Should we get flu shots

[Only me]

I have always been hesitant about my family getting flu shots. I have friends and family who get the shots who have never had trouble due to them. I know even on this board some people are against them but I'm not sure why. My teens have always received their other shots without any problems so I'm not sure why I'm afraid of the flu shot. The nurse I talked to said there is nothing bad that happens from flu shots since it is a dead virus

This is the 2nd year in a row that my son has gotten the flu and he is normally very healthy. Even though his older sister wasn't tested for the flu we are pretty sure she has it which means she has had it 4 or 5 times.

The urgent care doctor recommended that my dh and I get flu shots even though we were already exposed. My oldest dd is coming home from college on Thursday and will only be here for 3 weeks before she heads to Disney for an internship. Now I'm thinking she should get a flu shot since she will come in contact with so many people.

Why do people avoid the flu shot? Are there potential bad side effects? I wouldn't want my daughter to have to deal with those right before she goes. What does the hive recommend?

 

UPDATE:

 

I just got off the phone with my daughter at college.  I told her that I thought that she should get the shot, especially since she will be working at Disney next semester and coming into contact with a ton of people.  I'm not sure if it is my fibro fog or just bad memory but I completely forgot about the experience she had early in high school after getting the shot.  I knew there was a reason that I was hesitant about it.  After she jogged my memory I recal how bad it was for her.  For two weeks her muscles ached really bad and she had other respiratory symptoms.   Is it possible that by getting the shot it made her immune system be lowered and perhaps she caught the flu?  The only thing that doesn't make sense about that is that the muscle pain began within a few hours of the shot.  I don't recall if she had a fever or not.  She says that she would rather risk getting the flu and just being extra careful about hand washing, etc. then to have to go through that again.

[HSmomof2]

I know many are opposed to flu shots and other vaccines. I have not personally experienced a problem with the flu vaccine, other than a mildly sore arm the next day. I had the flu in 1995, at age 24. I was very, very sick, developed pneumonia, missed two weeks of work, and really wasn't well for a couple months. I've had a flu shot every year since then and have not had the flu again. Dc (8 and 11) have had annual flu shots since they were babies and have also not had the flu, nor any reaction to the shot. As with anything, you'll have to weigh the risk vs benefit and decide what's best for your family. :)

[Melissa in Australia]

The only people that I know of in Australia who get flu shots are the elderly and people working some way in the medical field, this includes Doctors, nurses, PC's, aged care workers etc.

 

 

 

 

[Catwoman]

I hope this thread doesn't turn nasty.

 

It seems that everything is turning into a hot debate lately, and many people have some pretty strong feelings about the flu shot.

[Only me]

I hope it doesn't. The problem is I need to make a pretty quick decision about dd getting one. Dh is leaving the decision up to me. Most of the people I know irl get one but they still worry me. Ironically just after I posted this thread someone on my FB fibromyalgia group posted a link about trouble with the h1n1 shot and how officials in Sweden admit it has caused narcolepsy in some people. This just doesn't make sense to me since it is a dead virus. All of our doctors recommend one but I just can't decide.

[----]

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[Pawz4me]

We always get flu shots.  We have since the year youngest was five and we all came down with the flu at the same time.  It was beyond horrible.  Youngest DS developed complications, and I will never forget standing for over an hour in the very crowded pediatrician's waiting room (standing room only, because so many kids were sick) trying to hold him while I was so weak I could barely hold myself upright.  I vowed I'd never go through that again.

 

The worst side effect any of us have experienced has been a sore arm for a few hours.

 

Plus I've never seen even one single rational argument for NOT getting the vaccine.  Not one.

[creekland]

I seriously don't think there is a problem with the shot itself...

 

We've never gotten them because we tend to not get the flu, our schedules are such that IF we get it, it's not a big deal to stay home, and my personal beliefs are that the body is super good healing itself when given a chance (most of the time anyway).  To me, "some" illness is a good thing in keeping up a healthy immune system.

 

However, my college boy has gotten the shot each year (in college) and I recommend it for your dd.  College students are around tons of "bugs" and generally do NOT have the freedom to deal with it properly if they get it.

 

FWIW... when the flu was going around our school last year, just as many teachers got it who had had the shot as those who didn't.  It didn't give me much confidence in the shot - and I STILL recommend college boy get it.

 

As stated before, I don't feel there is a problem with the shot itself... and any advantage it would give to those who need it is worth it IMO.

 

Just my two cents and experiences from around here...

[TravelingChris]

We always get flu shots and none of the five of us have ever gotten the flu nor had any complications from the shot.  I am a triple high risk patient, my one dd is a high risk, my son works as a pharmacy tech and so comes in contact with lots of sick people, my other dd has a serious condition as yet not completely diagnosed (neurological), and my dh is active duty military.  So yes, my dh has always been required to get it (and actually is a single high risk for the same reason as my dd and for the same reason as one of my three risks) so he would have always gotten it anyway.  Who wants to be miserable for two weeks?  Who has that little that needs doing that being out of commission for two weeks is a viable option?

[trulycrabby]

Some years, the flu vaccines are not a good match with the circulating virus, so the vaccine isn't as effective as it could be. However, even when this happens, the vaccine still provides some protection, meaning that you might still catch the flu, but will not be as sick as you would be without any vaccine.

 

I had a severe case of flu with pneumonia several years ago. My lungs were damaged and I basically was in poor health for a year while they healed. I still have some scarring and do not have the lung capacity I used to. I also have periodic bronchospasms, induced by exercise, cold, or certain foods, that developed after the flu. So, I get the vaccine every year, and so does my family.

[AlmiraGulch]

The only two times I've ever had the flu as an adult have been immediately after getting the flu shot.

 

It could have been a coincidence, and according to medical professionals it certainly was, HAD to be, because the virus in the vaccine is not active.  

 

Still, I was sick enough to not get it again.

 

That said, if my immune system were suppressed, or if I were elderly, or if my job required it, I would not let my own paranoia outweigh the science, and I would get the shot.  In your position, having confirmed the virus in close proximity, I may get it. 

[DawnM]

I am not opposed to most vaccines or shots or modern medicine, BUT, I don't get the flu shots because I feel that it cannot protect you against more than just that particular strain of the flu and I feel that all these preventative things (including anti-bacterial products) just make the next strain of illness stronger.

 

I would rather build up immunity.

[Laura Corin]

The only people that I know of in Australia who get flu shots are the elderly and people working some way in the medical field, this includes Doctors, nurses, PC's, aged care workers etc.

 

This is the case in the UK, with the addition of people with a respiratory complaint - asthma, etc - or other relevant chronic illness.

 

Husband (asthma) gets one every year.  The rest of us only had them when bird flu/SARS were going around Asia, to reduce the risk that standard flu was mistaken for something worse, which might lead to unnecessary treatment and isolation.

 

L

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

We've done every vac (Gardasil coming up this year), and have no qualms about any of them, but we haven't seen the need for flu shots so far, and no one has had the flu, ever -- even DW who is exposed to all manner of germs at work.

[DragonFaerie]

I have heard that the flu shot this year is particularly effective and protects against four strains of flu.  I have not gotten the shot in the past, but I decided to this year for myself and my kids.  I've also heard that if you do contract a strain of flu after having the shot, it likely won't be nearly as severe as if you'd had no protection at all.  Sounds worth it to me.

 

As for negative reactions, my kids were fine, but I developed a large and very sore lump at the injection site.  I think it was a reaction to thimerosal (I've had problems with thimerosal in the past).  However, it went away after several days.

[trulycrabby]

I have heard that the flu shot this year is particularly effective and protects against four strains of flu.  I have not gotten the shot in the past, but I decided to this year for myself and my kids.  I've also heard that if you do contract a strain of flu after having the shot, it likely won't be nearly as severe as if you'd had no protection at all.  Sounds worth it to me.

 

As for negative reactions, my kids were fine, but I developed a large and very sore lump at the injection site.  I think it was a reaction to thimerosal (I've had problems with thimerosal in the past).  However, it went away after several days.

Flu-mist does not contain thimerosal, however it is live, attenuated virus, so not everyone can take it. Single dose containers of injectable virus do not have thimerosal, either. If you cannot take flumist, then ask your doctor or whover gives the vaccine if they have single dose vials. Our pharmacy had them this year, I was a bit surprised to find.

[DragonFaerie]

Flu-mist does not contain thimerosal, however it is live, attenuated virus, so not everyone can take it. Single dose containers of injectable virus do not have thimerosal, either. If you cannot take flumist, then ask your doctor or whover gives the vaccine if they have single dose vials. Our pharmacy had them this year, I was a bit surprised to find.

 

Yeah, I didn't know this before I got the shot.  But I'm going to do this for next year.  I don't want the live virus in the mist, but I'm going to ask for the different shot next year.

[Scarlett]

I am just opposed to them....maybe even irrationally, I don't know. I haven't had the flu ever......I was really sick the year I was pregnant with ds and missed a whole week of work.....but I think it was just a bad sinus/cold thing.

 

My mom had a bad reaction to the pneumonia shot 2 weeks ago. She and my dad always get flu shots.

[kwickimom]

I have gotten the flu three times. I wanted to die for about 2 weeks each time. I still don't get the flu shot and neither do my husband or kids. 

[TracyP]

It is a risk / benefit question to me. There are possible side effects with any shot, and the flu shot is only so-so when it comes to effectiveness. I think it is worth it for some groups of people, but only you can decide if it is worth it for your family. I had the flu once when I was 16. I haven't had it in the almost 20 years since then and I've never had a flu shot. For me, it isn't worth it. My dh has asthma so he gets the flu shot.

[catz]

We've had the flu here multiple times. Last year 3 out of 4 of us had at Christmas, when we were supposed to travel and it took us a good 2 weeks to be back to normal. My DH had the shot and had a minor version of what we had and recovered a lot faster.

 

That said, it requires a trip to the ped to get the shot which we haven't done yet this year. But I'm planning on taking the time over the holidays.

 

Personally, I would get it. I've had the shot many years, never had side affects, and never got the flu those years. We've only gotten the flu during the years we didn't get the shots (3X since my oldest was born - he is 13).

[kubiac]

I consider flu shots to be a basic ritual of winter self-care, like getting the warm jackets out of the closet and stocking up on Ricola cough drops.

As for getting the flu after getting a flu shot, especially immediately after, I always assume it's a classic case of correlation (not causation):

Where do you go to get a flu shot? The pharmacy or the doctor's office. Where do all the already sick people go? The pharmacy or the doctor's office. Weirdly, it makes sense to me that you'd pick a flu virus at the same place you go to prevent the flu. (It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective, which is why we try to go as soon as they are released every year. We've also made it a habit to go early because one year there was a frightening shortage and we felt guilty but also pleased that we'd gotten our shots at a corporate clinic early in the year, before the rationing to children and seniors kicked in!)

[SeaConquest]

I don't get them because my birthday was official flu shot day when I was in the Army. I got sick shortly thereafter every year I got the shot. I think that, for me, the shot suppresses my immune system just enough that viruses I would normally fight off without issue seem to overpower me. I haven't had the flu since I stopped getting the shot. But, I think they're generally safe for most people. Effectiveness is another issue. They have to predict the most likely strains of the flu each year and seem to be around 50% accurate each year. But, that's still better than nothing.

[msjones]

We get them every year.  

 

People who haven't had the flu often think it's no big deal -- just like a cold, perhaps.  

 

Last time I had the flu I was laid out miserably sick for a solid week. Then it took a few more weeks before I was really myself again.  

 

I don't want that for myself or my husband and children.  

 

So, we do what we can to prevent it and feel fortunate to have flu shots available to us.

[gardenmom5]

I don't know if your dd would have adequate time to build up an immunity to her siblings flu before she get's home.  you and your dh have already been exposed to both of your kids.  not sure a shot would help you at this point.

 

I've had flu shots twice.   the first time, my gut-voice was demanding I get the shot (which I was resisting), even though I never had before, had rarely had the actual flu, and didn't have complications when I did.  I got the flu six weeks later, and was as sick as I've ever been with flu.  could barely get up to go to the bathroom.  gut-voice kept telling me I'd have been in the hospital without that shot.  with no medical insurance.  I did have a compromised immune system at the time.  oh, I got the flu again that season - and it was more how I typically am with flu.

the next time was more logical precaution due to having had pneumonia that year and being pregnant (pregnancy suppresses your immune system.) 

 

I normally don't bother, because I don't bother with it.

 

[Ali in OR]

We always get flu shots as soon as they are available. The consequences of flu are pretty severe here--oldest dd has seizures and a flu-like illness at age 2 caused a seizure we could not stop with our protocol which led to the ER and a night in the hospital. We were instructed to always get flu shots (doesn't stop all viruses but stops the most prevalent most seasons), and no one in our house has had the flu since.

 

I would have your college dd get the shot where she is right now. It does take a couple of weeks to build up the immunity, so she should follow other precautions also to try not to get sick from her siblings. But a big reason to get the shot is so she doesn't get sick when she returns to campus after the break. We live in a college town, and it was especially dramatic last year how our local flu season began pretty much when all of the college kids came back to school, bringing with them whatever illnesses they picked up over break.

 

For your husband and you, I would go ahead and get the shot, recognizing that you've already been exposed to one strain and may come down with that regardless. The flu-mist protects against four strains of flu. Some of the shots protect against 3, some 4. They are transitioning to all vacs protecting against 4 (they used to do 1 B-type flu and will now do 2. Last year's shot covered the more prevalent B flu, but 1/3 of the cases were the B strain not in the shot. Now both will be in the shot).

[Shellydon]

We always get the mist or shot.  None of my children have had the flu.  I haven't had it in the 15 years that I've gotten the vaccine. 

[DianeW88]

We've gotten them every single year.  No problems, no side effects, and most importantly...no flu.  Influenza is not just "a bad cold", it is miserable.  It is also a killer.  Data going back to 1976 shows yearly influenza deaths in the U.S. going from an annual low of 3,000 to a high of 49,000.  The variation is due to the different strains of flu that may be dominant in any given year.  Many more people are hospitalized with the flu and its lovely set of complications each year...about 200,000.  If you have anyone in your household who is immune compromised or has a respiratory ailment (asthma, allergies, etc.), they should be vaccinated. 

 

Otherwise healthy people generally do well with the flu (unless they are very young, or over the age of 65), but if you get it, you will be flat on your back for around five days and part of the walking dead for the next five.  If you have the time for that, great.  If you don't, you might want to consider the vax.  And then, just as you are recovering, someone else in your household will come down with it.  So, for a family of four or five, expect to lose a month of time due to dealing with the flu.

 

Even if you are healthy, and have lots of time to be ill, please consider others around you.  Do you visit elderly relatives?  New babies?  Someone with asthma?  Then please consider getting the vax so that you don't expose them to the flu.  You may be contagious for a day or so before you're symptomatic.

 

 

[GSOchristie]

We got the flu in 2009 and 2012, so two out of four years.  Both times my family was out of commission for 2 months.  My ped told me that some families are just more susceptible and we are one of them.  I don't know if this is true, I don't care, if the flu vax give me only a 5% smaller chance of getting it again, I will take it.  Last year I had a sinus infection that lasted a month as a secondary infection of the flu.  Every single person in my family got at least one secondary infection as a result of the flu, last year, Asher and Piper got both a bronchial infection and ear infections.  Anyway, we got the vax this year, we'll see.  

[Ellie]

I've only had the flu shot once. I haven't had the flu since 1997.

[JustEm]

If my children were to attend school outside the home where they were exposed to many people on a daily basis I might consider getting the flu shot. But since we are home the maturity of time and have the ability to stay home if there is a particularly bad outbreak in our area I don't see the point.  I've never had the flu and neither have my kids. I know my dh hasn't since we've been married.

[Elm in NJ]

My dh and the 4 older kids got it this year for the first time. I didn't and my 3 year old didn't either.  The reason they got it: my 12th grader is at the CC most of the day and I have a 9th grader in PS for the first time. 

[KungFuPanda]

I got some evil death flu in 97-98 that knocked me off my feet for weeks. It took over a month to recover fully. I don't think I understood how powerful the flu could really be until then. My son is in a high risk group, so we all get the shot.

 

Even though we're vaccinated, my daughter was out of school all last week. It turned out to be a nasty virus with flu-like/strep-like symptoms. It wasn't the flu, but I can imagine many people will CALL it the flu as it makes it's rounds :-/

[Wildiris]

I am on day five of a horrible flu. Next year I am going to get a flu shot. I have not had a cold for several years, and I have not had the flu for at least five years, but this flu has really knocked me down. It will be another week before I am well enough to resume exercise. My daughter got this flu first, and it mutated as it traveled through the family. I got it the worst with body aches, an eardrum threatening to rupture, and a deep cough. It is no fun being sick. Even if a flu shot doesn't fully protect me from every strain of flu out there, it may shorten the time I feel miserable, and quality of life is worth something to me.

[Mergath]

We get the flu shot every year, though this year dd got the nasal mist thing instead because it has more coverage, I think they said.  Dh has asthma and now possibly COPD, so getting the flu shot is non-negotiable.  We've never had any side effects from it, and there's only one year where we actually got the flu.  Thankfully, we recovered in about a week.  If we hadn't had the shot, I imagine it would have taken quite a bit longer.  It was horrible.  Like someone else said, if there's even a small reduction in my risk of getting the flu with the shot, count me in.

[sassenach]

If you aren't against all the other vaccines, I'm not sure why you'd be against the flu shot. Everyone I know who is anti-flu shot is also, at the very least, selective about other vaccinations.

 

We do the flu shot. We have a child who is medically fragile, so it's non-negotiable. Plus, we don't have anyone who reacts poorly to vaccines. I have friends with vaccine injured children (including a classmate of my son), so I'm not brushing off the risk, but as for me and my house, we vaccinate (at least against the flu. I'm selective about other shots).

[Ottakee]

We get them. I have 2 with immune system issues, 2 on meds, dh is diabetic and one dd is asthmatic, and I had heart surgery and have decreased lung capacity from scar tissue. Just not risking it here. All have done well with the shot and we have never had the influenza.

[TeacherZee]

I hope it doesn't. The problem is I need to make a pretty quick decision about dd getting one. Dh is leaving the decision up to me. Most of the people I know irl get one but they still worry me. Ironically just after I posted this thread someone on my FB fibromyalgia group posted a link about trouble with the h1n1 shot and how officials in Sweden admit it has caused narcolepsy in some people. This just doesn't make sense to me since it is a dead virus. All of our doctors recommend one but I just can't decide.

 

This is true, but it is ONLY in Sweden and there is some evidence that it might have been a particular batch that was problematic. The h1n1 vaccine was also rushed. It is my understanding that the "normal" flu vaccine is more tested.

 

I am not opposed to most vaccines or shots or modern medicine, BUT, I don't get the flu shots because I feel that it cannot protect you against more than just that particular strain of the flu and I feel that all these preventative things (including anti-bacterial products) just make the next strain of illness stronger.

 

I would rather build up immunity.

 

This is my thinking too. Plus I've reacted semi-badly when I have had the jab in the past. HOWEVER if I came into regular contact with high risk individuals I would probably get the jab anyway. As it is now, I have a deal with my doctor that if I think I have he flu he will prescribe tamiflu to me because my dad is really in the risk zone but refuses to admit it.

 

So I am no help I think :D

[trulycrabby]

This has not been mentioned yet, but pregnant women seem to extremely vulnerable to influenza,t and are more likely to be hospitalized or die from complications, so even if you normally do not get the vaccine, please consider getting it if you are pregnant.

[Seasider]

I think the case for the shot is much stronger based on two (perhaps 3) components of your circumstances:

 

1 - college student/dormitory resident

2 - tourist industry

3 - possible airline travel (definitely mass transit system at Disney)

 

Each of these raises the possibility of exposure. I wouldn't want my child to come down with a bad case of the flu many miles away.

 

I would also get her a good multivitamin and a supply of vitamin D3, and have her start taking 2000IUs D daily for immune support. A probiotic too.

[Excelsior! Academy]

The only two times I've ever had the flu as an adult have been immediately after getting the flu shot.

 

It could have been a coincidence, and according to medical professionals it certainly was, HAD to be, because the virus in the vaccine is not active.  

 

Still, I was sick enough to not get it again.

 

That said, if my immune system were suppressed, or if I were elderly, or if my job required it, I would not let my own paranoia outweigh the science, and I would get the shot.  In your position, having confirmed the virus in close proximity, I may get it. 

 

This is true for the majority of people I know. 

 

 

 

I am not opposed to most vaccines or shots or modern medicine, BUT, I don't get the flu shots because I feel that it cannot protect you against more than just that particular strain of the flu and I feel that all these preventative things (including anti-bacterial products) just make the next strain of illness stronger.

 

I would rather build up immunity.

 

This^

 

 

 

Flu-mist does not contain thimerosal, however it is live, attenuated virus, so not everyone can take it. Single dose containers of injectable virus do not have thimerosal, either. If you cannot take flumist, then ask your doctor or whover gives the vaccine if they have single dose vials. Our pharmacy had them this year, I was a bit surprised to find.

 

See bolded.

[sbgrace]

Well, we get flu shots. I have a child with a metabolic condition, and both my kids have asthma. The one year we didn't get them, 3 out of 4 of us got (lab test positive/confirmed) flu. No one has ever had any side effects from the vaccine. The shot (shot only-not flu mist) is a killed vax. It absolutely cannot give a person influenza.

 

A lot of people get sick with bugs that aren't influenza and just assume they have the flu. So anecdotal whatever isn't very useful in these discussions. Scientifically, the flu vax isn't terribly effective most years. We do it anyway because of the high risk categories of my kids and also because the specialists (metabolics, pulmonology) ask and I prefer to look like a responsible parent in the doctor's eyes. In other words, when my son got influenza I hated having to tell metabolics that I had skipped the vax that year. I don't want a repeat of that conversation.

 

Beyond that, I do it hoping that it will mitigate symptoms if we do get influenza. The vax is not even close to a sure thing to prevent transmission. The science just isn't there. The majority of years, statistically speaking, most people won't come down with influenza whether vaxed or not. If you are exposed, though, I do think you're better off with the vax.

 

If we weren't in the high risk categories, I don't think I would do it. In fact, I haven't gotten a vax this year. My husband and kids did, but I was sick then. I've hesitated as I'm just not sure it's worth it for me. Three years ago when the flu swept through here, I am certain I felt differently!

 

 

[countrygal]

I have gotten the flu shot many times as an RN. Vaccines are one thing I can not side with either way 100%. I see both sides. I go back and forth. I have never had any side effects from getting it. They say you're more likely to get sick or have problems from the actual flu than the shot. I don't want to get it every year for the rest of my life. I did get it this year after 2 months of debate because I am having a baby very soon and want to protect the baby. My 18 month old had bronchiolitis and pneumonia last year which required her to be on nebulizers of albuterol and steroids on and off for 6 weeks. Every time she even got a cold virus (from the older siblings) she'd get and inflammatory response in her lungs. Because of that I decided to get one for her this fall because I think she would end up in the hospital if she got influenza. I did not vaccinate the whole family though. Maybe I should but we live far from the clinics and I didn't make it a priority. We both got the preservative free vaccine as I requested it. I don't know if they allow it unless it's pediatric or a pregnant woman. I think the cdc and vaccine makers push to have everyone get it to acquire the most 'herd immunity.' I don't agree with that exactly. I think people who are at great risk should get it. I don't agree that medical staff getting it protects patients any better. I've gotten the flu shot and then the flu later anyway, from my patients. Do what you think is best. If no one is at high risk then I probably wouldn't do it.

 

(Please no one quote me to attack my opinion.)

[Pawz4me]

A lot of people get sick with bugs that aren't influenza and just assume they have the flu. So anecdotal whatever isn't very useful in these discussions.

 

I agree, except I think that if you've had the flu once you're probably fairly well qualified to self-diagnose if you get it again.  That run-over-by-a-freight-train feeling is hard to forget, and IME other viruses just don't hit you like that (or take as long to recover from).  Every time someone posts and says "Do you think I have the flu?" I want to answer "No.  Because if you had the flu you would NOT be able to sit at your computer and type out a post."

 

[Mommy22alyns]

I got the flu shot while I was pregnant with the girls and when they were babies. I never had a problem.  When Sylvia turned 2, they said we could get the flu mist. BIG mistake there - the 3 of us all got the flu from it.  I knew it was a bad idea - weakened virus right up the nose - but I did it because Rebecca gets hysterical about shots.

 

Anyway, I am not against it in principle, but I see no need for us to get them.  We're just not in contact with a lot of people, we're not in a high risk category, and we're generally very healthy.  I also feel like it's a gamble as to whether your strain is covered or not.

[Plateau Mama]

We stopped getting them the year the bundled the H1N1 with the regular flu shot. It wasn't tested and I won't have my children needlessly be test subjects.

 

Now we don't get them because two of my children have shown severe sensitivity to eggs and the egg free shot is not approved for children under 18.

[Seasider]

I agree, except I think that if you've had the flu once you're probably fairly well qualified to self-diagnose if you get it again.  That run-over-by-a-freight-train feeling is hard to forget, and IME other viruses just don't hit you like that (or take as long to recover from).  Every time someone posts and says "Do you think I have the flu?" I want to answer "No.  Because if you had the flu you would NOT be able to sit at your computer and type out a post."

 

 

 

I tend to agree with this.

 

(Except for our experience with h1n1. If we actually had it -and doc says he believe we did- it was highly overrated!)

[Jkacz]

If you aren't against all the other vaccines, I'm not sure why you'd be against the flu shot. Everyone I know who is anti-flu shot is also, at the very least, selective about other vaccinations.

 

My children are vaccinated according to the recommended schedule for all vaccines EXCEPT FLU.  According to the CDC, these are risks associated with the flu vaccine:

 

"The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are:

• Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever (low grade)
• Aches

The nasal spray: The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine are weakened and do not cause severe symptoms often associated with influenza illness. In children, side effects from the nasal spray can include:

• Runny nose
• Wheezing
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Muscle aches
• Fever

In adults, side effects from the nasal spray vaccine can include

• Runny nose
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Cough

If these problems occur, they begin soon after vaccination and are mild and short-lived. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it. However, on rare occasions, flu vaccination can cause serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions."

 

Additionally, there is some debate over whether the chance of developing Guillain Barre Syndrome increases with vaccination.  The CDC reports that "In 1976 there was a small increased risk of GBS following vaccination with an influenza vaccine made to protect against a swine flu virus."

 

So, long story short - DH and I do not think that the benefits outweigh the risks for myself or my otherwise very healthy children.  DH (a physician) IS vaccinated yearly as a condition of his employment.