Chuffed Beyond Words
.45-70 writes:
Question: Do your readers get a flu shot?
If yes, has it worked?
If no, why did you not get one?
I never have gotten one, but after the last week, I will.
The Flu is killing old folks and infants in this area. The hospital is full.
Never have. Partial laziness, partial shot avoidance, partial disbelief that it is of value.
I worked for a pharma R&D company 10+ years ago. The owner, a research doctor, said to get one. The head of Regulatory (FDA application), a pharmacist by education, said don’t bother. I took the easy way.
I have had four flu shots in my life. Each time I have gotten very sick with fevers in the 101-102 range. The sickness lasted a week each time. On the other hand, I have only been that sick with the flu one time (London Flu in 1973} without a shot
Add to the the fact that they are only guessing what flu to make the vaccine for. So I am 4 for 4 at getting very sick with the flu shot, 1 for 58 for getting very sick without getting a flu shot.
I do realize that there are people who get sick when they don’t get a shot but don’t get sick when they they do get a shot. They are more than welcome to get flu shots.
Personally, I’ll Pass.
I get one as soon as available, every year and recommend everyone do the same.
At my age, I gotta be careful when I fart.
I got flu a flu shot in ‘64 and ‘65 in the army. Both times I thought I would die.
No shots since and no flu
Jimyai, I hear ya.
I get a flu shot (and the pneumonia shot) because my husband is very ill and any infectious disease could kill him sooner than I want and I need him in my life. Ironically, he is an infectious disease doctor and I trust his judgement on these matters.
Gotten sick several times from the shots in the past and my arm felt like a slugs war.
Last few were better, the last one was easy, my Dr. insists.
Bless her heart.
Never. I’m not a doctor, I don’t think it helps. But that’s just me.
Jim is an anti vaxxer. Joe gets his shots whenever his doctor advises.
For some near 25 years I’ve taken a flu shot…. I used to monitor my patients that received it at the State hospital and for the following six weeks and get sick 1-2 times and then get a flu followed by pneumonia.
They didn’t offer the shot to us… Once I left the state and went to work for private providers it was offered and accepted it.
Probably 5-6 times I’ve had a reaction to the shot and once I was already exposed to the flu. I’m told the shot takes two weeks or so to reach full protection.
Still getting the shot didn’t prevent getting the flu… Usually a lighter dose of flu is the result and a couple years ago I got it twice in one season, and the last two years pneumonia followed
I’ve had that vaccination as well.
So far so good this year.
The last year that swine flu struck or flu A our medical director said he wasn’t taking the additional shot. Turned out that that flu wasn’t really a bad flu just that it was highly contagious.
RadioMatt- Jimyai. Same here.
I have only bad experiences with the flu shot so I no longer take it.
In addition, needles make me pass out, I drop like a rock.
That said, I had the flu just once in the past ten years.
It sucked and lasted a long time.
This year I was blessed with Walking Pneumonia.
Took a month to recover.
A flu shot wouldn’t have helped.
gotten one every year for about last 15 years. never had the flu. never had complications from the shot.
I’m supposed to because of my Lupus (& the immunosuppressant I’m on for it). But I don’t. Though, I get the pneumonia shot every 5 to 7 years.
No flu shots for me. I had Pneumonitis for three years in a row in the late 80s. I was flying home for every Christmas at that time. Got the flu shot for two years after that, but stopped because I stopped flying. Haven’t had anything but sniffles since.
Like others, when I started getting flu shots, I got sick from the flu within 1-2 days of getting the shot. Happened I think 4 years in a row. When I stopped getting the shot, I stopped getting the flu. I get upper respiratory infections every now and then, but have not gotten the flu.
I only got ill with the flu when I was younger (up to 40’s), when I never had a flu shot.
Then I started getting the flu shot annually (15 yrs. ago) and never had it since.
Never taken a flu shot. I’ve had the flu a couple times in my life. People I know who have had the shot had reactions to it, so personally I see no need for it.
Never have, never will. Everyone I know that’s gotten one, ended up with the flu anyway. Either a weaker version, or knocked on their ass from a different strain altogether. And I haven’t had the flu in over 30 years.
I could see getting it if I had someone here that would be at mortal risk if they got the flu, but that ain’t the case. And I like my track record.
Last 2 years yes as I’m getting on lol, but more importantly pneumonia vac and booster for me anyway, with a touch of asthma.
I wear a surgical mask and surgical gloves. People think I’m contagious, so they stay away….the hospital gown is optional and should be based on the color of your eyes…..
I occasionally get the “Brown Bottle Flu” ..There’s plenty shots
for that….Arf Arf Arf Arf !….Dammit..I’m barking again.
Type 1 diabetic, so it’s recommended. I have in the past, and got terribly sick every time except the first time.
So I stopped, and miraculously I didn’t get the flu anymore.
Then, stupidly, I got one in early 2008 after being pressured to and a couple of weeks later I was on the couch for almost a month feeling like I was going to die. I let the people know how I felt about it, too.
In my experience, every year I took the shot I got the flu 10X worse than the previous time.
Which, I’m guessing, means the next flu shot I get would mean I have committed suicide. LOL
Only once. Sinuses became stuffed up for 5 months after that. I lived on Sudafed which is not good for you. Then one day in February, driving in the car, my sinuses suddenly drained and it was over. Never again.
Hi I don’t comment very often anymore (bc I’m busy not bc we live in the U.K. and may get arrested) but I recently got the flu shot when I was pregnant. The dr told me to do it and he’s private so I trust his opinion. I don’t understand people who hate vaccines, they make me feel safe until I leave the house and see Muslims. Everywhere.
It’s my understanding when they develop these concoctions that it’s a wild guess on what the virus they’re suppose to be fighting will look like. Sometimes they get close, sometimes naught. Seems like a joke to me. And to echo everyone else. The two times I got one I got sick.
Disclaimer, I’m not a doctor nor do I play one on TV.
I’m an ER RN and do NOT get a flu shot, except when forced to do so. (It was a prerequisite for a masters program I enrolled in at the University of Washington, last year. No flu vaccine, no admittance, no exceptions.) My MD/ND advised me against it several years ago, based on a meta data study that appeared to indicate that it does not make a significant difference. The exception, per the study, is high risk groups, I.e., immunocompromised people.
I will say, that if one decides to get the flu vax, ask for the “preservative free” version. My colleagues tell me that this version has eliminated the adverse S/S that they used to suffer from. It’s the one I received last year, without any complications.
Further, I do see a fare number of vaccinated patients, testing positive for influenza. Not as a result of the vaccine. No idea what the percentage is, though.
Got my first flu shot in 1963, only because my employer at the time insisted on it. Knocked me on my rear for about 4-5 days, too weak to get out of bed. Never been sicker. Swore off flu shots forever. In the mid-to-late 1970’s it seems like I got some bad strain of flu every year for 3-4 years, but then it finally stopped. About 25 or so years after the first shot I got remarried and let my new wife talk me into taking the flu shot because she was worried about me. I was still apprehensive, but the doc assured me that the shots were much improved since my first experience. He must’ve been right, because I had no ill effects other than a small amount of soreness at the injection site. Since then I have gotten the shot faithfully every year with (knock on wood) no problems.
P.S. – I’m in total agreement with Bongo on old folks having to be careful when they fart, but I don’t think that it has anything to do with the flu.
😉
“(bc I’m busy not bc we live in the U.K. and may get arrested) ”
That’s some funny shit right there.
I get one every year and have for many years.
The biggest cause of flu is kids. They are little traveling germ factories.
I’ve been getting it for the past six years because if I do get the flu I’m limited as to what drugs I can take to treat it. Friggin’ kidneys. I’ve never gotten sick from it. (I was against getting it because in the 90’s our company insisted on flu shots (free and preventative!) and a bunch of us got really sick and miserable all winter long.) Mr. Illustr8r hasn’t gotten the flu shot and has gotten the flu twice in those 6 years. That means quarantine for him and lots of hand washing and a medical mask for both of us till he improved. Fun! 😖
The flu shot gives me flu. I never get the shot or the flu now. I know it is airborne, and I stay away from crowds. Also, when I go out, I wear mittens or gloves and take them off only when I must, so my hands dont pick up the germ somewhere. Also, gloves or not, I never touch my face when I am out.
I don’t get the shot. Last time I had the flu, I lost 13 lbs. in one week. I could use to lose a little weight now. Even got a new toilet.
I get one every year. When I was in my early 30s, I didn’t, and wound up in the hospital with the worst case of the flu you can imagine. Now that I’m in my 60s, I get one every year. And the current flu shots are not live vaccines, so you can’t get the flu from the shot.
Began work in a pharmacy in ’64. Lots of sick people walked in those doors, so I had flu shots up to and including this year.
I have never had a bad reaction, and have only been sick with the flu once. I was so sick, I just wanted to die.
I realize that the formula changes from year to year with a lot of research and some guesswork involved in the formulation. I believe in trusting the research and praying for good guesswork.
I passed science classes in high school and college so I do indeed get the flu shot. If you don’t believe in them, are afraid of them or simply don’t know enough about them you have two choices: 1, learn the facts and I don’t mean from some nutcase web site. 2 Take your chances.
I’m 78 and Mrs. Deranged is 77. We get the shot every year as well as the pneumonia vaccine and have for years. No ill effects and no flu either. Not even pain at the injection site. After watching our middle son go through shingles we got that vaccine too. I got the latest version. Mrs. Deranged cannot because of drugs she takes for her arthritis. Our grandson is 10 and is exposed to all the germs kids carry. We like to see him as often as possible so the shots are insurance from our standpoint.
I used to get a flu shot every year when my husband was so sick the flu would have killed him. Four years ago I was so sick after the shot i wanted to die. Now that he is gone I no longer get the flu shot much to my Dr’s disapproval.
I get one every year and have never had the flu. I realize that it’s a crapshoot when the health department makes its’ best guess as to the strain most prevalent in any given flu season but they’ve been right a lot more often then they’ve been wrong.
My grandfather died from Guillain-Barré syndrome, look it up if you care. I’m not an anti vaxer but sure as shit have no use for the flu shot.
When I was in the Army (78-98), I got a flu shot (mandatory), don’t recall having side effects.
After I retired (98), I think I skipped a few years. When I did get the flu shots (at Mrs Deplorable’s insistence), I would get it on a Friday, and have a fever reaction over the weekend, but able to crawl to work on Monday.
For at least the past 5 years (10 years?), I have not gotten a flu shot. The only thing I “suffer” from annually is sinus infections from wind and pollins, and mild colds.
If you feel something coming on try Airborne. Then before you go to bed mix two jiggers of Irish whiskey with three spoons of honey and four ounces of hot water, mix, stir well, drink, go to bed. You’ll sweat your ass off but you’ll be cured in the morning.
And if you’re a teetotaler, take a flu shot and suffer the consequences.
I get the flu shot because I have an autoimmune disease. Perhaps once or twice there was a mild reaction. The 2 years I didn’t get the shot I got the flu and it was horrid. It takes so long to get over anything even a cold.
How many have gotten the shingles shots? That’s one crappy ass ailment I don’t want. I had the new vaccine and no reaction to either dose.
My mother, older brother, and I got our first flu shots in 1969; my 3 year old sister was too young. Result: We were bedridden and just-wanna-die sick for days while my sister toddled around the house by herself and brought us popsicles. I had the flu in my young adulthood and it was nowhere near as bad as the effects of that shot so I never got another.
…until Hubby beat death back a few years ago and the doctor advised me to start getting shots so as not to tempt fate by exposing him to the flu. Result: I haven’t got sick from the shot or the flu. I’m told the shot is very different now than 50 (!) years ago. So am I; what isn’t?
Get a flu shot every year, no problems. Just happened to come down with the flu 3 days ago. Dr. prescribed Tamiflu, yesterday. Went from afraid I was going to die to afraid I wouldn’t die to hey, I think I’m feeling better. Amazing stuff. But I’ll continue to get the shot because I’m around my very young grandchildren a lot.
started getting the flu shots about 20 years ago &, knock on wood, never had the flu since. neither has She Who Must Be Obeyed. just got my second pneumonia shot this year. no effects from either shot.
lucky, I guess
I’ve had 1 flu shot, within 4 days I was in bed and didn’t get out for another 4 days. Coincidence? There are no coincidences.
Corky,
Your words humble me. I send you and Mr. Corky my prayers
Wash your hands properly and don’t rub your eyes…..
……but, for me, a flu shot is rather like a St. Christopher medal in the car. Why not?
…..Lady in Red
I have always gotten EVERY possible preventative vaccine, shot, etc. I believe in science. Can you IMAGINE not giving your child the Polio vaccine in 1950? Mumps, measles, whooping cough? WOW.
Big Steve. No. Polio was different. Cut the shit out please
Flu shots give people the flu. I had one once years ago and I was sick for over a week. I haven’t had once since and I’ve not been sick.
Vitamin D, Vitamin D, Vitamin D! More and more studies prove that vitamin D is far more effective than flu vaccines.
https://www.fxmedicine.com.au/blog-post/vitamin-d-vs-flu-vaccine-there-stand-out-winner
From the linked article above:
“A 2014 Cochrane review analysed the efficacy of flu vaccinations. It incorporated a huge amount of data including clinical trials with over 70,000 people, of which 27 were comparative cohort studies (with about 8 million people) and 20 were case-control studies (of nearly 25,000 people). A stand-out fact from this Cochrane review was that 71 people would need to be vaccinated to prevent one case of influenza. This statistic translates to a 1.4% response rate.[1]
In contrast, a 2010 study of 334 school-aged children found that, compared to placebo, 1200IU a day of vitamin D over 4 months achieved a risk reduction of 7.8% against the flu virus.[2] Also, like the flu vaccination, vitamin D can be used prophylactically.[3]
The results of these two studies suggests that vitamin D may be almost 6 times more effective at preventing influenza than vaccination.”
Just do a web search for “vitamin D vs flu shot” and you’ll find many similar articles.
Vitamin D is also very inexpensive. The Vitamin D Council recommends up to 10,000 IU daily for adults. I take 5,000 plus what’s in my multivitamin and the only time I have ever had the flu resulted from a business trip to South America where everyone in the class I was teaching was sick with it. Haven’t been sick from flu like symptoms for at least 20 years since.
https://www.puritan.com/vitamin-d-326
https://www.swansonvitamins.com/vitamin-d
I got a flu shot religiously for 30 years and didn’t get the flu nearly as badly as I got it every year before I got a shot. Last year my perfectly healthy pharmacist neighbor retired, got his first flu shot, and a few months later got Guillain Barre then developed internal bleeding and was dead in less than 30 days. No more flu shots for me. They must be putting something new in them or something. He also may have been exposed to Zika on a trip to Costa Rica.
No never have gotten one. Two reasons; confidence in the robustness of my natural immune system & low confidence in the effectiveness of flu shots ( the shots are more big pharma / big gov protector, yeah right, collaboration than healthcare.
In fact I dislike the shots so much I am reluctant to accept an offer to do some part time work at my old occupation because hospitals are now requiring vendors have the shots to do work in their buildings.
Ridiculous. A pharmaceutical money-making scam unless you have some kind of issue that would make you susceptible to complications. Even if a flu shot works (and doesn’t make you unnecessarily ill), you still can catch a different kind of flu.
I’ve had the flu a few times in my life, mostly as a kid, maybe a time or two in my 20s or 30s. It’s like a bad cold, some with throwing up, some with aches and fever. But basically not that big of a deal. Chicken soup.
I’ve never had a flu shot, and I never intend to get one.
Get one free every year. Haven’t had the flu since I started. CDC gets it wrong most times, but the shots seem to work anyway. Been vaccinated for shingles and pneumonia too. Good plan in a rural area.
Many here have had the flu, I just got sniffles for a day.
The last one I got was over 20 years ago. I don’t trust big pharma anymore.
Lazlo does not get the shot.
I have not been sick in years, knock wood.
I wipe the shopping cart off with those disinfecting wipes. Wash the maulies a lot, use hand sanitizer whenever I am around people and avoid children of all stripe like the black plague they are.
That and I take a dram of Irish whiskey each night
Just for medicinal purposes, you understand
Good immune booster I learned from a Buddhist:
Juice of one lemon
ground up fresh ginger (about the size of your last joint of your thumb) garlic press works well
Fresh pressed garlic, two cloves
jigger of whiskey
dash of cayenne
Put in a cup and add boiling water.
If you can get it down, you deserve to get better
I got it two times around 20 years ago. Both times I got the flu within a week of the shot. Haven’t had the shot since and haven’t had the flu. (Knocks on wood)
I do believe this has been a topic here before…. that stated, I had a mandatory flu vaccine in Naples, Italy in 1973. I was sick as a dog(as it were) for a week or so after. Since then I have avoided the vaccine, whilst leaning on my own robust autoimmune system and my general excellent health. Perhaps 12 years ago I went through some kind of shiite that after three days lead to the mother of all sinus infections (was willing to take a bullet, but my bride would not support it). It too passed. Still eschew the vaccine, still sort of healthy. Corky, God Bless. Bongo, nothing to do with the flu.
“Speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act.” Geo. Orwell
Never have gotten a flu shot and have only been sick once in 45 years, and that was only because my assistant wouldn’t go home when he was hacking all over the place. I was back at work in two days because I wanted to be sure I was over it, and sanitized the entire office while wearing gloves and a mask.
I use a bottle of hand sanitizer a week and wash my hands a lot because I work on computers – many people never wash their hands. I’ll even use my own keyboard and mouse when a user is particulary slovenly (engineers are the worst). I also use hand sanitizer after handling money and restaurant menus.
Never get a flu shot. Never got the flu after last kid was out of elementary school.
Now I take between 5,000mg and 10,000mg of Vitamin C daily – if I can.
It’s anti-venom, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and much, much more when it comes to the heart and blood vessels.
A study was done with intravenous Vitamin C treatment with 60 cases of polio.
All 60 were cured.
Literally can’t hurt to try it. But you have to keep it up to get the full benefits.
High dosage method (that’s non-intravenous) that won’t irritate your gut: Liposomal Vit C
From
http://www.doctoryourself.com/klennerbio.html
More links:
https://www.startpage.com/do/dsearch?query=Vitamin+C+treatment+with+60+cases+of+polio&cat=web&pl=opensearch&language=english
During our pre-Mob for Desert Storm we were given Flu shots (no choice), along with all the other shit they jammed into us (again, no choice). Began feeling sick that evening and spent the next week on sick call, barely able to crawl out of the rack. Though I ended up well enough to deploy, felt crappy for nearly a month…which worked out, since that whole roadshow was basically over by the time our gear from Diego Garcia hit the Kuwaiti docks. The following year, right before heading out to an NTC gig, the Docs claimed I’d had it so bad due to the anti-anthrax cocktail which was brewed in. “This year’s mix is all good?” Being reassured, I acquiesced. Bad call. Back on sick leave for a week, or so, and limited duty for another two. Never had another one, never will. In my life, I have only had flu shots, as well coming down with the flu, twice. Each time was the sickest I have ever been.
I should have known better, but I was a super soldier, about to below-zone to CPT, and immortal! Growing up I watched my dad get deathly sick with the flu each year. It took him about 15 years to correlate the flu shot to severe illness onset. About 20yrs ago he stopped getting them, and has not had the flu since…and is pushing 90.
That’s just us, though.
Never had one. Never had the flu.
Last time I got the flu was 1998. It was so bad I thought I was going to die. I was totally out of commission for over a week. Since then I have religiously gotten a flu shot every year, and so far no more bouts with the flu.
Flu shots are nothing more than a guess at what viurses the scientists THINK may be the hot viruses, The have been wrong too many times. I have been burdened with the flu for nearly a week or is that weak? I’m not amused.
Due to medical circumstances, I’m now required to get flu/pneumonia shots. I never used to get them because after the first flu shot I got when they came out, I was sick as hell, but I haven’t had any ill effects (or the flu or pneumonia) since I started having to get them in the last couple years. Which was a relief because I just don’t need to deal with reactions to vaccines at this time along with everything else. 🙂
Ever time I’ve gotten a flu shot, within days I get sick as a dog. Only once there was an exception.
Doesn’t matter how early in the flu season I’m “immunized”.
Skipped the flu shot for 5 yrs. now. Got the flu last month, but it was manageable, except for a bad headache for three days, and a persistent cough. Did have a 100 degree fever – but that’s typical.
Symptoms not as bad as flu shot flus, that made me feel like I was dying. Nope, no more flu shots.
BTW, I wash my hands all the time. Convinced I’m breathing in the virus. Might try nasal spray vaccine – that’s a very distant “maybe”.
99th Squad Leader
Yep.
Last time I got the flu shot I got the flu. Haven’t got a shot in over 25 years and haven’t got the flu in over 25 years. But I wash my hands more than Pontius Pilate.