It's that time of year again. Anyone considering getting a flu shot this year?

I never had a flu shot so I guess I will keep up the tradition since I have never had the flu.

Nope.

Never had one. Maybe if I make it to a high risk category.

I don't do them because I would be that one person who was sick all winter because of it.

Tony Marino wrote:

I never had a flu shot so I guess I will keep up the tradition since I have never had the flu.

When you do finally get the flu, I assure you, you aren't gonna like it.

I get my flu shot every year in late October early November, because our doctor told us not to get it too early or it wouldn't last through flu season.

Suzi wrote:

When you do finally get the flu, I assure you, you aren't gonna like it.

I get my flu shot every year in late October early November, because our doctor told us not to get it too early or it wouldn't last through flu season.

Nobody likes getting the flu, but some people wind up even sicker from the shots and nobody likes that either, that's why my family doesn't get them, and we don't turn out any worse oddly enough than our friends that do.

Chris wrote:

It's that time of year again. Anyone considering getting a flu shot this year?

It's NEVER a "consideration" for me, it's automatic. I just had mine last week and it's not optional for people in the military.

Supernova wrote:

Nobody likes getting the flu, but some people wind up even sicker from the shots and nobody likes that either, that's why my family doesn't get them, and we don't turn out any worse oddly enough than our friends that do.

Oh goodness!

Okay, I'm not calling you out or anything because I've had to explain this to about 10 other people in my own family who've said things like this too. Apparently, this is a widely held urban legend! Here's how the flu vaccination works: The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) which is injected into your bloodstream (or inhaled via nasal spray). It protects against the three influenza viruses that research indicates will be "most common" during the upcoming season. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get the flu from getting a flu shot! Again, the shot they give you is a DEAD virus. If you know somebody that got the flu after getting a flu shot, it simply means that the shot (for whatever reason) wasn't effective, and they just happened to catch the flu. It was an unfortunate coincidence! There are different strains of the influenza virus and some of them are resistant to the vaccination (which only accounts for three strains). But the vaccination itself doesn't make you "sicker". The only way you can get "sicker" from getting a flu shot would be if you had some kind of severe allergic reaction to the vaccine. But that affects only a very small percentage of the population (usually people who are allergic to egg). The flu shot (like any vaccination) can have certain minor side effects (like a mild fever or muscle aches) that might last for a day or two. That's normal because it's designed to boost your immunity. But that is nothing like actually getting the flu. If you've ever had the REAL flu before, you'd know that it doesn't compare. When you have the flu, it feels like you're dying inside for about a week straight, it's horrible!

Tony Marino wrote:

I never had a flu shot so I guess I will keep up the tradition since I have never had the flu.

Same here

captainbryce wrote:

Oh goodness!

Okay, I'm not calling you out or anything because I've had to explain this to about 10 other people in my own family who've said things like this too. Apparently, this is a widely held urban legend! Here's how the flu vaccination works: The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) which is injected into your bloodstream (or inhaled via nasal spray). It protects against the three influenza viruses that research indicates will be "most common" during the upcoming season. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get the flu from getting a flu shot! Again, the shot they give you is a DEAD virus. If you know somebody that got the flu after getting a flu shot, it simply means that the shot (for whatever reason) wasn't effective, and they just happened to catch the flu. It was an unfortunate coincidence! There are different strains of the influenza virus and some of them are resistant to the vaccination (which only accounts for three strains). But the vaccination itself doesn't make you "sicker". The only way you can get "sicker" from getting a flu shot would be if you had some kind of severe allergic reaction to the vaccine. But that affects only a very small percentage of the population (usually people who are allergic to egg). The flu shot (like any vaccination) can have certain minor side effects (like a mild fever or muscle aches) that might last for a day or two. That's normal because it's designed to boost your immunity. But that is nothing like actually getting the flu. If you've ever had the REAL flu before, you'd know that it doesn't compare. When you have the flu, it feels like you're dying inside for about a week straight, it's horrible!

I never said they got the flu FROM the flu shot, just that they get the shot, and then they STILL get whatever we get and sometimes wind up in worse shape than we are, ironically enough.

Supernova wrote:

I never said they got the flu FROM the flu shot, just that they get the shot, and then they STILL get whatever we get and sometimes wind up in worse shape than we are, ironically enough.

Point taken. I understand that now, I do. But some people are quick to read things like that and perpetuate the myth that the flu vaccine can make you sick. So I just wanted to get it out there, very clearly that flu shots are in fact safe and do not give people the flu. Also, I'm not saying all of this to convince everyone to go out and get a flu shot. Maybe you have an aversion towards needles. Maybe you don't have healthcare coverage and you can't afford it. Maybe you've been lucky all these years without getting the flu and you feel comfortable taking the risk. There are many reasons why people might not want to get it. Whatever your reason is for NOT getting vaccinated, that's fine. Just as long as your reason (not you per say, but anyone) isn't that "the flu shot will make me sick", because according to all data, that is an illogical reason. And for the love of God, please don't ever tell someone else whose already gotten the shot that they are now going to get sick from it! Because you'd be doing them a disservice from a standpoint of ignorance. That's all!

My bad, I did say it, my thing is I keep flashing on my brother who got a chickenpox vaccine and it DID make him sick, almost killed him, and then he STILL got the chickenpox. So usually people don't get sick FROM shots but he did BUT the thing of it is he, just like the rest of my family, doesn't fall under the category of ALLERGIC to the shots, so then I can't figure out what the hell is causing it that every time anybody in this family gets a shot, they suddenly become as sick as dogs.

Shale wrote:

Maybe psychosomatic. Srsly, it happens. Which is also why placebo sometimes cures actual diseases.

Yeah, the doctors said the same thing when my mother told everybody after her c-section NOT to sew her up with nylon because she was allergic. Everybody assured her it was all in her head, and yet she still spent 8 months with a swollen, oozing, bleeding, infected stomach until she ripped the nylon out herself and it all went away.

Don't need it.

I've never had a flu shot and I don't feel I need one.

My son is allergic to anything in a needle. Something to do with his allergy to eggs we think. So when he was in the Army before they gave him a shot they put him in he hospital, 1/3 of a dose of smallpox vaccine nearly killed him. However he is not average , most of us can get most vaccines.

Got mine last week-- where I work, you either have to get it or be mandated to wear a mask the entire flu season and do online training.