posted
I received mine yesterday. My university usually gets a limited supply for faculty, staff and students.
A lot of people that I talk to are afraid to get a flu shot - they think it is going to give them the flu, or that it's a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most of the literature I've read indicates that it is a good idea - especially as we seem to be overdue for a pandemic. The only side effects I've ever had from the shot is a bruise and some soreness, and I didn't experience anything with yesterday's shot.
I'm curious as to what other snopesters think about getting the shot.
-------------------- So many books, so little time. Posts: 1192 | From: McDonough, Georgia | Registered: Nov 2005
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I don't personally have a need for it, as I'm not prone to any colds or illnesses. Occasionally, about once a year or so I'll get a head cold that lasts a few days, but that's it. Save the flu shots for people who are more susceptible and need them. It would be wasted on me.
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
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Got mine at the beginning of October. I'm very susceptible to upper-respiratory infections (wound up in hospital for seven days once from severe bronchitis), and so I like to take whatever precautions I can. I also get a pneumonia shot at intervals--but my last one, a couple of years ago, is still in effect, according to my doctor.
-------------------- "No hard feelin's and HOPpy New Year!"--Walt Kelly Hear what you're missing: ARTC podcasts! http://artcpodcast.org/ Posts: 7581 | From: Gainesville, Georgia | Registered: Jun 2000
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I don't get them personally but it's mainly because of my fear of needles. My parents who are both 70 get them every year and my son and husband get them as they are both asthmatic. My daughter also gets them due to other health issues.
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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I can't take one because they're incubated in chicken eggs, but my husband gets one every year with no ill effects. I can eat eggs, but I'm allergic to chicken feathers. Go figure. A skin test had a delayed reaction, so I'm glad I was late going back to have it read!
My mother always ran a low-grade fever for less than 24 hours after taking one, but she never had the flu, so it was worth it.
I got my pneumonia vaccine this past Tuesday. My arm hurt like crazy through the next day. Thank goodness those are only given every five years!
-------------------- "This air we're breathing. Oxygen, isn't it?"~I’mNotDedalus, impersonating Vincent D’Onofrio.|"Sometimes trying to communicate can be like walking through a minefield."~wanderwoman "Give people a break. It's not easy doing a life."~Joshua Halberstam Posts: 4020 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Nov 2005
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Like Christie, I'm afraid of needles. Add to that my mother had a bad reaction when she had a flu shot, so I'm doubly fearful. But, the reason, or excuse I use is that I rarely get the flu. I'm prone to bronchitis and I have scar tissue on my lungs from five bouts of pleurisy, so if I hear people sniffling, or looking sick, I run in the other direction. Actually, I remind myself after encountering sick people that just because they brought their sick germs around me, doesn't mean I have to let them take hold.
If I allow myself to get sick, I would be very sick. So, I try to disallow it. Not getting a flu shot means, to me, that I'm not even thinking about the possibility of being sick. It's a sort of perverse positive thinking.
-------------------- Explore, enjoy and protect the planet --- AAMAH Posts: 8532 | From: Michigan | Registered: Mar 2000
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I will get a flu shot whenever possible, because winter before last I got the flu. Not the "I have a really bad cold" flu, but "I have influenza and I'd like to die right now, please" flu.
I will do whatever I can to not get it again. I would lie still in bed, and my hair would hurt.
Four Kitties
-------------------- If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales? Posts: 13275 | From: Kindergarten World, Massachusetts | Registered: Jul 2003
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I've never had a flu shot, but I might get one -- or maybe just the pneumonia shot -- this year. I'm no longer a kid, and I started this "flu season" with a cold that didn't fully go away for a month.
-------------------- “Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.” -- Edward R. Murrow
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I thought you couldn't have them due to a really nasty egg allergy (or something), 4K. Did they find a way around that problem or am I thinking of someone else?
-------------------- "You watched it. You can't UNWATCH it." Posts: 1646 | From: UK | Registered: Dec 2003
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I try to get vaccinated every year because I work in a pharmacy and a lot of our customers are elderly and/or immune-compromised. I think I've only had the flu once, and it was only really bad for about two days. I didn't get it done the year there was a really bad shortage (when the government restricted it to infants, the elderly, health care workers and immune-compromised) because I wanted to save it for someone who was really panicked about getting sick. People were trying to be all sneaky so they could get the shot (we'd have flu shot days at the pharmacy). I remember one woman, a perfectly healthy forty-something, who came in saying she should get one because she had surgery a few months ago for her bad back so she was immune-compromised, plus she had an infant niece she saw sometimes, so she was a caretaker.
I got the FluMist last year. It was nice not having the needle, but I got a sore throat and runny nose for several days after as a result. It's not that I mind needles, but I always get soreness from them and it lasts at least a week. I don't know which I'll do this year, but I've been sick so I have to check with my doctor to make sure it's okay first.
-------------------- I can't put my arms down! Posts: 273 | From: California | Registered: Feb 2006
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I got mine a couple of weeks ago. Teaching makes it easy to get exposed to the flu; I'm not taking any chances this year.
We can't get the FluMist because my dad, a NICU nurse, would be exposed to live virus and would then risk exposing his extremely vulnerable patients. So it's a poke in the arm for everyone in our house.
-------------------- "But about the reindeer...what kind of a nose shines? How did he get it? Maybe it's not a reindeer after all. It could be something else." Posts: 2216 | From: Winston-Salem, NC | Registered: Nov 2003
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I get mine next week, as I work in a hospital and have some patient contact (mopups in rooms, exchange if curtains after discharge, hallway, etc.)
-------------------- ~Reality, the refuge of those who fail in RPGs~ aka Darkfist Dragon -==(UDIC)==- Posts: 334 | From: Lancaster, Ohio | Registered: Dec 2005
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I got one. I'm not bothered by needles, but it had been a long time since I'd had a shot, and I was amazed at how painless it was. I didn't feel it go in, I didn't feel it come out, and afterwards I was still asking, "Well, are you going to stick me or not?" Of course my arm was sore the next day, but the needlephobes really shouldn't worry. Of course, YMMV.
This was the first time I'd ever paid for a flu shot. It was a matter of principle for me... I used to work at a business that gave their employees free flu shots, realizing that it was in their best interest to keep their employees healthy. I wish all employers would think that way. But this year I got over myself and decided to pay for one.
-------------------- I believe I'm growing skeptical of cynicism. MyspaceNWNBoard Posts: 917 | From: Nashville TN | Registered: Oct 2005
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Forgotten Fay
I'll Be Home for After Christmas Sales
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I haven't gotten one, although I really should. I work in healthcare, and I am immune-compromised. But I was told, by my mom, I ended up in the hospital after getting a flu shot. I don't remeber it, so I wanna talk to my doctor about getting a test to see if I am allergic. If not, then I'll be getting one yearly.
-------------------- "Smile for me when I cannot Smile anymore..." ~ Myself Posts: 174 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2006
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I always get one. I'm asthmatic and work with kids. The one year I didn't, I was brutally ill. I also got sick one year right after getting it (like, two days) - apparently I had been exposed prior to getting the shot. That was a bummer. But generally, I don't have any side effects other than a sore arm for a day or two.
-------------------- "What is sin? I think sin is failure to grow." -Lauren Slater, "Prozac Diary" Posts: 172 | From: Denver, Colorado | Registered: Apr 2006
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I got one because a: I work in the healthcare industry (it's free for me and I'm exposed to all the germy patients) and b: I've had mono this past month, I don't think my immune system needs any more work.
Those who are egg allergic who are interested in getting vaccinated should either look into the FluMist* or ask about incremental flu shots. I work at an allergy clinic and we have several patients who get small doses of the vaccine over a period of time in order to reduce the amount of egg they are exposed to at a single time. If you've had a reaction to the flu shot in the past you should be tested for allergy to both eggs and the preservative** used in the shots. Preservative-free shots are available.
*I'm 99% sure that FluMist is egg-free, but it's not a good option for anyone who is considered high risk because it is a live virus. **The preservative does contain a trace amount of mercury, which some people feel increases the risk of autism developing in young children.
-------------------- Too broke to pay attention Posts: 452 | From: Omaha, NE | Registered: Aug 2005
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Rhiandmoi
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
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I'll probably go get mine in a couple of weeks, right now this area is having a slight shortage because of shipping problems so I'll let those with more risk get it first.
-------------------- I think that hyperbole is the single greatest factor contributing to the decline of society. - My friend Pat.
posted
For decades I used to say..."I NEVER get sick!" and for the most part that's still true except the last five years I got the flu twice and one of those time I nearly died
It knocked me on my butt for about a month before I ended up driving five miles to the hospital at 3am hallucinating the entire way...it was a miracle I made it to the emergency room
Now I get my shot like a good boy...I never want to go through that again
BTW Anyte is right...don't worry about being afraid of needles...the shots nowadays are so sharp and thin that you don't even feel the needle at all
Posts: 100 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Faith: I thought you couldn't have them due to a really nasty egg allergy (or something), 4K. Did they find a way around that problem or am I thinking of someone else?
That was true when I was a kid, Faith, but I grew out of that decades ago (fortunately). I also grew out of my allergy to chocolate (extremely fortunately!), and drinking orange juice no longer required immediate Benadryl follow-up (as long as I don't have too much).
Can't believe you remembered that!
Four Kitties
-------------------- If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales? Posts: 13275 | From: Kindergarten World, Massachusetts | Registered: Jul 2003
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I get a flu shot every year & so do the kids. Here's my reasoning: The short costs about $20-$40, depending on insurance & all that. My job is such that if I don't work, I don't get paid. I have no vacation or sick days. For me to miss 1 day of work 'costs' me about $40. So, considering that if I or my kids got the flu we'd be out longer than a day or two, I figure the money spent on flu shots is money well spent. I also work with kids & have already been snotted on, sneezed on & coughed several times & thrown up on once. I need to give my immune system all the help it can get!
4K, your description of having the flu a few years back is another reason I get it. I think people forget how bad the flu is. Its like a bad cold times 50. I know how bad I feel with a bad cold & I don't want to do the flu anytime soon!
-------------------- I cannot live without books-Thomas Jefferson *~* A child educated only at school is an uneducated child - George Santayana I'm going to pummel you with such zeal, Buddha will explode! *~* Never miss a good chance to shut up - Will Rogers Posts: 6585 | From: Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Four Kitties: That was true when I was a kid, Faith, but I grew out of that decades ago (fortunately). ... Can't believe you remembered that!
I think I remembered because you've talked about your violent aversion to mayonnaise due to the egg allergy as a child. You've ranted a few times about the "You can't have even just a little bit?" people
-------------------- "You're the opposite of troll. It's a compliment!" Posts: 12086 | From: Alberta | Registered: Feb 2000
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When I got a flu shot many, many years ago, I became sicker from the shot than I did from the flu. I swore to never go through that again.
Years and years go by and the doctor around here tells me, "oh, that rarely happens anymore, they make the shot different than they did way back then." So, I got one of these "new" shots.
Again, I got sicker with the shot than I ever did with a bout of flu. I'm not allergic to the shot (at least, that's what they tell me). But, I don't get the flu shot. The times I have were those "I'm sick, kill me now or put me in a coma till this is over" kinds of things.
I did get the pneumonia shot a few years ago- I even joked with my doctor: "Is this the flu shot and you're just tricking me into getting it?"
-------------------- "Is it ME? Am I a MAGNET for these idiots?"~Pearl Forrester MST3K Die-Hard Engineers, Big Red One my Dad's website "Must be a 'snopes' thing..." ~my entire family when I try to explain something. Posts: 4524 | From: South of Madison, Wisconsin | Registered: May 2005
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I won't be. I usually got one for the last four years, when I was at school, living in the dorms. But now, as I'm not living among so many people, I don't think I will. I remember feeling a little sickish after the last one. I think I felt like I had a cold. I'm not sure if I just happened to get a cold, or if it was the flu shot. At any rate, it passed, and was basically the only time anything happened, apart from a slightly sore arm.
(The penguin icon represents me sticking my arm out for a shot. Oh, who am I kidding? I just really want to use the penguin icon.)
-------------------- "You can't play Electro-magnetic Golf according to the rules of Centrifugal Bumble Puppy." -Mustapha Mond, "Brave New World" Posts: 679 | From: New York | Registered: Oct 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Morgaine La Raq Star: 4K, your description of having the flu a few years back is another reason I get it. I think people forget how bad the flu is. Its like a bad cold times 50. I know how bad I feel with a bad cold & I don't want to do the flu anytime soon!
I think I'm guilty of doing this. I call every "I feel yucky today" illness a flu and clearly I'm wrong. Maybe I really will try to overcome the old fear of needles thing and get a flu shot this year!
-------------------- If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation. - Jean Kerr Posts: 18428 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2001
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I used to get flu shots religiously because I would get sooooo sick from October to March with maybe a month of non-consecutive not-wholly-ill days. Flu shots changed that. But then, I haven't gotten flu shots for almost the last 5 years, and I maybe get 3 colds in the winter months now. I make sure my kids get them, tho, because they're still very young.
-------------------- They just don't make crazed, beserk robots like they used to. --Sheen Estevez, Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius
If I manage to post something swipe-worthy that you would like to make your sig, you may do so with my blessing. Posts: 2486 | From: East Stroudsburg, PA | Registered: Oct 2005
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I have had a bad reaction to flu shots in the past, so I haven't done it in years. Mostly because the last time I had a flu shot, I was so sick, the doctor told me it wouldn't be a good idea at all.
Hmmm, maybe I'll have to check out the FluMist stuff. I'm not allergic to eggs, and I haven't reacted badly to any OTHER shot I've ever had...hmmm.
Ms. 'would rather not have flu ever again' K
-------------------- Beware corporate zombies! They will purchase your brain on E-Bay! Posts: 2310 | From: California | Registered: Jul 2003
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I've never had a problem with them, and I hate the flu, so in general I'm pro flu shot..
Beyond that I work in an ER and on an ambulance (and a firetruck, but thats less relevant) so not only do I get first dibs on them but I also really think its wise to have them.
-------------------- "All people are responsible for the good that they didn't do" Posts: 4774 | From: Virginia | Registered: Feb 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Purple Iguana: I haven't gotten flu shots for almost the last 5 years, and I maybe get 3 colds in the winter months now. I make sure my kids get them, tho, because they're still very young.
The kids get the colds, or the shots?
-------------------- If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales? Posts: 13275 | From: Kindergarten World, Massachusetts | Registered: Jul 2003
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Mr. Furious
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
posted
I haven't gotten them in the past, but I got one this year because of the kids. I got it on Friday, and my left arm hurts, and I feel kind of oogy. I'm sure both will pass.
Connor got his shot, though he has to get a second one. Katie couldn't get hers when it was scheduled because she had a fever, but she's going to get it at her 15 mo. appointment.
I look at it that my immune system can handle the flu, so I leave that shot for someone who really needs it.
-------------------- "To be or not to be! That is the question! Now, will you answer, dare, double dare, or take the Physical Challenge?" --Mark Summers as Hamlet Countdown: 177 days and counting... or less. My blog. 14 keyboards owed. Posts: 5584 | From: Ohio | Registered: Dec 2003
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I have never gotten one before, but with Jason being so young, I'll probably get one this year and ask pinqy to get one too. (He can get one free because of the Army. Jason will get one this month at his 9 month check-up.)
Come to think of it, I'm not really sure when or where I'll get one. I had an opportunity to get one through work, but I'm not sure if I missed it. :/
-------------------- 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. That is when the world will end. Posts: 7158 | From: D.C. | Registered: Aug 2002
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ali, see if Jasons Dr will give you one as well. My kids Dr told me that they could give me one too when I brought them in so that's what I'm going to do next week.
-------------------- I cannot live without books-Thomas Jefferson *~* A child educated only at school is an uneducated child - George Santayana I'm going to pummel you with such zeal, Buddha will explode! *~* Never miss a good chance to shut up - Will Rogers Posts: 6585 | From: Dallas/Fort Worth, TX | Registered: Feb 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Mickey Bleu: I've never had a problem with them, and I hate the flu, so in general I'm pro flu shot..
Beyond that I work in an ER and on an ambulance (and a firetruck, but thats less relevant) so not only do I get first dibs on them but I also really think its wise to have them.
The university system of Georgia has required all of the state colleges to develop emergency plans in case of a pandemic. I attended an information seminar about the planning and one thing the speaker pointed out was that emergency and health personnel -those that would be most needed in event of a pandemic- would be the first to be exposed and out of commission. It makes sense that they should be among the top of the list to receive the shots with the elderly and immune-compromised. I hope most people in such services fields do get their shots.
I wonder why a few people have such a bad reaction to the shots if it isn't egg allergies?
-------------------- So many books, so little time. Posts: 1192 | From: McDonough, Georgia | Registered: Nov 2005
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I get the flu shot every year, and I'm due for another pneumonia shot this year. I have an immune disorder, and common viruses due weird and nasty things to me (like damage my heart). This year there is apparently a delay in delivery of the flu shots to Ontario, so they're not available yet. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll stay healthy until they are. I had the flu and/or pneumonia and/or pertussis every year for about 6 years, until I started getting the vaccines.
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