Flu Shots or Not

[Robin Hood]

What are the pros and cons to flu shots? We've never had them and I don't know if I should start. My next door neighbor is a nurse and and is very pro medicine. My history is more pro natural, like vitamins, lots of water, fresh foods, wash hands, etc. We get sick but never very bad.

 

My neighbor says that kids and seniors frequently die without them. Is this really the statistics or is she believing what she is told? Why would she be told this?

 

Both of her kids do have big health issues due to genetics and it is important for them. Our kids don't have issues, but I am wondering if I should consider this or not.

 

Now my dh's boss is paying for everybody to have flu shots at her self owned business and that made me wonder if it's more important than I think.

[Ria]

No doubt the OP's post is going to start yet another vaccination debate. Sigh.

 

Here is what I understand to be true:

 

The flu vaccine is new every year, and will vaccinate against several of the varieties of flu that are thought to pose the biggest threat that year.

 

There is absolutely no guarantee that the flu shot will provide immunity to whatever variety of flu an individual might be exposed to.

 

People who are immunocompromised could benefit from the shot *if* they ended up being exposed to one of the flu strains in the shot (ie, they might not get sick, which would be a good thing since they have a weakened immune system)

 

People do die every year from the flu, but the average healthy person will just get sick.

 

Personally, I'm in the high-risk category (I have Crohn's Disease) and I also work in a pharmacy (lots of exposure to sick people). My kids attend public school. We get the shots.

 

It's a personal decision.

 

Ria

[jonesloonybin]

We have gotten the shot previous years...sometimes we did not get sick...sometimes we did anyways. I am thinking of not doing the shots this year. I am wondering what more natural things people do? Certain vitamins?? Supplements?? Any advice would be great. Since we homeschool and only DH has to go to work we are hoping that we will manage without the shots. But he is a state worker... maybe he should get the shot or would that even matter? If he gets the shot, can he still bring home the flu??

[riada]

We choose not to because sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. Not enough evidence to make me want to do them yearly. Like last year- they vaccinated for the wrong strand of flu and it was worthless. It's ultimately a guessing game if they will predict the right strand that will go around.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I lean towards the non-vaccination side myself. Though I have some health concerns myself, I choose not to get vaccinated. However, my daughter's nephrologist said she must be vaccinated this year as the flu can throw her out of remission. We've decided to follow his advice for her. My son won't be vaccinated though and I doubt my hubby will be.

 

The only way it will be different is if I get some solid information that sways me. It hasn't happened in the last 16years, but I guess it's possible someone may have some excellent information that does.

 

BTW, another issue that plays into this for me is that we've had vaccination issues and other things that might be related. The idea of putting something else into us that could cause us more issues just really worries me.

[TeacherZee]

I can't get the flu shot because I am allergic to it.

 

I have been told to eat healthy, take extra magnesium and zinc as well as vitamin C. Wash hands and make sure I get enough sleep.

 

With regards to the regular colds I make sure I have Olbas oil at home to burn in my essential oil burner every few days. It helps keep my nasal cavity clear and prevents colds which keeps me from getting run down and more susceptible to the flu.

[SheilaZ]

I never had the flu in my entire life....until the one year I decided to get a flu shot. It hurt. I felt tired and achey for a couple of days and then 4 months later, I got the flu anyway. I am not getting that vaccine again this year.

 

My DH has to get the shot. (Army rules) My mother gets her flu shot each year. And I get shots for my youngest two boys because they have asthma. I know the influenza can be very serious. My g-grandmother was a nurse in the 1918 outbreak. She died and left 3 little girls with no mother.

 

For me, there were no rewards for the risk. For my sons and my mom, there are.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Dh gets them and it has been a good thing for him. Until he started getting flu shots, he would come down with a doosey every winter and be wiped out for nearly a month (at least 1 full week off work and 3 weeks where he was nothing but a slug at home.) My kids and I don't get them because we don't get sick like dh.

 

My mom gets the vaccine since she falls into one of the risk groups. One year, every one of her friends who was vaccinated ended up in the hospital with a bad case of the flu. Her friends that didn't get the shot did not get the flu. Go figure. For the past 3 years, she has had to be hospitalized with the flu. So, I am not sure how much good it is doing her;)

[Gretchen in NJ]

No Flu shots in our home.

[MyBlueLobsters]

I get it for my 'at risk' children. Zach got it this year for the first time because he was just diagnosed with 'severe asthma'. His pedi really suggested getting the flu shot for him because the flu could kill someone with that bad of asthma...according to his Dr. Also, Logan has a weak immune system and has had them every year, but don't know if we will get it for him this year. I do ask for the persertive free ones....makes me feel a little better about it anyway. I am allergic to them and DH and Aiden won't get them.

[elegantlion]

We do not do the shots here either. I am in the immune suppressed category (spleen removed) and prefer not to get the shots.

 

I lean toward practicing good hygiene, and vitamins. I usually catch something in the winter but still do not want the shot.

[hornblower]

We're not high risk at dying from the flu & don't hang around high risk folks so we won't be doing the shots this year. If this changes - esp. if the health of my elderly relatives deteriorates, and certainly if they're in & out of hospitals etc - then we would.

 

Otherwise, for us the worst that will happen is that we will be sick. Miserable but not fatal for most healthy people. Dh is entitled to fully paid sick leave so it's not a hardship for him to stay home for the duration if he gets sick. His employer offers the shots for free simply because employers ran the #'s and it's cheaper to do the shots than to pay out sick leave.

 

There are risks to the vax. I do believe they're very small but they're there & I think everyone needs to assess whether they truly need this vax.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/10/22/bc-fku-shot-paralysis.html

 

I'm not an anti-vax person. My kids and animals are vaxed but selectively & with consideration for their specific circumstances and needs.

 

And I need my tetanus boosted soon as I garden & muck around in suburban dirt. (Tetanus needs boosting q. 10 years.)

[mo2]

The kids and I are getting the shot this year.

[Robin Hood]

No doubt the OP's post is going to start yet another vaccination debate. Sigh. Ria

 

I am sorry, Ria, I was not intending to start a debate nor did I know that this is a debate starter. I have not paid attention to those subjects. I am a non comformist when it comes to medicine, but since kids have come into my life, I see validity to the subject. It's a hard road for me to cross but I am trying to cross it.

[JFSinIL]

I got one since last year when we got the flu it took me weeks to stop coughing all night and I ended up with pneumonia. I tend to get pneumonia at the drop of a hat :glare:. Hubby said this way i can stay healthy and take care of all of them when they get the flu. :glare::glare::glare::glare::glare::glare::glare:

[Karen sn]

What are the pros and cons to flu shots? We've never had them and I don't know if I should start. My next door neighbor is a nurse and and is very pro medicine. My history is more pro natural, like vitamins, lots of water, fresh foods, wash hands, etc. We get sick but never very bad.

 

My neighbor says that kids and seniors frequently die without them. Is this really the statistics or is she believing what she is told? Why would she be told this?

 

Both of her kids do have big health issues due to genetics and it is important for them. Our kids don't have issues, but I am wondering if I should consider this or not.

 

Now my dh's boss is paying for everybody to have flu shots at her self owned business and that made me wonder if it's more important than I think.

 

RN here and I wouldn't do it.

[Ria]

I am sorry, Ria, I was not intending to start a debate nor did I know that this is a debate starter. I have not paid attention to those subjects. I am a non comformist when it comes to medicine, but since kids have come into my life, I see validity to the subject. It's a hard road for me to cross but I am trying to cross it.

 

No worries, Robin, and I'm sorry if it sounded like I was snapping at you. You asked a good question. Unfortunately, I've seen way too many threads about the flu shot that become wars. So far so good with this one, though!

 

Good luck with your decision. It's hard making choices like this, IMO.

 

Ria

[TravelingChris]

We get the shots. Dh is required to (USAF), and youngest dd and myself are high risk people and the other two have to get theirs because I am a triple high risk person and don't want anyone sick around me. (I have asthma, Sjogren's syndrome, and am on immunosupressants).

[TammyinTN]

Dh is required to have it (Army) and we get the flu mist. I never ever want to have the flu again.

[chickenpatty]

We never have in the past, but dd9 probably will this year, because of diabetes.

[Jumping In Puddles]

My kids got the shot this morning. They didn't like it much but I think it is what is best for them.

[klmama]

Although there are some thimerosal-free shots, most flu shots have 25 mcg. of mercury (a neurotoxin) in the thimerosal preservative. (The packaging doesn't say how much mercury is there, it only says that there is 0.01% thimerosal. The FDA website tells, though.) For people who can detoxify mercury well, that may not be a big deal. For some people, though, that's way too much. If anyone in your fmaily has Alzheimer's, ADHD, autism, or autoimmune disease, you may not want to chance the damage the mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, and other preservatives might do. If the flu shot is still important to you, thimerosal-free is the way to go.

 

If you want to go natural, vit. C, zinc, and frquent handwashing are the usual methods of avoiding getting sick. I've also heard that vit. D is helpful for preventing flu. My dh swears by it, and Dr. Mercola is touting it now, too.

[brasilmom]

In our house we do not get it either. My 3yo dd is severely allergic to many foods including eggs, so she cannot even take the vaccine. We never had the flu and all the prevention we do is in the form of nutrition.

[Carrie12345]

We don't do flu shots.

 

For each vaccination, I consider the risks that come with the shots and the risks that come with the disease/virus.

To me, for my healthy family, the flu doesn't carry great risk. We also aren't at high risk for getting the flu to begin with. The shot may be very low risk, but I don't feel a need to take that on for a 50/50 shot at preventing something that isn't likely to happen anyway.

 

We also don't do the chicken pox vax. Unfortunately, we missed the window of opportunity to set up a playdate with our friends' poxed dd... who did get vaccinated.

 

On the other hand, I'm terrified of meningitis, and my kids all get vaxed in that department. I would also be willing to have their left pinky fingers removed if it would reduce the risks of meningitis.

 

It's all in what you're comfortable dealing with.

[5sweeties]

Several year ago, I got a bad case of the flu. I tried hard to keep it to myself with great hygene, but my mom caught it too. Now, I don't know for sure that she got it from me, as she was working and out in the world every day, but it is possible. Anyway, she got it from me, and at the time was helping my grandmother, her mil, who was VERY compromised. Anyway, my grandmother got it (maybe not from my mom, but again, possible) and my grandmother died of complications from the flu a month later.

 

I will never, never, never go a year without the flu shot again. Even if it is not my own family, I feel it is my responsibility to keep the flu from spreading as much as possible. One less chance that someone may be attending a loved one's funeral.

 

I just really feel that the little old lady in the grocery store, or at the restaurant, or at church, or anywhere, has a life worth my flu shot. At least.

[Jennifer in MI]

We haven't, but I consider it every year, honestly. Two of my children are allergic to components of the shot, so they cannot get it. We probably won't be getting it this year either. I do dose the kids up with vit C/Zinc/echinacea/acidophilus/omegas/and we take a propholactic homeopathic flu remedy every couple days during flu season.

 

Good luck with the decision.

[Mommy22alyns]

I'm not going to read any of the other posts, just state my experience.

 

I never thought of getting one until I was pregnant. My OB recommended it, so I got one. DDs were March babies, so when flu season came back around they were old enough for the shot and we got it for them, even though I've always stayed at home. We've gotten them every year until last year. We've never had adverse effects and we've never gotten sick.

 

Last year, they lowered the eligible age for the FluMist, so the girls and I all got it instead of the shot. I wanted to spare them a shot even though somewhere in my head I thought it wasn't a good idea to squirt a live (though supposedly weakened) virus up my NOSE. :glare:

 

Well, we all got really darn sick. Especially poor Sylvia. We all got the flu... from the FluMist. So this year we're all going to get the shot again, and I'm dreading having to sneak the girls into the doctor's office and put off questions and get them the shot. But I'd rather do that than get the darned mist again and be sick for two weeks.

 

FTR, we've always vaxed on time, all shots. Now like I said, I'm not reading any other posts because I HATE getting in the vaccine debates!

[Susan in TN]

We don't do flu shots any more. Last year only my youngest 2 got flu shots and they were the only ones who got sick :tongue_smilie:.

 

I will add my much more effective remedy for the flu, for whoever may be intersted. If you feel yourself coming down with the flu - achy, fever, "hit by a truck" feeling, put hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 3 or 4 minutes (like you are cleaning out the wax). You should start feeling better within 20 minutes. Repeat every 2 or 3 hours the first day, then every 3 to 4 hours the next day or two. This has kept me from having a full-blown case of the flu for a good 5 years now.

 

The "science" behind the hydrogen peroxide method is that some viruses enter your system through your ears - cells reproduce there and then move down into your sinuses. The hydrogen peroxide will prevent the cells from multiplying and the virus won't be able to take over your whole system. At the very least, you (or your kids) will have very clean ears. :)

(it doesn't work for the stomach flu, just the fever, achy, "can't get out of bed for days" virus.)

[Maria from IN]

I never have before but my son and I will this year. My ex's mother's health is fragile and she is staying with my ex. J goes to his dad's every weekend, and I'd hate to think I caught the flu from someone at school, passed it to my son, and gave it to his grandmother.

 

COPD is not resistant to even the sniffles, and we have to be very careful this year...though J's stepmom just said this afternoon, "Well, I only get a tiny cold in the summer and I never get sick in the winter, so I don't need one." Duh. In her mind I suppose that means she can't bring the virus home...:glare:

 

I hope she changes her mind.

[Parrothead]

I have been told to eat healthy, take extra magnesium and zinc as well as vitamin C. Wash hands and make sure I get enough sleep.

 

For me the above is my flu shot. Develop healthy habits and keep them up. I haven't had the flu in years.

[lighthouseacademy]

I wrote a very long explanation of studies in this thread. We don't do the flu shot. Also, here is an article. Some will dismiss it out of hand because it is not from a medical doctor, but is from an alternative health care education site. That said, the information is good and documented.

 

As far as prevention, limit or eliminate dairy, limit or eliminate sugar, also white flour. These 3 things will lower the immune system. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Get plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, and wash your hands.

Edited October 23, 2008 by lighthouseacademy

[percytruffle]

I have never had a flu shot before and am generally in the category of not taking things internally that aren't necessary. I do the daily dose of several vitamin/mineral suppliments. I get the flu very rarely, it is usually just a cold or a mild virus. This year I opted to get a flu shot. They were giving them at school yesterday morning for free and I had one. Now that I am back to teaching full-time, I see about 150 different kids a week that are K-12th grade age. My art room is smallish and we handle a lot of the same supplies/tools. I know I would pick up whatever was going around. I already had the bad cold that was going through the school. Time will tell if the shot was worth it. I know there are risks, but it seemed like the right thing to do given the circumstances.

[KrissiK]

I never got flu shots. Until 2 years ago I got the flu. And it was the worst experience in my whole entire life. I was literally sick in bed for 2 weeks, and then after the whole thing was over ended up with a raging sinus infection and bronchitis. My whole family gets flu shots now.

[GailV]

Dh asked me to research this today since he's considering whether or not to get a flu shot. I have no interest in getting one myself, but went ahead with the research project.

 

Here is a pdf article from BMJ, which is a peer-reviewed publication, on inactivated vaccine.

 

Some thoughts as I read these articles:

 

People go to the doctor with both influenza caused by influenza A and influenza B, and influenza-like illness NOT caused by A and B. The vaccine only prevents A and B (and even then, not at a 100% rate -- I think this is where CDC would insert their 70-90% statistic, which was one of their better years when they nailed the correct types). The 2 types of illnesses (those caused by A and B, and those NOT caused by A and B) are virtually identical. So, you can get the vaccine and still have no protection against influenza-like illness. Somewhere in all of my reading I found statistics that more people have the non-A/B when they are sick enough to visit a doctor. In summary, people who say they get sick after the flu shot could very well be getting something that looks exactly like influenza A or B, but is really just inluenza-like illness.

 

Studies on how well the vaccine works in the field tend to have poor methodology.

 

No one has really done much in the way of long term studies of the safety of the vaccines. The data simply hasn't been collected.

 

Here is a summary from an article in Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. via PubMed. The "Reviewers' Conclusions" there at the bottom of the page states:

 

"Influenza vaccines are effective in reducing serologically confirmed cases of influenza. However, they are not as effective in reducing cases of clinical influenza and number of working days lost. Universal immunisation of healthy adults is not supported by the results of this review."

 

So far my reading has supported by thoughts that I'm not going to get a flu shot. Overall, I have the impression that there's simply not much evidence that healthy adults should automatically get a flu shot. I don't particularly agree with dh's getting a flu shot either, but he's an adult and will make up his own mind.

Edited October 28, 2008 by GailV
forgot to link PubMed summary

[teamturner]

We opt not to get them since we are not in jeopardy if we do get the flu. There's just too much junk in them for me to think it's worth it. That's my personal decision and I don't fault anyone else who chooses otherwise.

 

As for alternative options....If one of us does get the flu (we all did last year) I have several natural remedies that I use to shorten the length of the flu.

 

 

• Emergen-C drinks several times a day.
  
• Oscocillium homeopathic remedy taken at the first sign of the flu.
  
• Colloidal silver several times a day (I only take this for a few days when I'm sick)
  
• Other homeopathic remedies
  
• chicken soup (made from scratch is best) ;)
  
• Kombucha tea-I make this myself but you can buy it at Wholefoods, Sprouts, etc.
  

 

[Bee]

Don't decide just based on what one person (your neighbor) thinks.I have been a nurse for 20 years.I have had the flu twice in my life-once years ago and once last year.I got the flu shot last year at my employer's insistance and still managed to catch the strain I wasn't vaccinated against although it was a mild case compared to what I had years ago.I got the flu shot again this year because my employer really,really encourages its' employees to do it.I don't get flu shots for the children.They have no chronic health issues.Dh has never had a flu shot and has never gotten sick with the flu.If any of them did get sick with it I don't believe it would be life threatening.

[Janet in Toronto]

Deciding on the flu shot isa risk/benefit assessment that's different for everyone.

 

DH travels a lot on planes and so is at risk to pick up viruses. He gets it.

 

I didn't get it until DH started travelling a lot for work and I couldn't risk getting flu as I was running the show at home solo a lot of the time. I have had flu twice in my life (before having children) and was completely incapacitated for 10-12 days. While I realise that a flu shot is not a guarantee that you won't get the flu, it reduces the risk considerably.

 

The boys didn't get the shot until my older son hit Grade 11 (private school) and did NOT want to miss any school time with the flu, given how close he was getting to university and the importance of his grades. My younger son (age 13) doesn't get it.

 

We are seldom sick at home, practice excellent hygiene and eat well. But the flu is a horrid illness. It's NOT a bad cold. It's fever, delusions, body ache, and complete inability to care for yourself or others. I will get the shot again this year.

 

For what it's worth...the Province of Ontario considers influenza such a burden on the health care system that flu shots are available at no cost to any resident who wishes one. You just walk into your local pharmacy (or your doctor's office) and a public health nurse will give you the shot.

[Blessedchaos]

We get the flu shot (or Flu Mist) every year. The first year (about 12 years ago) was awful for me; I was sick a lot. Ever since then, we have all been very healthy. I have friends who do not get the shot and every year they get the flu and it knocks them out for over a month (one kid gets it, then the next, etc.). Could be coincidental, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Anyway, we have had good luck with it. Once in a while we get a quick stomach bug, but that's about it. We have horrible, high deductible health insurance so for us, it is cheaper to get the shot than pay for medical visits.

 

My FIL died from flu complications, so I know it can be serious for some people. For most, it isn't - it's just miserable. I think it just boils down to doing what's right for you.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

I usually get the flu mist for the kids. Last year, they got the mist and I didn't get anything. I got the flu and was miserable! They didn't get sick at all. So when I got the mist for them, I had myself done as well. I am not in a high risk category, but I don't seem to be an overly hardy person.

[hsmamainva]

We don't do any vaccinations here...for flu or anything else. And we're hardly every sick.

[SW in IL]

1 elderly (my mom), 1 adult (myself), 1 child (DS). My mom gets the flu shot every year since she is elderly and the flu can post a very real danger to her. Since she began getting a flu shot every year (over 5 years ago... possibly 10 years), she has never had the flu.

 

It's been recommended for my son to get a flu shot every year too, because he's diabetic and the blood sugar swings when he's sick could send him into a coma. So, he's been getting the shot every year for probably about 5 years. No flu for him since before he became diabetic.

 

I do not get the flu shot even though I'm in the portion of the population for whom it is recommended because I have multiple sclerosis. It's not that I'm phobic or think it doesn't work... It's partly because I can't afford it. I also figure that the people who are most likely to be exposed to the flu are my mom and son (my mom through her numerous doctor visits; my son through contact with other kids) and I hope that by them getting the shot, they won't bring it home to me. It's probably not at all true, but I haven't had the flu in about 8 years.

 

Sue

[Brindee]

As with some others, we used to get it horribly. Poor dd was this tiny little thing and would get sooo sick! I would get the next sick, and ALL of us would get sick. I don't know if it's the dampness here or what. Mine, also, would turn into pneumonia or bronchitis. I have minor Asthma, but our decision to get the shot was based on how sick we all got from the flu. We just thought we'd try it and see if/how it worked. That was 5 years ago. We haven't had the flu at all since we started getting the flu shots.

 

We DO eat well, take vitamins, wash our hands, everything everybody says that if you do you won't get the flu. Well, somehow we did anyway, and were not totally on our feet again for at least a month. If I got the pneum. or bronch. it was longer. HUGE difference, so we will continue to get it and NOT go through the horribleness we experienced sometimes twice a year! Yowza!