Seriously considering a flu shot--I'm hearing flu is affecting healthy adults badly this yr.

[applethyme]

We get the flu shots every year due to DS lung issues.

[mamaraby]

My bad. My quick addition of other information for the health and safety of those getting the shot (such as picking the right form) were terribly out of form. By all means, don't take precautions every nurse and pharmacist knows. I guess I should have spent months researching and assembling a reply for some odd reason. By all means, don't take my advice about germ precautions, making sure your shot giver (pharmacist, nurse, etc.) takes cleaning precautions, or you choose a well matched form. :confused1:

Yes, because that's absolutely what I said.

 

Did you even read the other link that was given? Follow any of the links?

[creekland]

My family gets the flu shot every August.  I don't actually understand why anyone would skip it unless they were allergic.

 

In general (not this year for us), I think the body is better when it gets a few illnesses along the way and builds its own immunity up.  Obviously, I make exceptions for some truly deadly things (like tetanus, and if ever exposed, rabies) and we had our kids fully immunized when young as I don't think young bodies are ready for the challenge.

 

I tend to be a non-interventionist - feeling the best offense is a strong, healthy body.

 

But there are always exceptions and one should use rational thought. 

 

Rational thought about our circumstances has been the reason we got the shots this year.  Next year's decision will depend upon what is going on (with us) next year.

 

[Alicia64]

Got my flu shot back in October. I've had one every year since having the flu in 1995. Haven't had the flu since.

 

This is the same as me. I think I even had it in '95 or sometime around that year. It was awful. It took me a full month to get my life back together. I did it without kids, but going through that with kids would be awful.

 

Alley

[Ipsey]

We get one every year in August.

Hubby and I actually got the flu last year. We'd never been so sick. We can't imagine how much worse it might have been without the shot.

We couldn't cook. We just laid around and slept and shook and sweated, mostly. My 12-year old did all of the cooking for 2 days. We had neighbors take the kids to school because we couldn't drive, plus we couldn't shovel the snow to get the vehicle out anyway.

 

I also had a friend whose 7-year-old son died from the flu about 10 years ago, and he hadn't been vaccinated.. I'll never forget seeing her husband on the news pleading for people to get their children flu shots. 

 

Nope, not everyone who gets the flu dies-- and not everyone who gets the flu shot even avoids the flu, but I'd take the side-effects  (though I've never had any) over the flu any day of the week.

 

[hillfarm]

Like Creekland, I tend to believe in minimal medical intervention and letting the human body do what it is created to do in most cases.

 

That said, for some reason this year's flu has me spooked. I have NEVER gotten a flu shot nor has anyone in my family. However, this year I am seriously considering it. Unfortunately we are currently recovering from some odd respiratory thing we picked up over the Christmas holiday and I don't want to get flu shots until our immune systems have recovered a bit from that insult. Our family physician said to wait about 2 weeks and then get the shots.

 

BTW, he also said that there are two types of vax this year, one targeted to 3 strains and one targeted to 4. Anyone know anything about that? Interesting side note, if we get the shots at his office it will cost us $71.00 per shot. Insurance will cover all but $20 each. However, if we get them at the local Walgreens Pharmacy, they only cost $25 per shot. I'm not sure whether insurance will cover any of that, but I think it might.

 

I am concerned about this year's flu because of the cytokine storm thing, where the healthy immune systems actually are turned against the person and bring about their demise. Normally, we have very strong immune systems here, so I worry that could be a big problem for us. I am also a bit chastened by this respiratory crud we had. We were laid low. If my 15yo dd hadn't crawled to the barn to get the boxes, coughing and sneezing all the way, we wouldn't have even bothered to put up a tree. I coughed until my ribs hurt terribly. Some very major time sensitive school work did not get done and we are scrambling now. DH missed multiple days of work. We were all pretty miserable. That caused it to be fresh in my mind about how bad the flu could be, if we get it. And that's just the normal variety, let alone the more lethal one.

 

So anyway, if we are all still on the mend by next week, I think we will go get the shot. There's a first time for everything and I talk a big talk about being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I have prayed a good bit about this and I feel that it is the right thing for us to do this year.

[Pawz4me]

BTW, he also said that there are two types of vax this year, one targeted to 3 strains and one targeted to 4. Anyone know anything about that? Interesting side note, if we get the shots at his office it will cost us $71.00 per shot. Insurance will cover all but $20 each. However, if we get them at the local Walgreens Pharmacy, they only cost $25 per shot. I'm not sure whether insurance will cover any of that, but I think it might.

 

The boys and I got our flu shots months ago at Walgreens.  At that time I asked the pharmacist about the vaccine that covers four strains, and she said it was only being given to people in high risk categories.

 

Our insurance covers the full cost of the flu vaccine, whether we get it at our doctor's office or in a pharmacy.

[VeganCupcake]

BTW, he also said that there are two types of vax this year, one targeted to 3 strains and one targeted to 4. Anyone know anything about that?

 

 

I think there is a move to making all the flu vaccines quadrivalent in the future so they cover more strains. Right now, only a few injectibles and the FluMist are quadrivalent. Here's a table of the different manufacturers and whether their vaccines are trivalent or quadrivalent: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/vaccines.htm

 

 

 

I am concerned about this year's flu because of the cytokine storm thing, where the healthy immune systems actually are turned against the person and bring about their demise.

 

Yes, this is a concern of mine, too.

[Whereneverever]

The nasal mist covers four strains, most of the shots are three, I believe.

[Mergath]

We've gotten the flu shot every year for several years now, and this is the first year any of us has gotten the flu.  Dh and I have stayed healthy, but dd got what was, in hindsight, a relatively mild case of influenza A, at least compared to some of the stories I've been hearing this year.  Without the shot, I have no doubt we would have all been stuck in bed for the last couple of weeks.  

 

Before that, the last case of the flu we had was when dd was around two years old, I think, and none of us had gotten the shot that year.  We were all SO sick.  It was horrible.  Dh got the worst of it, and we thought he was going to have to be hospitalized.  We all came through it okay, but we've been religious about getting the flu shot every year, and we've all been much better off for it.  There are risks with any shot, but I think the benefits are definitely worth it with the flu vaccine, especially if you have anyone with respiratory issues in the house. 

[Mergath]

I'm not opposed to the vaccine, but at this point I probably won't get it. The flu is really ramping up in our area, and I figure my risk of catching the flu from the doctor's office is greater than taking my chances without the vaccine.

 

 

That's why they usually recommend getting the vaccine before the start of flu season. ;)  It takes a few weeks to build up the full immunity, too.

[Lynnae]

That's why they usually recommend getting the vaccine before the start of flu season. ;)  It takes a few weeks to build up the full immunity, too.

 

But, but, but....I was too BUSY then!  :tongue_smilie:

 

I usually don't get the flu shot, but hearing all the H1N1 stories has me a little worried. I still won't get it this year, but I will probably get it at the beginning of the season next year. This year we will lay low.

[tabinfl]

You know there are actually risks to everything, including this vaccine, right? I don't care one way or another if people get vaccinated for it. Doesn't concern me at all. But at least don't paint it as perfectly rosy for everyone and act like people who don't get it are idiots.

 

I haven't said, or even implied, that anyone is an idiot. I tried to provide factual information, backed up by decent science, for those who have questions or may have received incorrect information from other sources so that people can make informed decisions. People being vaccinated does concern me, both because I have a compromised immune system and because I don't like to see people suffer and die from preventable causes, but I certainly wouldn't go so far as to mislead anyone about the risks or effectiveness of any particular vaccine.

 

Of course there are risks associated with the vaccine and everything else we do. Human brains are notoriously poor at risk assessment, so it's especially important to have good data when evaluating those risks. For example, many people avoid flying for fear of being in a plane crash, when they are statistically more likely to perish in a car accident if they drove to their destination instead. This error in judgement, like the vaccine risk misconceptions, is caused in part by the internet and 24/7 news media giving us a distorted view of the few problems that do occur, outside of the context of millions of problem-free vaccines (or air travel miles). Flu deaths, like automobile fatalities, tend to be under-reported because they aren't as sensational a story.

 

Oh, I know science is firmly against my "the flu shot made me sick" mantra. But I can't help it, I had exactly one childhood illness, the stomach flu, until I got the job with the flu shot. Then like clockwork every year for 8 years I got sick (like a cold, achy, like mild flu) 2-3 days later. Stopped the job and shot, stopped the sick. Perhaps it is because I am never sick that it affected me so much to feel run down and sick, but it bothered me. And it was real, darn it, science be darned!

Then I got the flu, was the sickest I've ever been and hopefully will ever be. but just that once, and in the 5 intervening years, no shot and no sick.

The link I posted talks about that. There are two possibilities. You may feel a bit under the weather after a flu shot as you immune system "ramps up" to meet the new challenge. The severity and duration are nowhere near the actual flu, though. The other possibility is that you'd been coincidentally exposed to some other bug around the same time. Not uncommon, as flu shot season is also when people get lots of other creepy crud too. The shot can cause some mild symptoms, but it does NOT give you any sort of infection.

 

I also read that you can spread the flu for 3 weeks after getting the flu shot.

The flu shot contains only inactivated (dead) virus, so is incapable of making the recipient or anyone else sick with the flu. The nasal mist has a weakened form of the virus whuch can cause mild illness in others if you "shed" the weakened virus and they are especially susceptible. This is why the shot rather than the mist is recommended for those with weakened immune systems or certain other medical problems.

[mommymilkies]

The link I posted talks about that. There are two possibilities. You may feel a bit under the weather after a flu shot as you immune system "ramps up" to meet the new challenge. The severity and duration are nowhere near the actual flu, though. The other possibility is that you'd been coincidentally exposed to some other bug around the same time. Not uncommon, as flu shot season is also when people get lots of other creepy crud too. The shot can cause some mild symptoms, but it does NOT give you any sort of infection.

 

 

The packet insert and studies I provided talk about this.  It isn't just coincidental. Adverse reactions (fever, pain, etc.) that can mimic flu and illness symptoms are rather common.  

[Whereneverever]

The packet insert and studies I provided talk about this. It isn't just coincidental. Adverse reactions (fever, pain, etc.) that can mimic flu and illness symptoms are rather common.

You are right. It's not always a coincidence. The immune response that the vaccine triggers can cause minor symptoms in some people.

[ktgrok]

I've never gotten a flu shot, and neither have the kids. Just this year I was kind of thinking about it, and researched it a bit. The common side effects include fever, chills, aching, vomiting and nasal congestion. That doesn't really sound better than the flu.

[73349]

We all got vaccinated in the fall. (One year DS and DH got the flu before the vax was available, and that was all I needed to see to decide.) I never get the flu anyway, but I hope to help protect them. We've never had any problem with the vaccine, except that DS once got a nosebleed from the mist because he was just getting over a cold.

 

DS's birthday party is tomorrow, and one family is not going to be able to make it because one of them has the flu, leaving us with just one kid coming. :/

 

Off to make cupcakes!

[Ipsey]

I've never gotten a flu shot, and neither have the kids. Just this year I was kind of thinking about it, and researched it a bit. The common side effects include fever, chills, aching, vomiting and nasal congestion. That doesn't really sound better than the flu.

 

Well, the flu can lay you up for weeks.  If (big if) you get a side effect, they won't last as long as the flu, and just because there's a list of side effects doesn't mean you'll get more than one. 

 

Of course, almost every one I know gets flu shots, and no one has ever mentioned a side-effect. We didn't even get a day of  soreness at the site of the injection this year.

[Word Nerd]

We get one every year in August.

Hubby and I actually got the flu last year. We'd never been so sick. We can't imagine how much worse it might have been without the shot.

 

That's one way of looking at it, but to me it sounds more like the shot was not effective for you or your DH that year. 

[ktgrok]

Well, the flu can lay you up for weeks.  If (big if) you get a side effect, they won't last as long as the flu, and just because there's a list of side effects doesn't mean you'll get more than one. 

 

Of course, almost every one I know gets flu shots, and no one has ever mentioned a side-effect. We didn't even get a day of  soreness at the site of the injection this year.

 

that's actually good to hear. The only people I know that get flu shots are my parents. My dad gets sick from it every year. My mom says she doesn't, but wouldn't admit if she did. Oh, and my sister and her kids, but they are ALWAYS sick, so honestly it would be hard to tell. 

 

Thinking about it this year...there have been three deaths a county over, which is the county my parents live in and we visit often. And for the first time I have young kids that are more exposed, as we started going to a gym with childcare. (and they have been sick a lot because of it, yuck).

[StartingOver]

that's actually good to hear. The only people I know that get flu shots are my parents. My dad gets sick from it every year. My mom says she doesn't, but wouldn't admit if she did. Oh, and my sister and her kids, but they are ALWAYS sick, so honestly it would be hard to tell. 

 

Thinking about it this year...there have been three deaths a county over, which is the county my parents live in and we visit often. And for the first time I have young kids that are more exposed, as we started going to a gym with childcare. (and they have been sick a lot because of it, yuck).

I feel achy for a day or two and run a low grade fever every time I get the flu shot. It is so much better than the actual flu. Only one of my kids is the same way, the other 4 have no symptoms at all when getting the shot.

[mommymilkies]

That's one way of looking at it, but to me it sounds more like the shot was not effective for you or your DH that year. 

There are so many strains-not every vax is going to cover every strain and even the manufacturers do not admit to a very high success rate.  Hence the need for common sense germ precautions everyone should take, anyway. :)  I know people freak out about flu season, but I worked ER/Med-surg and honestly, there are many worse things to worry about.  I'd worry like crazy about MRSA before the flu right now, for instance.  Not saying you should ignore one over the other, but media attention does inflate the concerns. 

[Miss Marple]

 

 

If it became super bad in my area, I might consider it,

This just came through on my email from epocrates:

 

 

[Lisbeth]

I agree with the PP who mentioned cytokine storm being deadly. Strong, healthy bodies/immune systems are actually a detriment in those cases, like with H1N1. The human bidy is wonderful, but in nature, infections took out some humans young, childbirth was extremely risky, and lifespan was on average much shorter. I love vaccines, antibiotics, etc.

[mommaduck]

We never get the flu shot. My husband's family always gets it. We rarely if ever get the flu. They ALWAYS get the flu. The one year my husband chose to get the flu shot, he got sick and then the rest of us got sick for a week. He's rejected it along with the rest of us ever since. We also have vax reactive children.

 

This is OUR family and our decision for our family based upon family medical history. Other families may be different and choose differently. You decide if the risk, the medical history, the statistics of it working, etc weigh for or against YOUR family. I have no judgment against anyone that chooses differently than we have chosen for our family.

[jenncslp]

We just had another 11-year old (in TN) die this week from complications of the flu.  I do not usually get the flu shot, because for years I did, and got sick right after it.  However, I got it for both of my girls-one has Down Syndrome and heart conditions (and her cardiologist would flip his ghourd if I didn't) and the other was a micro premie.  My daughter with DS and I both got pneumonia and were down for 3 weeks this season, so I'm praying we're done with illness for this winter!

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I've never gotten a flu shot, and neither have the kids. Just this year I was kind of thinking about it, and researched it a bit. The common side effects include fever, chills, aching, vomiting and nasal congestion. That doesn't really sound better than the flu.

Actually those symptoms do sound a whole lot better than the flu. I had it one year and had my lungs fill up with pneumonia and had extreme shortness of breath. It aggravated my breathing and asthma for 4 years afterwards. I have had flu shot every year for about 25 years with no problems.

[lea_lpz]

I used to think the flu wasn't a big deal and think the flu shot only helps make it mutate faster so it's an increasingly worse strand. Stilly opinion but I got the flu shot from the time I was pregnant with my oldest until about 2 falls ago and no longer was pregnant or had a child under 2 Last winter I got the flu and it was horrible. I was literally in bed a week and sick for 3 full weeks. I also found out I was pregnant again, so that couldn't have helped but I wouldn't recommend going through it again. This fall I made sure me & kids both got it. I feel like you can't win because although I think everyone getting flu shots likely makes it worse, you still will suffer the consequences if you don't.

[lea_lpz]

I feel achy for a day or two and run a low grade fever every time I get the flu shot. It is so much better than the actual flu. Only one of my kids is the same way, the other 4 have no symptoms at all when getting the shot.

This is what I get and my ds. Very low grade mild symptoms but much more manageable than the flu!

[melmichigan]

My DH got his a few months ago, the rest of us where supposed to get them when we all got a cold.  We always take precautions during flu season, DD was previously hospitalized with complications from the flu, it was a very scary experience when she didn't respond to treatment.  Anyway, we just got ours today, we'll hang around the house a little more for the next two weeks until we gain immunity.  We went to the local pharmacy early this morning when no one was out and about yet, it was a great experience.  I doubt I'll wait in the pediatrician's office for the flu shot again.

 

One of the guys at the local Ford plant died from complications of the flu, he was otherwise healthy.  There are quite a few cases reported at U of M right now, otherwise healthy adults on ECHMO.  

[mamaraby]

I actually care quite a bit about whether or not people are vaccinated (be that with the influenza vaccine or MMR), so while I respect the right for another person to exercise their right to informed refusal, I disagree that much of what gets passed around non-vaccination communities qualifies as informed.  And yes, I used to be a non-vaxxer and spent a bit of time on Mothering's no-vax forum (which is currently up in arms about Amy Parker's article) back in the day.  Now I guess you'd say we were delayed folks, but thankfully we're just about caught up.  I know that I used to spend a great deal of time reading the CDC's Pink Book and other similar resources and while I thought I was informed at the time, I would say that I don't think I necessarily understood the science.  Yes, anecdotal and absolutely n=1, but all that to give a little perspective.

 

So, while I bear no ill will towards my former non-vaccinating compatriots and harbor them no ill will, I think that much of what is brought up as reasons not to get vaccinated is general distrust and misunderstanding of the science.  I know that folks will disagree with me on this and that's ok.

 

As for selecting which vaccine to get - it really isn't all that difficult nor does one need to do extensive reading before heading in to your doctor's office.  Generally speaking, most doctors offices will have you fill out a questionnaire form prior to being vaccinated.  On it they'll ask you about past reactions, egg allergy, GBS, etc.  There will be a separate section about the mist.  At that point the nurse will review the form and present you with your options.  So, yes, while you can read up beforehand, your doctor is still your best resource as they know you and your medical history.

 

This year after filling out the form the kids and I all could have gotten either the trivalent shot or the quadrivalent mist.  I elected to get the shot for non-scientific reasons related to my prior non-vaccinating days.  Dh went to the county health department and decided to get the quadrivalent mist.  I think next year unless they come out with a quadrivalent shot, we'll probably all go with the mist.

 

As far as the OP and getting a flu shot this year - it's late, but I still think it's worth it.  At this point your chances for having been exposed to influenza are greater than if you had gotten the shot early in the season so there's still a possibility for getting the flu even though you get the vaccine.  That being said, I still think it's worth getting.

 

I thought this article was fairly well written although with fewer links than the one provided earlier in this thread.  On the other hand it also includes discussion of the Dallas woman (29 years old) who died.  She was otherwise healthy, had three days worth of symptoms, and then began experiencing shortness of breath, ended up admitted to the hospital and died that day.  So four days from first symptoms.

 

I think the take away here is that if you choose not to get vaccinated, then I think you need to take influenza very seriously (which is not to say that there is any one person here who hasn't, I'm speaking in general "you" terms here).  If you suspect that you might have it, then I think it's wise to get in to the doctor to see if you can head off potential respiratory complications.  Does that mean that everyone is going to experience those sorts of complications most years?  No, but the thing of it is, none of us knows if this year is going to be like most years and no one knows it until the flu season arrives and no one knows how their body will handle this years strain until they get it.  Pervious experiences with influenza are not indicative of the way future infections will go.

 

So, no I don't think the getting the influenza vaccine is a big deal nor do I think it requires the sort of agonizing that one might do over more complex or risky medical treatments.  I think portraying it that way does people a real disservice.  I also don't think that people who choose not to get the influenza vaccine are "idiots" was was mentioned above.

[sillymommy]

I'll share a scary, but none the less true, story about the flu shot. My cousin's husband is active duty Air Force & is required to get a flu shot every year. This year, about 48 hrs after receiving the flu mist version of the vaccine, he was in a coma. ALL, and I mean ALL, testing was done. The results were that it was the flu vaccine that caused his Adult Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. The Surgeon General is involved with his case.

 

I haven't had a flu shot in over 10 yrs. I've had the flu once in that 10 yr period. For me, 5 days of feeling crappy are better than a lifetime of disability.

[melmichigan]

I'll share a scary, but none the less true, story about the flu shot. My cousin's husband is active duty Air Force & is required to get a flu shot every year. This year, about 48 hrs after receiving the flu mist version of the vaccine, he was in a coma. ALL, and I mean ALL, testing was done. The results were that it was the flu vaccine that caused his Adult Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. The Surgeon General is involved with his case.

 

I haven't had a flu shot in over 10 yrs. I've had the flu once in that 10 yr period. For me, 5 days of feeling crappy are better than a lifetime of disability.

 

I am sorry that your cousin's husband is dealing with ADE, I hope that over time he makes a full recovery.  I would be interested if you have any links to information about his case. I have never heard of that rapid of an onset, nor have I come across it in any of the literature I have read regarding ADE. I would be very interested in reading the follow-up once it is published.

 

Just to clarify your post, your cousins husband received the flu mist, not a flu shot.  

 

There are different risks associated with each form of vaccine and people should educated themselves about the differences between the inactivated flu "shot" and the live, weakened "mist" that is sprayed in the nostrils. Many of the manufacture released publications are more informative than the CDC Information Statement and the statement of use from Canada addresses the nervous system disorders associated with the flu mist for the three years it was studied there. 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2014 by melmichigan

[Tap]

Pharmacies and doctors are running out of vaccine in our area.  If anyone is still wanting a shot, you may want to call around and find out how supplies in your area are holding out.  

 

 

[readinmom]

I got one for the first time ever this year.  I felt horrible for about two months (muscle aches/severe fatigue). Only time will tell if this thing works.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'll share a scary, but none the less true, story about the flu shot. My cousin's husband is active duty Air Force & is required to get a flu shot every year. This year, about 48 hrs after receiving the flu mist version of the vaccine, he was in a coma. ALL, and I mean ALL, testing was done. The results were that it was the flu vaccine that caused his Adult Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. The Surgeon General is involved with his case.

 

I haven't had a flu shot in over 10 yrs. I've had the flu once in that 10 yr period. For me, 5 days of feeling crappy are better than a lifetime of disability.

ADEM is something you usually get from viruses like the flu. The flumist is a live virus, which is why is carries the same risk as contracting the virus. Vaccination has decreased cases of ADEM, not increased them. Not getting the flu shot does not eliminate your chances of getting this disorder.

[sbgrace]

I got a flu vax at Walgreens last night. It was quadrivalent, though I had a choice. Another drug store in the area (CVS) was out when I called. The health department did have shots though, so I'm not sure what was up with the other store. They are saying this year's vax is a good match for the h1n1 circulating at this time. I believe that has been in the vax in previous years too. I wonder if any of that protection lingers for people?

 

I had a pretty sore arm last night, a bit better but still sore today. That's normal for me for any vaccine. I got the adult tetanus/pertussis shot this fall. It really wiped me out/caused significant fatigue for almost two months. So I waited for that to pass and got the flu vax with a bit of trepidation actually compared to previous years. But, outside of the arm pain which is improving, I feel fine.

 

My kids and husband got the mist this fall. In some pediatric populations anyway, the mist appears to be more effective than the shot. I would have got the mist if it was still available in my area. I called around. I suspect the health dept. has some, but they aren't giving it to healthy adults at this point.

 

We've never had any serious side effects. In fact, I'm the only one that even seems to get a sore arm. None of my immediate or extended family have ever got the flu after a flu vax, though I know that's certainly possible/it's not 100% effective. But I always think I would want to think I did something to try to prevent if a loved one got the flu and had serious complications.

 

My husband and two sons did get the flu the one year we skipped the vax and haven't skipped since that time.

 

I'm really thinking of laying sort of low for a couple of weeks. I am concerned about this flu season compared to previous ones for myself. I've been taking Sambucol because someone coughed on me as I was coming out of Walgreens. He appeared to have had a recent IV (one of those bandage things they put on afterwards). Yep, I'm feeling a bit paranoid!

 

 

[sillymommy]

ADEM is something you usually get from viruses like the flu. The flumist is a live virus, which is why is carries the same risk as contracting the virus. Vaccination has decreased cases of ADEM, not increased them. Not getting the flu shot does not eliminate your chances of getting this disorder.

 

 

I've seen rates re: naturally occurring ADEM(8 per 1,000,000), but not vaccine-related. if you have a source for those numbers, I'd like to see it.

 

 

Every family has to assess their own risk:benefit ratio and decide for themselves what's right for their family. Unfortunately, most people don't have a full, accurate picture of those risks & benefits. In my experience as a nurse & childbirth educator, true informed consent is sorely lacking in our healthcare system.

[sillymommy]

 I would be interested if you have any links to information about his case. I have never heard of that rapid of an onset, nor have I come across it in any of the literature I have read regarding AED. I would be very interested in reading the follow-up once it is published.

 

Just to clarify your post, your cousins husband received the flu mist, not a flu shot.  

 

 

None the drs had seen such a rapid onset either. They were baffled! I'll try to post data once its completed. 

 

And, you're right, I should have used "vaccine" instead of "shot." I think most people use these words interchangeably, & I mistakenly did the same. In my post, I did state "flu mist version of the vaccine." Next time, I'll be certain to keep "shot" out of the discussion & only use"vaccine."

[Hikin' Mama]

My family gets the flu shot every August. I don't actually understand why anyone would skip it unless they were allergic.

We are not allergic and we skip it, because we have made an informed decision to do so.

[Ripley]

I used to travel several days a week for work - hotels, shuttles, cabs, airplanes ... I never got a flu shot those years, even when my company tried (unsuccessfully) to make them mandatory. I also never got the flu. I think all those years of exposure to germs and viruses really built up my immune system. :lol: This is the first year I've not worked, but we still travel so I'm skipping it again. I don't like any shots (or mists or whatever) - it's nothing specific to the flu, I'm an equal opportunity avoider. 

 

My ex-husband got them every year he was active duty. He also got symptomatic, but with all the junk they pumped him full of over the years - flu symptoms were the most welcome and least of his worries. He hasn't gotten any flu shots since he separated.  He figures his immune system is so shot, he'll be symptomatic with or without the shot - so he passes. He has the flu right now, and doesn't regret the decision.

 

If it would bring me peace of mind, I'd go ahead and get it. That's a question only you can answer, OP. It brings no peace of mind to me or my ex-husband, so we continue to pass on it. Here's to hoping we all stay healthy this season.

[Retired]

well my hospital demanded I get a flu shot this year -  I've not had any type of flu since I was 8 years old.  The strain was bad ran temps in 103-105 range.  I've haven't been sick since.  I rarely get colds. ( I do have chronic sinus so not super human LOL)  I'm one that believes in the body "building antibodies" against stuff.  The hospital was more along that they didn't want their staff out sick when the vaccines first came out LOL  They weren't  thinking about keeping the patients from getting the flu.  (just saying that's the way it was)   They now have markets the dang thing as protecting everyone.  Its just that marketing.  We still see flu patients every years even when they've got the shot.  There are so many strains that it would be impossible to eradicate  the flu.  I personally thing we over vaccine and dam sure over medicate in America.  

 

 

[flyingiguana]

If I could like this post 1000 times, I would.  Are healthy people usually able to better handle the flu, absolutely, but this bit about the 1918 flu is spot on.

 

I've heard that healthy people also respond to the vaccine better -- with a more competent immune system, they're more likely to get some good out of the vaccine.

 

Thing is, one year when one person got a shot and DID get the flu is meaningless.  That's a single data point that means nothing without a few thousand other data points.  (And it may not even be a good data point, if the person really didn't have the flu, but just thought they did.)

 

And from my selfish perspective, I'd like to encourage everyone to get the vaccine.  If more people have it, fewer people will get it, and I, personally, will be less likely to get it.

 

 

[Pippen]

I wish the articles about those that die had a bit more information. Such as how long did they wait to go to the doctor, did they take Tamiflu, were there other issues at play? Many of the articles seem to suggest they get the flu and wait it out and then they become very ill and it's too late.

 

We've only had the flu twice here and each time we've been to the doctor within 48 hours and started Tamiflu. We just all had this flu before Christmas and Tamiflu worked great (not so much the last time we had it). Oldest was the sickest but it was really just her fatigue that was worse. I felt a great deal better 24 hours after my first dose.

 

The news stories still scare me, but I wish there was more information out there besides they were healthy before becoming ill. Maybe I'm reading the wrong things though and this is information is out there.

 

I know a family personally that lost a healthy, elementary aged daughter to influenza last year.  On the evening of the first day she was running a low grade fever and had a sore throat--typical symptoms that families wouldn't normally go to the doctor for. The next day there were no change in symptoms but they took her in for a strep test to be on the safe side and she was already in trouble. She was gone the next morning.

 

My kids have never had flu shots but we got them this year.

[Mrs Mungo]

I've seen rates re: naturally occurring ADEM(8 per 1,000,000), but not vaccine-related. if you have a source for those numbers, I'd like to see it.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1147044-clinical#1

 

Prior to widespread immunization programs, measles was the most common associated illness. ADEM occurred in approximately 1 out of 800 cases.

As to using shot versus vaccine, I think using the terms flumist or live flu vaccine is most accurate because this doesn't happen with a dead vaccine. Best to give specific info, if your goal is people having information to make their own decisions.

[Catwoman]

I'll share a scary, but none the less true, story about the flu shot. My cousin's husband is active duty Air Force & is required to get a flu shot every year. This year, about 48 hrs after receiving the flu mist version of the vaccine, he was in a coma. ALL, and I mean ALL, testing was done. The results were that it was the flu vaccine that caused his Adult Disseminated Encephalomyelitis. The Surgeon General is involved with his case.

 

I haven't had a flu shot in over 10 yrs. I've had the flu once in that 10 yr period. For me, 5 days of feeling crappy are better than a lifetime of disability.

I'm very sorry about your cousin's husband. :(

[LizzyBee]

It's scary this year. We've had 21 people die in NC.  But I still decided not to get a flu shot. I have had the flu in the past, so I know I'm not invincible, but there have been years when my kids got the flu (confirmed with flu test) and I didn't, so I think my immune system works pretty well. I have a step-niece who got the flu shot, and she has the flu. Her doctor confirmed that the strain she has was in the shot this year and she got it anyway.

 

I've never gotten a flu shot, but I do have to give it more serious consideration since my leukemia diagnosis.  One of the reasons I decided against it is because I don't think I'm at high risk for getting the flu (my blood counts are normal and my immune system is not considered compromised), but if I get the shot, there is a very good chance that I will have some side effects.  Those side effects will affect me much worse than they would have before I had leukemia.  Minor colds that wouldn't have even slowed me down before, now will put me in bed.

[mirth]

In the Dallas and SF areas there are shortages of flu vax reported.    

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20140111-flu-vaccine-hard-to-find-as-demand-surges-amid-record-hospitalizations.ece

http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_24886922/state-health-officials-worried-about-rapid-rise-flu

 

Canada seems worried.  http://knlive.ctvnews.ca/canada-finds-half-a-million-new-flu-vaccines-may-not-be-enough-1.1634140

 

I do not remember a shortage of flu vax in recent history.  Anyway I have tried to moderate our risk with flu vax months ago, an ample supply of handgel, and an unwillingness to visit hospitals or doctors offices right now.  9% of all visits are for flu (umm ... yuck!).  I have not broken out the facemasks yet but it would not be unthinkable (I am just not sure they are effective is all)

 

A lot of people have died of H1N1 this year.  I read several stories on flutrackers.  These people did not exactly crawl into a hole and die.  A daunting number of them had family who loved them and took them to the hospital and clinic.  They rec'd meds and were sent home.  It's just that they were either misdiagnosed or the clinically proven therapies were ineffective.  So for those people, a strange number of them young and seemingly healthy, their number was up once they contracted H1N1.

[alef]

This thread is scaring me. Guess I need to make flu vaccines a priority this week. I got the vaccine, and one of my kids got it (when we were at the dr. for something else) but the rest of the family hasn't had it. Last year everyone got the flu mist and we were all sick for a week, so I think we'll stick with the shot is year.

[TranquilMind]

No flu.  No flu vaccines.  The only year I have had the flu ever since childhood was the year I got swine flu before they knew what it was, but I had traveled and come into close contact (elevator) with an extremely ill woman.