. Now, I are one! I'm a huge believer in vaccinations and innoculations of various sorts. There were too many people of my acquaintance (or in my family) who died of diseases that are now "ho hum" to ignore preventatives that are available. Never have I had a bad reaction from a flu shot--usually I don't even get sore at the site of the shot (although Hunky Husband seems to fare less well on soreness.) The few times that I've had the flu (4 or 5 times), I've become quite ill with it. (Delirium from flu is how I ended up in the Naval Reserves.)
I've never (to my knowledge) had a flu shot. I rarely get colds and think I've only had the flu 1 or 2 times (despite everyone's best efforts everywhere I have worked at!). I've know several people that had horrible reactions to flue shots (hospital and out of work for a couple of weeks worth of horrible reactions), so I am dis-inclined to get a flu shot anyway.
That being said, if I were in an at-risk group, or not as healthy as a horse, then I might reconsider.
Elegante Mother and I have both had our flu shots for the year. We got them early in November. Neither one of us have ever had a reaction to them, although I remember Dad didn't fare as well. He tended to get sick from the shot, and then not catch anything during the winter.
Both Mother and I are in "at risk" groups due to either age or upper respiratory "stuff", so for the past five years I've found places that would take both of it, and just got it over with.
Dear Husband refuses a flu shot. No amount of nagging would work, so I don't bother. If his doc thought he needed one, the doc would say so. Unfortunately, DH hasn't seen the doc in some time.
DH believes, and I rather think he might have a point, that those of us who are outside regularly, like bogie and DH, have stronger immune systems. DH is rarely ill. When he is, USUALLY it's with something that isn't communicable. Having said that...he had the worst cold over Thanksgiving (and gave it to me...).
One other thought before I go... DH and I have discussed the make up of the flu vaccine. World Health scientists decide which of the strains is likely to do the most damage in a given year and create a vaccine, focused on that one strain. So, despite getting a flu shot, you could still get the flu, just not the one for which you have been immunized. DH feels that it's all a crap shoot, and is willing to take his chances. I feel that the more people we immunize against the strain that they fear could become pandemic, the fewer bodies there will be to spread the disease.
Are you sure you don't want to reconsider getting a flu shot, sis??
Buffy--I don't know about this year's flu shot but my understanding is that, in some years at least, up to 3 strains of flu are included in the shot. I know that was the case one year, at least.
That's promising news, Cop Car. Since I have to get one of the shots, I'd like it to cover more than one strain!
Aha! NPR is running a series about flu and flu shots, this week. This morning's installation confirmed my belief: each year a health commission determines the three strains of flu most likely to be most active during the coming flu season (the viruses mutate rapidly) for inclusion in the upcoming season's flu shots. The rub is that it takes a year to produce a season's supply and, now, they are also making a reserve supply of avian flu vaccine. (Already they are manufacturing next year's regular flu vaccine.)
The paper had a story in it yesterday about how flu clinics were being set up for next week (or maybe the week after) because the serum would finally get here. They've had to re-schedule flu clinics several times because for some reason NH has not been getting its allotment.
Most of the providers in our area are out of vaccine, just now, but are expecting to get more soon. The newspaper announced that the county health department (where HH and I got ours this year and last) was in that situation, and a friend from The Little Airplane Company called, yesterday, to see if she could drop by to show me her 18-month-old daughter who was in town for a flu shot that turned out to be unavailable. (I had encouraged her to drop in if she was in town for her daughter's doctor appointment. They live in Udall, but the doctor is here, in Derby. My bad timing that I was working at the Red Cross, yesterday.)