Flu Shot?

[kitbuddy]

Does anyone here get them? Or planning on getting one this year?

I'm debating getting one because my work offers them for free. Haven't gotten one since I was a teenager. I've always been (irrationally) scared that it will give me the flu.

[mhartse]

for me, I get it on a day where its been like 48 hours since i could of potentially been exposed (a bit irrational, yeah.) then get it, and chill out for the next day or two. Im usually fine. I didn't get it last year, and I'm not sure about this year.

[jkl81]

I get it every year, and the only year I got the flu was the year that we had H1N1, not covered by the vaccine in 2009. My parents got the H1N1 shot as well and didn't catch it. It's not perfect, but it works as intended and the chances of severe complications are exceptionally low.

[Night]

I had not had a flu shot in 40 years!
had one 2 years ago and I was fine. Then I had another a year later and I felt "off" for a few days.
Now I am wondering if I will get another one. They make me feel uncomfortable but I am older and, therefore in one of the higher risk groups.
I know they are considered safe, but I have that discomfort towards all vaccines.

[wanted]

I get it every year.

[NicManri]

I've gotten one every year since H1N1 was going around. I've never had any problems with it. I need to get mine but I was just watching my cousins baby who either had a cold or was teething so I'm waiting to make sure I didn't catch anything there

[hlov2]

the vaccine is made with the killed virus so it cannot physically make you sickhowever the mist is actually made with the live virus and I can give you a case of the yuckies for a couple of days

[mdgirl1977]

I've gotten one every year for at least 15 years except two years. I always get flus, but those two years I skipped I got hit with 10 day, 104+ fevers. unless you are allergic to eggs, there is honestly no reason to not take the preventative measure. you won't get the flu but you may have a sore injection spot for a day and some ppl get a super low fever. it's worth it.

[jkl81]

Never been as sick as MDgirl with the flu, but I've been down and out for the better part of a week with lingering symptoms 2-3 weeks out. I always get the injection though, not the mist, as stated above it is killed virus, so if you have a serious reaction, you are allergic to something in the shot or you were sick already before the vaccine could work.

[MichelleS]

I will not get the flu shot. It has things in it that are not good for you such as mercury. Among other harmful things. 39 years ans I have never had influenza..I will chsnce it. Its respiratory anyway..I can deal with that. You don't v with it.

[hlov2]

Influenza is a BRUTAL disease. I encourage you strongly to get the shot, while it may not prevent the disease 100%, it WILL lessen the severity. It cant hurt..

[derp]

I've gotten one every year since I was a kid. It relieves some anxieties about getting sick during the winter. I'm not sure I've ever gotten the flu, although I have had bad sore throats and head colds.
You cannot get the virus from the shot. There is no live virus in the shot. And the nose spray is actually considered stronger because of the small amounts of live virus it contains. I've heard that it MIGHT be possible to get it from the one where they spray it in your nose IF you already have a condition that has worn down your immune system (AIDS, cancer, etc.) but it is incredibly unlikely (might not even be possible) for a healthy person to get it from that. I highly recommend getting a flu shot!

[cbrink816]

I got an awful flu in 2009 so ever since I get one yearly. Besides feeling like I'm getting a small cold, I've never had any issues with it.

[Koizumiii]

I get the nose sniff every year and I feel fine. I'm kinda scared of shots...

[wiscomommy]

I get one every year. Without fail. And I have my entire family immunized as well.

[JasonJ]

I get one just about every year. The last 3 or 4 years at least. Worst it's ever given me was kinda like that feeling of getting punched in the arm, not the pain but the "dead" feeling. Only lasted a few minutes that I recall, though. Didn't get any cold or flu-like symptoms from it. Last year's didn't give me any pain, might have just been the crazy nurse at Walmart that did it the year before.

Nice thing about the flu (if you can really consider any of it "nice"), is that v*ing isn't a symptom of it. Maybe in small children as their bodies are smaller and weaker, but not in adults. Still can make you feel like complete and utter horseshit though which sucks. I suppose it relieves some anxiety for me just knowing that I've had it.

[chicajojobe]

I get one every year because I work across the street from a hospital.
Got mine for this year on Friday. I feel fine.

Now, as for it giving you the flu. Scientifically that's impossible, especially with the injected vaccine. The injected vaccine uses inactive (dead) virus. The intranasal vaccine uses a weakened virus, so there's very small possibility, but it's still not likely.
If you know someone who got the shot and got the flu that year, it wasn't from the shot giving it to them. It was because they just got the flu and weren't adequately protected by the vaccine because their body didn't mount an immune response. It happens with every vaccine. In some people it doesn't protect them, and unless you undergo antibody testing you really don't know for sure if it did for you. That's why for vaccines to be most effective a large amount of the population needs to be vaccinated.
If they got sick right after getting the shot it was either a) they already contracted the flu before getting the vaccine and just didn't have symptoms yet, or b) they didn't really have the flu, but an adverse reaction to the vaccine itself.

[mdgirl1977]

I got it on wed and had an achy arm on Thursday. that was it. every year, same thing. get the shot.