Flu shots

I have gotten the flu shot every year since I was 4 and I have never had the flu. So even though I hate needles I get them, but that's just me. I know plenty of people who don't get them and never have the flu either. :duh:

My whole family gets them every year... I never used to get them (terrified of needles) until about 6 years ago, my hubby and I were both knocked on our butts for a solid week with a BAD flu. My Mom was making deliveries of Kleenex, soup and various medicines to our house... only she'd bring it up to the door, drop it all on the porch, ring the doorbell and RUN! She'd get back in her car and wait till she saw one of us come out and get the stuff before she drove off... HA HA HA!

Once you've been through something THAT BAD, $25 and the little pinch of a flu shot looks darn appealing!

Now, 5 years later, we have 2 kids and one of them has asthma, so we are always the FIRST in line at the pediatrician's office come October every year! Oh yea, and pregnancy will cure you of a fear of needles REAL FAST!

I'm not getting one. The last big scare of running out was due to folks who didn't need them getting them. Children and the elderly should get them, as a bad flue can be a bit worse on them as a healthy adult. People in the medical practices or who deal with children or the elderly, those with chronic deseases (athsma for one) and other health problems should get them. But again, I see no reason to get one if I can live a few days with a bad cold. Holly, I have no clue what to say in regards to pregnancy, but there is one type(not sure which one) that has a substantially less ammount of mercury, you should ask your doctor about it.

I have had flu shots in the past, but don't get them now. I'm not in the high risk group, anyway. DH's office pays for them, so all the staff can have a shot if they want one. Have also gotten the flu even after the shot...the shot is based on the previous year's flu, and it's a big guess as to what the strain will actually be in the current year...sometimes the shot is ineffective against the current strain. :

I get them, as I'm in a high risk group. Mishi is right...they are not formulated for each and every strain out there, therefore you can still get the flu. I'd rather be protected against some than none is how I look at it. Being pregnant...I think I'd lean towards not getting it. You don't want to put any more drugs in your body when pregnant than absolutely necessary.

I was never pregnant during the flu season and I never got the flu shot until the year after my baby went into heart and respiratory and adrenal gland failure with the flu. Now Liam (my son always gets his flu shot and the rest of us have this year because I want to try and avoid my new baby (Katherine Hope 6 weeks old today, yay!) from getting it. The mercury-based thimerosal is in some vaccines however it is my understanding that you can get vaccines with little or no thimerosal in them. I also read an article the other day that was saying that most vaccines for children under the age of six no longer contain the preservative. I will be talking to our doc about it at Katherine's next check-up. But back to you, I am fairly pro-vaccine however I would probably pass on getting one while pregnant. On the other hand, I know plenty of women who have gotten flu shots while pregnant that have perfectly healthy babies.

nursie said:

I get them, as I'm in a high risk group. Mishi is right...they are not formulated for each and every strain out there, therefore you can still get the flu. I'd rather be protected against some than none is how I look at it. Being pregnant...I think I'd lean towards not getting it. You don't want to put any more drugs in your body when pregnant than absolutely necessary.

Click to expand...

Nursie, as I understand it though, even if you contract a different strain of the flu than what you were vaccinated for you're still better off with the shot. The reasoning being that your body will still be better prepared to handle the virus. So, all things being equal, if two individuals, one vaccinated one not, caught a rare strain of flu the one with the vaccine would have an easier case.

My wife is 35 weeks and was going to get one, she does every year since she's a nurse. She has a cold though so they wouldn't give it to her.

Also, I did forget to mention that Liam had his first flu shot before he got the flu ( young children who have never had it must have two a month apart.) He got the first round but not the second. They told us that without the first shot he probably would have been sicker. Geez.

I don't get it. Unless it covers all of the strands...forget it. But that's just me. Its either all, or none.