Do you get the flu shot?

Community Polls
1

Do you get the flu shot?

  • Yes
  • No

0 voters

2

Some years. Two years ago I had a reaction, not enough to send me to the ER or anything, but as if I had a semi-flu for a couple days, complete with skin reaction all over my injected arm. So last year I skipped it. I’ve had the flu, it sucks, so I’ll probably do the vaccination again this year.

3 Likes
3

Not yet but will next month. I get one every year and thankfully have never had the flu. I usually wait a bit, hoping to make it last through the end of flu season. Usually seems to be heavier on the back end of the season vs the beginning.

4

I read in the AARP magazine that there is a higher dose flu shot for those who are more at risk for bad effects from getting the flu. The article did mention that the higher strength shot only covered 3 strains where the normal strength dose covered 4 strains. I will be seeing my diabetic doctor next week and will discuss with him and see what he recommends as to which shot he thinks is best for me a 63 year old Type 1 diabetic with some neuropathy and heart issues.

5

Never Ever!

1 Like
6

I hear that the extra strong dose is in pretty short supply. Here in Ontario Canada anyway
So the doctors only use it for very needy patients.

All I really know is that FLU is nasty and to be avoided in any way possible.

I also thought that immunity is much longer lasting than a season so waiting to take the shot adds risk on the front end and does not improve immunity late in the season. But we are all differrent. And the flu shot is NOT a 100% solution.

7

I agree, it doesn’t make sense that the flu shot would wear off. The flu shot stimulates your body to make antibodies against the flu virus. Once those antibodies are made, they continue to be made over time. And in fact I think getting a flu shot each year should over time create more robust immunity because your body would have antibodies against more and more strains of the virus. I’m not a scientists who understands exactly how all this works, though, so my speculations could be wrong.

8

I hadn’t after a bad reaction, but I did get it last January when everyone was dying. I had to get a tetanus/ pertussis shot last month so I’m waiting to recover to get the flu shot. It makes me ill and I can only take Tylenol now due to severe reflux. It takes a few days to recover.

9

I get my shot every year. It’s free for everyone in my province now (used to be free for just children, seniors, medical staff and those at high risk - which included diabetics but it’s been for everyone the last few years). Just about every pharmacy offers them while you wait.

Only about 30% of the population here gets the annual vaccine, according to the most recent stats (2015-16).

10

I got the “senior dose” this year. It is four times the antigen of the regular flu shot, which I get every year. This dose made me break out in hives for a couple of days-treated with Benadryl. I will not get that dose again-but then I am very sensitive to medications.