Flu & Pneumonia Shots, are you getting one?

[TaraF]

So the last 2 times I've been to the Drs I've been asked about these shots, well the first time I was told lol the receptionist said, "since you're diabetic we're going to give you the flu shot today", to which I replied, "no you're not. I haven't had the flu shot in over 10 years and coincidentally I haven't had the flu in that time either. But thanks for the suggestion." She wasn't too happy with me

Today I went to the Drs with my Husband and I'm battling 2 infections right now and thought 1 had possibly morphed into pneumonia since my lungs hurt like crazy. Turns out they are clear but just hurt from coughing. Needless to say he wanted to give me the flu & pneumonia shot again and I refused. My objections come from the fact that even though I have a compromised immune system I believe in trying to build up natural immunities to things like the flu. From my research through the Canadian and American Diabetic Associations, flu shots are only 60% effective and the flu strain changes every year. Apparently healthy adults only need 1 shot in their lifetime and those with compromised immune systems need them once every 5-10 years.

So my question is, will YOU be getting either the flu or pneumonia shot this year? If not, why? If so, why?

[Patty Smyth]

I never get it, never get it for the kids. My folks who are 87 and 88 do get it, that's their choice.

I am not a big fan of vaccines(with my allergies I never know what's in them), none of us got that H1N1 shot a few years back. I have a particular horror story of a friend whose kid did and suffered life threatening illness as a result(yes not typical but it DID happen)

I have had the flu a few times in my lifetime, yes it's a week or so of feeling like a truck ran over you but you survive.

The flu vacine itself is a crap shoot as to whether it will work or not depending on the guesstimate of the doctors as to which strains will make the rounds this year anyways.

Last year they incorporated the H1N1 into the general flu vaccine. Wonder how many people were aware of that?

[TaraF]

Last year they incorporated the H1N1 into the general flu vaccine. Wonder how many people were aware of that?

Are you serious? I had no freaking clue about that one! When the H1N1 outbreak happened it was myself, my Husband and my Mother living together (funny, we are again now haha) anyways, my Mom got really sick and went to the Drs and he said, "well it seems you have H1N1, well it could be any flu but considering it's going around I'd say you have it" and she got the vaccination.

Now, whether she had H1N1 or "just the flu", we were living together and I never got whatever it was she had and I refused to get the vaccine because it hadn't been properly tested and they were just making a huge push to put it on the market. I have had pneumonia once in my life (I was 12) but recovered well from that.

Thanks for weighing in Patty, it's good to know that others have reservations about vaccines.

[MrsSunshine]

i won't be. for sure. i was getting the flu shots when they they first came out years back. and sure enough 3 years running sick as a dog christmas day. i decided enough was enough. since then nothing. hubby and kids get it. their choice. hubby has to as he's in a 'comprimised' workplace everyday. this year my oldest won't be getting it though. he's got a nast cold and they don't give shots if your sick.
my parents always get theirs too. they are in their late 70's and early 80s'.

[MrsSunshine]

Ha I remember going to the dr/s a couple of years ago for my physical and on the way out my dr. says oh while your here i'll give you your flu shot. i was like NO thanks. he was stunned. went ok. and walked away.

[CSLT]

I always get the flu shot (except one year I didn't for some reason and sure enough I ended up with the flu that year and it was just awful) and my husband never ever did (he always was against them) until one year he had the flu soooo badly that he felt like he was going to die, and he said after going through that he is always getting the flu shot now, and has ever since. He said he never wants to go through that again, and since then he hasn't.

I understand and respect other people's points on why not to get the flu shot too. You have to do with works for you, and for us it's getting the flu shot.

[ninna]

Wow Patty. Totally didn't know about the H1N1 being incorporated into the vaccines. Ugh. How annoying is THAT, eh?

I do not get the flu shot and neither does anyone else in our house. I don't know what goes into these vaccines or how safe it is long term to repeatedly inject myself on a yearly basis with whatever they put in them. In my opinion there are some things you get vaccinated for --ie. potentially life threatening crap that could kill you or cause you serious health complications if you got it. Like polio. That's life threatening and/or debilitating if you get it. The flu is not one of those things to me. I think its better for your body to come into contact with it and learn to fight it off the old fashioned way. I'm not a scientist either, but I question how "good" it is for us to be constantly vaccinated. Is there a risk that a superbug will develop because we constantly vaccinate ourselves against regular bugs? (kind of like how we actually become extremely susceptible to bacteria when we constantly soak ourselves in hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial products?). I dunno. I'm not about to play guinea pig to find out.

I got bullied one year into getting the flu shot because of where I worked. (health care)

It was the one year I got the flu.

Perhaps it makes sense for certain portions of the population to receive the shot ie. the elderly or infants who may not be as well equipped to defend against the flu or are at higher risk for complications from it.

Like anything, it comes down to personal preference, I guess. And my preference is no.

[jessep13]

I usually dont get it, as I dont have a family doctor, so that means im going to one of the clinics and waiting around all day to get my shot, not worth it to me. But my daughter has a doctor and she gets it every year.

[Patty Smyth]

As I said it's all a crap shoot. They never are 100% certain which flu will develope in a specific season. This is from the CDC website.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals...on/virusqa.htm

What does the seasonal influenza vaccine protect against?

Each year, the seasonal influenza vaccine contains three influenza viruses — one influenza A (H3N2) virus, one seasonal influenza A (H1N1) virus, and one influenza B virus. The influenza viruses in the seasonal flu vaccine are selected each year based on surveillance-based forecasts about what viruses are most likely to cause illness in the coming season. Therefore, each year’s seasonal flu vaccine is designed to protect against the influenza viruses expected to cause disease during the upcoming influenza season.
In April 2009, a new and different virus called 2009 H1N1 Influenza caused widespread illness and resulted in the first influenza pandemic in 40 years. It is likely that the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus will continue to circulate and cause illness during the 2010-2011 flu season. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 virus, as well as two other influenza viruses: an influenza A H3N2 virus, and an influenza B virus.
How are the viruses selected to make flu vaccine?

The influenza (flu) viruses selected for inclusion in the seasonal flu vaccines are updated each year based on which influenza virus strains are circulating, how they are spreading, and how well current vaccine strains protect against newly identified strains. Currently, 130 national influenza centers in 101 countries conduct year-round surveillance for influenza and study influenza disease trends. These laboratories also send influenza viruses to the five World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centers for Reference and Research on Influenza located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC); London, United Kingdom (National Institute for Medical Research); Melbourne, Australia (Victoria Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory); Tokyo, Japan (National Institute for Infectious Diseases); and Beijing, China (National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention) for additional analyses.
The seasonal flu vaccine is a trivalent vaccine (a three component vaccine) with each component selected to protect against one of the three main groups of influenza viruses circulating in humans. (Last year's 2009 H1N1 vaccine was made in response to the pandemic first recognized in April 2009. Unlike seasonal flu vaccines, the pandemic vaccine protected against only one flu virus strain, the 2009 H1N1 virus.)
The influenza viruses in the seasonal flu vaccine are selected each year based on surveillance-based forecasts about what viruses are most likely to cause illness in the coming season. WHO recommends specific vaccine viruses for inclusion in influenza vaccines, but then each individual country makes their own decision for which strains should be included in influenza vaccines licensed in their country. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines which vaccine viruses will be used in U.S.—licensed vaccines.

[DH666]

When it comes to polio vaccines and those other diseases, they know exactly what they are immunizing against while the flu vaccines are crapshoots. I used to get it at work for a few years, but since I do not have a compromised immune system, I don't bother anymore.

[princessjen]

Nope, not for me. I hate needles and I hate going to the doctors.

[TaraF]

Thanks so much for the responses guys, and thanks patty for that info from the CDC. Very interesting read! Has anyone had any experience with a Pneumonia shot?

I also have no idea what flu shot is administered from my Drs office but Health Canada is halting distribution of 2 brands of flu shots after some European countries found "particles" in them. *sighs*

[i_forget]

No way, not injecting myself or my kids with any toxic metals.

[Shwa Girl]

TaraF, what were the two infections you had, when you went to the doctor?

[frugal50]

this will be my first time in years NOT getting a flu shot!