Flu Shot or Not? - Chicago,IL

What Bridgett said. A thousand times over.

ETA: Case in point. It is impossible (aka NOT possible) to "catch" the flu from the flu shot. Read all of the responses below to see how many people blame the shot on getting the "flu" immediately after getting the shot. These people either 1) did not get the "flu" but got a gastrointestinal virus and don't know there is a difference, 2) did not get the "flu" but got a very bad cold and don't know the difference, 3) got the flu because they had been exposed within two weeks of getting the shot (it takes 2 weeks), or 4) were one of the rare ones who got the flu _even though_ they got the shot, but probably did not get it as badly as if they hadn't had the shot. (Notice the _even though_ is not _because of_.) None of these people got the flu because they got the shot. How do I know this? Because it is _NOT_ possible. End of story.

This question has been asked and answered so many times on this site...

Here's the thread from a week and a half ago.

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/12238110146127200257

One of my favorite blogs addressed this (again) in a recent post. Here is the relevant portion of the post:

"If you’re examining the “debate” between vaccines and the vaccine deniers, it’s not a matter of putting the evidence on one side or another. The quality of evidence for the safety and effectiveness vaccines is solid gold, solid platinum. It is published in the most prestigious medical and science journals in the world. They are reviewed and critiqued over and over again. The scientists and physicians stand in front of their peers and accept careful discussion and dialogue. The scientists continually revise their hypothesis and repeat over and over again. They do not sit in front of their laptops trying to find the one article to support their data, but they actually talk to patients, gather data from thousands of data points, review it, analyze it, and publish it. This is very hard work.

The evidence to support the beliefs of the antivaccinationists is almost nothing. They rely upon what they observe in a narrow world around them. They hear about a story on the internet and accept it as a fact. They take a poorly written article that has little data supporting it, and use it as their “evidence”. They don’t have any science whatsoever, yet make claims as if they are.

Think of it this way. If you have heart disease, there are a number of options on how to treat it. The treatments can range from medications that reduce blood pressure and cholesterol to interventional cardiology or bypass surgery. To determine which option is the the appropriate one to manage your cardiovascular disease, first you will need a bunch of diagnostic tests, followed by the learned opinion of a medical professional. Usually, it’s a cardiologist who has had 4 years of college, usually in a science program. That is then followed by 4 years of medical school, which includes a combination of both intense classwork and vigorous clinical training. Then, that is followed by 3-4 years of residency, where the physician receives progressively more exhaustive training in cardiology. This is followed by another 2-3 years of focused, intensive education and experience in one sub-field of cardiology. After over a decade of education, experience, and training...that doctor is ready to treat, manage and repair your heart.

Would you trust your heart to someone who studied surgery on the internet for a few hours? Then why would you trust your child to someone who studied vaccines for a few hours on the internet? WHY?"

Quoted from:
http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/op...

I get the flu shot. My whole family does. I think of it as a public responsibility. If you or your daughter get the flu, you'll probably be fine. You could even fight the virus off without having any symptoms. But that's actually the dangerous part. Let's say, for example, your daughter is fighting off the flu. She's a teeny, tiny bit under the weather, but she's fine. And, let's say she's out in public -- at the playground, the sidewalk, Starbucks, the mall. And, she walks past someone who's undergoing chemotherapy. That person will be severely immunocompromised. The same thing that makes people's hair fall out also suppresses the production of white blood cells. And the flu virus, which might barely affect your daughter, it could be profoundly dangerous for someone with a weak or nonfunctioning immune system.

I am a volunteer EMT. I've been involved in caring for / transporting people who have been exposed to common, everyday viruses while undergoing chemo. It is NOT a pretty sight. It's the kind of thing that stays with you forever.

If you're driving your daughter's friend in your car, you wouldn't say "Oh, you don't have to wear your seatbelt," right?

The flu shot -- for your daughter --- it's like a seatbelt for someone else's kid.

And the whole thing about Alzheimer's. Logically, that doesn't make sense. The flu shot hasn't been around long enough for a longitudinal study to be done. They would have to track people for their whole lifetimes, and compare Alzheimer's rates among people who consistently got flu shot with rates among people who consistently didn't. They shots haven't been given for long enough to follow a study population into the age bracket where Alzheimer's starts to appear. So this can't be scientifically valid.

We all got our shots several weeks ago.
I've had flu before years ago - fever, chills, muscle aches, feeling incredibly weak even after the fever breaks for WEEKS - I don't ever want to get it again.
My great grandmother died in the Spanish flu of 1918.
I don't care what ever else it might do - as long as it gives us a chance to either not get sick or not get sick as badly then I'm totally for it.
We get our shots every year.

Solid info? Well... you can find articles supporting both sides, but every medical doctor I've ever spoken to says that flu shots should be a must, especially for "at risk" groups like little kids. Every holistic doctor I've ever spoken to says that they are not beneficial and that they do more harm than good.

As for me and my family, we do flu shots every year. I've had the flu (the ACTUAL flu) three times, and each time, I was hoping to die (yes, I was that sick) and one time I was hospitalized for five days with complications. It's a horrible illness to catch. So we get the flu shot.

I had the flu once - the real flu, not just a bad cold. I was miserable. My whole body hurt. I didn't want to get up off the couch. I had two little kids to take care of, and I just wanted to sleep all day. It was horrible. Even after I got over the flu, I was exhausted for a week or so. I never want to experience that again.

I too have heard many people talking about the horrible side effects and all the things that could go wrong. I have yet to hear any of those from a reputable source.

The reality is, the flu is awful! It is worse for children, the elderly, anyone with a compromised immune system or other health concerns. Why put yourself at risk?

Get the shot. Both of you. It's the best protection against the flu. It's not perfect, but it's pretty darn good. Totally worth it!

Flu kills! Yes it does. If you have ever had a case of the real flu, you would be running to get flu shot.

We're cautious about flu in our family. I've had several miserable cases over the decades, and each time have developed long-term secondary infections that required expensive medical follow-up. My grandmother died from a secondary infection following the flu, and her own mother and baby sister died from it.

The vaccine is currently the best protection most of us can get. It covers the (now 4) main strains of flu that are currently active and expected to cause the most illness this flu season. Some people are naturally resistant to influenza viruses, and won't get much added benefit from the vaccine, but without genetic testing, we don't know who. The elderly are known to get less protection, but that varies greatly between individuals. I'm 66, just got my vaccine a month ago, and have never (yet) gotten even a mild flu in the years I've been vaccinated, so it's an easy decision for me. My daughter is a solid believer now, because she didn't get the shot in time last year and came down with a knock-down case of the flu while she was traveling.

The man who generated the supposed autism connection was solidly denounced as a fraud by medical scientists a few years ago. Rumors don't die on the internet, however, so that belief will probably hang on for another generation or two. And this is just coincidental, not proof, but I personally know three kids with varying degrees of autism who were never vaccinated for anything, and have known many dozens of kids who've received all recommended vaccines and have not a whiff of autism.

As far as other claims for harm or benefits, any medicine, including over-the-counter ones, can and will harm some people, even when used correctly. Same with food additives. Many household products are highly toxic, and/or harmful to sensitive people. So it makes sense to evaluate everything in terms of possible benefits weighed against possible harm. For me, the flu vaccine easily wins that comparison.

I am pro flu shot. I always have been, but after last year I am even more convinced. My kids got the flu mist, but my husband and I did not. On the first day of Christmas break, my daughter got sick. She had a temp of 101 for a couple of days and felt pretty miserable, but bounced back quickly. On Christmas Night, I came down with it and I haven't been that sick in 20 years. I was on the couch for a week. At the height of it, I had to go to the ER for a breathing treatment. My husband and two sons came down with it after me. My husband was almost as sick as I was, but my boys just had a touch of it. I will never skip the flu shot again. Even if it doesn't completely prevent it, it lessens the symptoms in those who have it. My kids were proof of that last year.

No. And I get why some people think it's a public service, because it is. But when the flu shot caused the reactions in my kids that it did - I will never again put their lives at risk. So no, we do not get it.

My husband does because he works in the medical field and has to, but he is the only one.

I never had one growing up either.

My daughter is 23 and has never had a flu shot in her life. She has had the flu twice, both times fairly light cases.
I used to take the shot every year and get sick as a dog every year. Not saying the shot made me sick, but it sure as hell didn't keep me from getting sick. Since I stoppped taking the shot about twelve years ago, I've had the flu twice, both times light cases. I'll never take it again.

ETA: Mira, just because you don't think the recent research on a link between Alzheimer's and the flu vaccine can't be valid, doesn't mean it isn't. That sounds very much like the argument "We have found no connection between vaccines and Autism." You read that and think, "Oh, okay, vaccines don't cause Autism". Really what you can conclude from that statement is that there hasn't been a link found. Yet. No conclusive evidence either way. Yet. Just because something isn't proven yet, doesn't mean a link doesn't exist; it just means no one has found it. Yet.

You need to do your own research and come to an intelligent conclusion. The basics (from CDC) tell us that the flu shot tries to target the 3 (or 4, in some cases) strains of flu that hit hardest the previous year. It is, on average, 40%-50% effective against flu. Last year, it was only 30-40% effective. This year is expected to be a better match than last.

There are ingredients in the flu shot that are controversial, and have been shown to be dangerous to animals and humans. How much risk any one person is willing to take is up to them. Are you willing to risk getting sick (or having your daughter sick)? Are you willing to risk the unknown of possible neurological and physical side effects in the future to be 50% more protected than you would be without it?

It is not a decision someone else can decide for you, and you shouldn't let yourself be pressured into it or out of it, not even by your doctor.

For me, I needed to look at the risk of the illness vs the risk of side effects. I decided for my family that the unknown of the vaccine ingredients and how they would affect my children was not worth the risk. We will take our chances with the flu.

I have gotten the flu shot twice and both times got extreamly sick. I was told it could not be the shot but how in the world would I have the same reaction both times. So no I don't give them to my kids either. Usually the flu shot is also for the previous years straine. My kids have had reactions to their booster shots as infants and toddlers. So I don't give them anything that I don't have to.

I got the flu shot 13 years ago and it made me sick that same night and my hubby then got sick from me. That was the last flu shot! I know they want you to believe you don't get the flu from the shot but that is so far from the truth. I think people may respond differently to the shot, but to say you don't get it from the shot is a lie. We both got it and I was the only one to get the shot. We were both well before the shot.

I did get the flu 2 years ago. But that was like 11 years later since that shot. All this time, my family and I take Oligo Multi Vitamins daily and we drink Oligo Activate-C Immune Complex when we get that first sneeze, cough or sore throat that could lead to a cold or flu. My kids are ages 11 and 7 and never have had the need for any antibiotics (well, the oldest got the pink eye when she was 3) for the flu shot.

Hope this helps. But I'm sure as a mom, you will do what you feel is best for your family.

We do not get the flu shot. First ask for the insert not the one page sheet the doctors office hands out but the actual insert and read the ingredients and possible reactions. Second the vaccine is only 60% effective at most. To me that is not enough to warrant injecting myself and my kids with dangerous chemicals every year. We have everyone wash their hands every time we come into the house regardless of what time of year it is. Be vigilant about wiping down grocery carts and tables at restaurants and any other major germ spots. There is plenty of good information on the CDC website or nvic.org.

Anti-flu shots here. Most of my doctor friends don't get them for themselves or their kids! Extra vitamin d, oscillococcinum if symptoms, regular chiropractic care for immune system strength, natural germ exposure for us. Never get it and the two times we did it was manageable and over within a day or two.

Well, if she is not in a high-risk group, not a bad idea to wing it. For all in high risk (elderly, young children, children/people with breathing problems, compromised immune systems, child care or health care workers, etc) It is a must.
If your daughter isn't in any of those groups - do what you want and don't let anyone make you feel bad or "less" of a parent regardless of your decision:)
If you are curious about benefits, etc. do some good research on your own. Call your doc, get studies, look at medical journals backed by good research (no offense some of the stuff on the internet is just junk science) and feel confident in your decision.