Wondering how many people are going to swear they had a flu shot and then got the flu, even though, since it's not a live vaccine, that's impossible.

I have never gotten a flu shot.

Also, I have never gotten the flu.

I do, however, get throat infections, sinus infections and on rare occasions frostbite... in my hair (my hair is cold and there is no feeling in it).

Emergen-C, avoiding contained mass public places when possible, frequent hand-washing and drinking lots of fluids seems to work for me.

I've been getting them since Fall 2008, when I was diagnosed with some issues that earned me a free pacemaker and CPAP machine.

Prior to then, I don't believe I ever had the flu, though I'd had mild colds once or twice a year, a few cases of bronchitis (once very severe with a 103degF fever) and two cases of walking pneumonia.

This year is the first time I can say I (might) have had a reaction to a flu shot: about 16 hours after getting it, I had a mild flu-like episode with headache, congestion, cough, fever and sore throat, though all fairly mild. I took a jigger of nyquil chased with two of vodka and 12 oz of water, then slept for ten hours and felt much better, except for feeling a bit stiff and sore for about another 36 hours.

So, was it the flu shot? or something else? I cannot say, though no one around me had any symptoms at all for more than a week before and after my episode.

Also, while I've been getting flu shots recently, I don't believe that they are necessarily the reason I haven't gotten the flu. I do believe that most vaccines are not harmful for most people and that they should not be avoided due to misplaced fears of guillain barre that happened back in 1976.

The flu vaccine is nothing but a govt mind control serum.........eeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkk

I am in the camp where someday a terrorist or govt intervention could compromise the general population with these flu shots. Besides, the fact that a toxic metal mercury is already used as a preservative in an ingredient called thimerosal, which is used in the flu shots. Google it...not good for the brain and autoimmune system.

I get my flu shot every year. I can say that I have never had any form of flu since I started taking the shots. I had the flu a couple of times in the 20 years before getting the shots. Other than being allergic to eggs or the other media the vaccine is made in, I cannot see any reason not to take the shot. It's painless, and even the rare side effects (if the person above had a reaction to the shot) are much milder than the actual flu would be.
My kids have all had all the vaccinations and have never had any of the diseases. None of them have become zombies, unlike some of the detractors.

I got my first flu shot in ~1972. A month or so later, I got the flu. I haven't had a flu shot or the flu since then. Perhaps that one episode gave me permanent protection.

Prior to getting regular flu shots, I'd always get sick at least once during the year, and lose at least a week of work.
For the past few years I've always received a flu shot, and since I've been getting the shots I don't get sick.

It works for me, so I'll keep getting the shots.

::::shrug::::

I never got one until I worked at a hospital, where it was free and just about mandatory for all employees (technically highly recommended). I never got the flu during the three flu seasons that passed by while I was working there, and I was there during the H1N1 scare, where just about EVERY patient in the hospital had it.

Now I don't work there anymore and am a starving grad student, so though I had good success with them while working there, I don't have the cash monies for a shot this year. Emergen-C and vitamins, here I come!

And miss out on all those sick days?!

wait, what?

who says they're the devil?!

micronut wrote:I am in the camp where someday a terrorist or govt intervention could compromise the general population with these flu shots. Besides, the fact that a toxic metal mercury is already used as a preservative in an ingredient called thimerosal, which is used in the flu shots. Google it...not good for the brain and autoimmune system.

There is, in fact, mercury in thimerosal - ethyl mercury, that is. In this form, it is nowhere near as dangerous to humans as methyl mercury (which is what people worry about in the environment). By comparison, there is approximately as much ethyl mercury in a flu vaccine as there methyl mercury in 5oz of tuna that is in line with FDA standards.

If someone wanted to poison the population, contaminating the water supply would be far simpler, and more effective (especially considering the low vaccination rates in US adults). Fear of vaccines is irrational.

belarm wrote:There is, in fact, mercury in thimerosal - ethyl mercury, that is. In this form, it is nowhere near as dangerous to humans as methyl mercury (which is what people worry about in the environment). By comparison, there is approximately as much ethyl mercury in a flu vaccine as there methyl mercury in 5oz of tuna that is in line with FDA standards.

If someone wanted to poison the population, contaminating the water supply would be far simpler, and more effective (especially considering the low vaccination rates in US adults). Fear of vaccines is irrational.

@belarm: Was about to lay down some knowledge, but you beat me to it. Well played sir.
*internet high five*

For anyone looking to read up on the issue, I highly recommend this book http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Choices-Anti-Vaccine-Movement-Threatens/dp/0465021492

pooflady wrote:Wondering how many people are going to swear they had a flu shot and then got the flu, even though, since it's not a live vaccine, that's impossible.

Happened to me (approx. 8-10 years ago). Got a flu shot at work and within a couple hours my head was swimming. Felt feverish and was unable to focus my eyes on the computer screen at my workstation. Then the headache kicked in.

Had to leave work early that evening and missed the next day but was fine after that so it wasn't as bad as the full-blown flu which usually knocks me out for 3-5 days. Still, I've never gotten another flu shot since that experience.

My so-called better half doesn't stop nagging me about it. It's illegal to shoot her, so I get the shot just to shut her up.

pooflady wrote:Wondering how many people are going to swear they had a flu shot and then got the flu, even though, since it's not a live vaccine, that's impossible.

Its not that they get the "flu" they get flu like symptoms...Basically..they get the flu..lol

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm

Getting the flu is a good excuse for using my sick time.

There are women who take their clothes off? Do continue, WootBot.

Wow. I expected this comment thread to be loaded with paranoid trolls. Instead, the bulk of the comments are fairly intelligent. Kudos to Woot for attracting the more brainy segment of the population.

A couple of comments. First, the whole bit about vitamin C helping with the common cold was started by the Nobel winning chemist Linus Pauling, but as far as I know, all recent research has shown the effect to be minimal and to require HUGE dosages of vitamin C, far in excess of what a normal multivitamin would take.

Second, a flu shot doesn't necessarily give you immunity. In most people it does. In some it reduces the severity and duration. In some people, it might do nothing. But the point is that if enough people get the shot, then even those who don't get the shot (or don't receive immunity from the shot) will be less likely to be exposed. It's called Herd Immunity and its why its so important for everyone to get the shot. Because even if you're young and healthy, by getting the shot you're protecting the lives of the sick, the elderly, and babies who are still too young to get the shot.

I avoid it like the plague. My wife has followed my lead and she is a RN. A doctor at the hospital she works at got the flu shot and a couple of days later complaining about feeling sick.
When the government tells me we need to get any kind of vaccination I am really leery about. I haven't had the flu in over 10 years.

Every single February (honestly, in February) I came down with a hard case of whatever flu was prevalent in that year - this went on for about 20 years of being terribly sick and losing worktime like mad and long recoveries. I have not had an issue with a flu of any kind since the shots became available, and I certainly will be having one within the next week or so. Of course, I undoubtedly have immunity built up from all of the past illnesses of my much younger years, but it can't hurt, I really do not believe that it does.

I've never gotten a flu shot, never been sick with the flu, but I'm going to get one this year as a prevetative measure due to the fact I am currently living with my Mom, who has COPD & my brother who also has COPD & had just been diagnosed with Stage 3 bladder cancer. Neither one will be able to take getting hit with the flu, so I'm going to do my best to make sure they don't get it!

I've never had the flu so wouldn't weaken my immune system by getting one. Maybe when I'm old I'll start getting them.

Let me start by saying I have never had the flu as an adult. And I always get a flu shot. They work and I am a happy guy.
However, every year I "get the flu" and have to miss a week or so of work. The sick days are built into my contract, so no harm.
I can go a couple of towns over and do a bit of Christmas shopping before the holidays, or lay about and recuperate after.
And, if your significant other is up for it, you can make it a little "stay-cation" on the company's time.
Phone call to the boss: "oh, man, I am so sick. And if I throw up again, I will die. I will see you when I get better." ;D

TheFaz wrote:I've never had the flu so wouldn't weaken my immune system by getting one.

My immune system got thrashed a couple years ago after attending PAX (09, year of the Nerd Flu). Since then I've been getting them and plan to get one in a week or so. I was going to do it last week but I had a SuperMegaDeathCold and it wouldn't have been a great idea (plus they probably would have said no you are sick already get out).

No usually. Having a 4 month old kid and working a school caused me to get one this year.

Don't get flu shots, and don't plan to get flu shots. Last time I came down with the flu was in 2003, during finals during my Junior year at UCLA. The flu was going around LA like crazy that year. It was probably the most sick I've been - it knocked me out pretty badly for about a week and a half, and I would go through phases of being incredibly hot/sweaty with being freezing cold, and was pretty miserable. Going to class in the rain to take my finals during this period wasn't very much fun either, and probably contributed to its severity.

That said, I hadn't ever gotten the flu like that before, and haven't gotten it since; I'm willing to accept 1 bad flu every 10-15 years in exchange for avoiding an annual shot (ugh) and the flu-light symptoms that come from that shot. On the whole they're probably roughly equal amounts of sickness, but I just prefer my sickness to come more rarely and in concentrated doses, I suppose.

chipgreen wrote:Happened to me (approx. 8-10 years ago). Got a flu shot at work and within a couple hours my head was swimming. Felt feverish and was unable to focus my eyes on the computer screen at my workstation. Then the headache kicked in.

Had to leave work early that evening and missed the next day but was fine after that so it wasn't as bad as the full-blown flu which usually knocks me out for 3-5 days. Still, I've never gotten another flu shot since that experience.

I got the flu and pneumonia shots in Jan 2010... week later I was diagnosed with pneumonia which lasted a very long (VERY LONG!) hellish six weeks. I will never EVER get another pneumonia shot... flu shot only if my employer mandates it.

IAmGood wrote:I avoid it like the plague. My wife has followed my lead and she is a RN. A doctor at the hospital she works at got the flu shot and a couple of days later complaining about feeling sick.
When the government tells me we need to get any kind of vaccination I am really leery about. I haven't had the flu in over 10 years.

Ay yi yi, people, get a grip. One main reason for getting the flu shots is to keep other people from getting it from YOU. So I've been getting my flu shot and you didn't get the flu, see? Your wife should reconsider her choice of careers if she's going to be swayed away from science-backed medicine toward what, "I heard a story..."?

Don't get the flu shot for yourself. Get it for everyone around you. Get it as a community service. Get it because it's the right thing to do. An average of 36,000 people die in the United States each year due to the seasonal flu. You may not catch it, or be that bothered by it, but you could be a carrier to infect others who don't have the same strength of immunity you do. Often, these are the elderly or small children, many of whom may not be able to get the vaccine. While the flu is not dearly as dangerous as some of the diseases we have regular childhood immunizations against, it is still much more dangerous to at risk individuals than most people realize.

I stay away from the yearly flu shot for many reasons. I also recommend to my patients to not use it either.

1) It is a "best guess" as to which strains will be most effective. I believe it was 2008 that the shot was ineffective but it was recommended that you get one anyway. (I could be wrong on the year). This reeks of monetary motivation.
2) Although ethyl mercury is less toxic than methyl, there is a BIG difference from injecting it into your body versus ingesting it (as in methyl mercury from tuna, you only absorb a percentage). Same goes for aluminum. The flu shot exceeds workplace standards for exposure to aluminum when inhaled, let alone injected.
3) Aluminum is used as an adjuvant--it provokes a chronic unrelenting immune response designed to increase antibody production against the injected antigens. This allows greater immune response for less injected antigens (read: can make more vaccines with less virus--monetary motivation).
4) Aluminum in flu vaccines has been linked to Alzheimer's due to neurotoxic effects and is found in high concentrations in the temporal lobe of deceased Alzheimer's patients. Some estimates are that 3-5 consecutive years of use can increase risk of Alzheimer's up to 8x. http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/health/2011/10/09/1013.html
5) Most "flu related" deaths are actually due to pneumonia and other "complications." The "CDC estimated that only 8.5% of all pneumonia and influenza deaths and only 2.1% of all respiratory and circulatory deaths were influenza-related." http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm

And yes, I am a doctor.

As always, your best defense against getting sick is to have a healthy balanced diet low in processed foods, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and try not to be "too clean."

TheFaz wrote:I've never had the flu so wouldn't weaken my immune system by getting one.

Weaken your immune system by getting one? When you can come up with some science to back that idea up, I'll consider listening. For now, I'd like to hear exactly by what method you think immunizations weaken your immune system?

djwitz, if you're really a doctor, I'm sincerely concerned for the well-being of your patients.

As others have said, the best reason to get a flu shot is to benefit your community, especially those close to you. I have an elderly mother who could die if she got the flu, so my sister and I get the shot primarily for her.

But even if you don't have a compromised person near you, if everyone got the shot, we could take a huge chunk out of the death toll of 30,000 to 40,000 people who die from the flu, just in the US, each year.

It's true that some people may not be fully immune even after getting the shot, even against one of the three strains that are in the shot, but it's your duty as someone living in civilized society to get immunized, simply because of the numbers of people who could be saved if everyone did.

Anecdotes about someone's friend who got sick even though they had the shot are worthless. What matters are the larger effects on your family and community. Bus as long as we're bringing up anecdotes, last fall my family got together in November, and just about everyone who had not had the flu shot got badly sick, while everyone who had the shot was OK. Other than my elderly mother, who got the shot and did get sick, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. The flu shot is less effective in the elderly, and they depend on others to be vaccinated.

djwitz40 wrote:...Alzheimer's up to 8x. http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/health/2011/10/09/1013.html
...
And yes, I am a doctor.

Um, seriously? You're trying to back up your claim with a reference from agoracosmopolitan.com?

Let me read you some of the top headlines currently on the main page of agoracosmopolitan.com:

- Increase sales with Advertorials
- Extraterrestrials examined crop circles say British police
- Oregon witness: Extraterrestrials unloaded boxes
- North Carolina hunters describe Extraterrestrial
- Humans mistook wars against Extraterrestrials as Gods
- Hospital patient reports apparent Extraterrestrial Humanoid
- Pennsylvania Retiree describes Extraterrestrial
- Global Financial Crisis linked to Artificial Intelligence
- GMO foods have Manipulative Extraterrestrial source

I also note that the main page is full of advertising banners that simply say "Apply for a banner" - they have lots of advertising space, but not so many people willing to buy, apparently. If you really are a doctor, I would be extremely worried about being your patient if this is where you get your information on... well pretty much anything.

I agree with CurtCameron and worlebird, but this is the only point I think that I'm able to fully respond to off-hand.

4) Aluminum in flu vaccines has been linked to Alzheimer's due to neurotoxic effects and is found in high concentrations in the temporal lobe of deceased Alzheimer's patients. Some estimates are that 3-5 consecutive years of use can increase risk of Alzheimer's up to 8x. http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/health/2011/10/09/1013.html

That is a tertiary link on a very questionable website. The research you are referring to is fairly old (I think around 1960's) and involved post-mortem autopsies that had elevated levels of aluminum within Alzheimer patient brain samples. This study showed, at best, correlation - claiming causation is spurious.

More resent research discredited such aluminum/Alzheimer links. Here are some secondary resources - fraid I don't have the time to dump all the primary work.

http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_myths_about_alzheimers.asp
http://alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=99

I go in and out of houses daily. I get one each year and my company gives me a voucher to go to Walgreen's for it.

never have i ever. im just not a fan of needles at all so unless im dying i stay away from any sort of shot or iv

last few flu seasons I have taken Improvax, a homeopathic flu vaccine. (influenzium 9C) As a logical person, I don't understand why homeopathy works, but it seems to do the trick. I used to get very sick once or twice a year, the last 3 years I have only had very mild colds.