Flu Shot or Not? - Arlington,TX

What's the downside?
I've never gotten sick from getting one, nor do I know anyone who has...I think that's the traditional argument against it.

So, best case, you don't get flu. Worst case, nothing happens.

This is one where I just don't understand why it's a big deal to some people.

My husband and I are teachers and we get exposed to everything, so we get the shots. My youngest and I have asthma, so we get the shot. All I needed was one bout of the flu and the aftermath of my asthma to realize it is a good deal. I have had pneumonia twice, my son has had it once and I really never want to go through that again. I just got mine this morning!

I teach high school, and I get the shot every year. I'm around too many sick kids to chance it. My children get the shot every year as well. My husband gets it sometimes. I thought he was going to skip it this year, but he decided to get it. We're all covered now. :)

I had the worst flu more than 10 years ago - I can not even describe how sick I was. I had uncontrollable intestinal stuff from both ends, high fever, sore throat, aches, a splitting headache - even my fingers and scalp hurt. I swore my hair even ached. My daughter brought it home from preschool - my mom got it after me. I will never let that happen again if there's any possible way to avoid it.

My husband almost never got a flu shot - and he's a NYPD sergeant dealing with every variety of the general public - they recommend it and make it availabe during work hours - so you'd think he'd get one. But then, about 5 yrs ago, my husband was the only one in the family to get the flu - the kids and I had gotten our shots. He was horribly miserable with it for almost a week. **He has not missed the flu shot since.**

There are many people who have negative ideas about immunizations. They have the luxury to hold those ideas becuase there haven't been epidemics that have ravaged young and old, rich and poor since the miracle of immunizations have been developed. We don't see children dying of influenza or diptheria. We don't see kids crippled with polio - becuase the vast majority of the population gets immunized. Epidemics have become a thing of the past becuse everyone else get immunized.

Part of being guardian is to act in the child's best interest. Her mom is not her guardian due to some action or inaction that reflects either her poor judegement, or inability to make wise decision or inability to properly care for her. IMHO, I think it's your responsibility to override that emotion and do the right thing for your grandchild.

What a blessing you are for being a loving person in your grandchild's life. How wonderful for her to know that there are different layers of people who love her and want the best for her and provide an example of how to live. She is blessed and so are you.

My MD friend says it's only about 10% effective, can be harmful, and you're better off taking extra vitamin d all flu season. The new shot last year with h1n1 made my grandmother fatally ill. I don't get them nor let my husband (he gets sick when he does) or our kids. I got the flu Monday, tookyhe homeopathic oscillococcinum right away then extra vitamin d that day and was better the next morning.

I have never gotten a flu shot. I believe that our bodies are built to fight off anything that nature throws at us and if it can't then I wasn't meant to survive. I know that sounds really dark, but I have never really been one to take unnecessary medication. I am a CNA and I often work/volunteer around the sick and the elderly. I use universal precautions (Gloves, washing hands, ect.) and I usually only get sick once a year for a couple of days and I am fine for the rest of the flu season. I think that is the natural thing. If you become to germ phobic or illness phobic you can actually get much sicker. For instance if you take too many antibiotics your can become resistant. I think if we keep trying to stop illness that it is only going to get worse.

I will be the odd one out. I don't get one, neither does my daughter, hubby and MIL. They are only about 40% effective and since we rarely get the flu I would rather take a chance of being sick. I also don't like that aborted fetal tissue is used as a culture to create this vaccine.
I think it is important that your granddaughter learns to take care of herself by being healthy and hand washing. They are the first steps in preventing getting sick.

As a registered nurse, I have never had a flu shot and neither has my husband, 21 year old son or 17 year old daughter. We are overall, fairly healthy and IF we have ever had the true influenza, it apparently has been very mild.

I got mine a couple of days ago and my kids are at the doctor getting theirs as I am writing this.

If you are uncomfortable about the thimerosal (the preservative), your granddaughter can get the flu mist instead. Bonus, no shot! Otherwise, I can't think of any rational argument against them unless you are allergic to eggs or have other specific medical reasons.

I always got a flu shot...never thought twice about it...my husband never got one. The ONE year I did not get my shot, my husband brought the flu home from the office...it was the real deal type A...

We were both so sick we literally did not care if we died or not...at one point I wanted to die...body aches from hell, fevers over102, couldn't even take ibuprofen we would throw it up (it wasn't a stomach bug per say...just couldn't put anything more than fluids in there), faint/dizzy, runny nose, sore throat...literally over a week, close to 10 days. My teeth hurt, my hair hurt...everything hurt!

The first day my husband was so sick he BEGGED me to take him to the doctor...I was coming down with it but it hit me full force at the doctor's office...we didn't know who should drive us home.

Our kids had their flu shots didn't get sick...

We never miss a shot...if we get that sick again it will be due to a random flu virus and not one we could have prevented.

Has she said why she wants one? Is it because friends at school are talking about them? Does she know someone who got the flu?

This might be a good opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of various medical treatments. Why does she want one? Why doesn't her mother want her to have one? How can she inform herself to start making educated healthcare choices?

And then help her research from credible sources and make the decision together. I think she's old enough to start to have a say in her healthcare, as long as it's based in real information and not peer pressure.

Yes, get it. Anything you can do to prevent the flu is worth it.

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My wife is adamant about the flu shot for her and the kids. I'm 42 and have never had one. And I have only had the flu maybe 3 times in my life. Kuddos to you for being there to raise your grand daughter.

I'm Type I diabetic for the last 28 yrs. I always get the flu shot and so does my family. One year, the flu shot did not cover the strain that was going around. It was back in 1995. It was aweful. Everybody had this flu! I knew then why elederly people die from it. I was 24 at the time and thought I was going to die! Seriously. I think that year the most people did die from it than ever before too. I'd rather be safe than go through that again! I know that getting colds and germs can help build your immune system, but getting the flu does not. Neither does getting the throw up virus. There's just no need to expose yourself to it. It just runs you down for a long time. Your are sick for a week and takes a full month to get back to feeling nornmal again.

Does her mother have a valid reason for not wanting her daughter to get a flu shot? I think that the 8 year old is aware that this is something that is beneficial and it should be respected. How many kids really worry about their health anyway? Not many at all. I would also at least entertain her mother's viewpoint but if it is not based on factual information, I would not utilize that as a consideration in the decision making process.

My thought is that there are so many kids that are generally unhealthy and may be more succeptible to illness because of bad eating habits, empoverished lifestyle,etc that I would do anything I can to protect my child from the other children whose parent/guardian aren't as concerned about the health of their kid or simply don't have the means to properly care for their child.

Doctor's recommend getting them to help guard against getting the flu and guard against spreading it. I take my doc's advice and we all get one here.
Dr. Gupta was on Anderson show the other day and even AC got one. The show was on germs.

We get the flu shot in our family. The baby can't, but my 3yro and the rest of us got it already. My husband works for a small company, and the owners mom (whos house happens to be the office) has cancer and they requested that we get the flu shot and we happily obliged.
It is personal choice.. I guess why wouldn't her mom want her to get it? No on in our family gets sick from the flu shot.. we have had no issues.

I get one every year and so does my 8 year old son and now my 9 month old baby. Hubby doesn't, but guess what? He came down with it last February, knocked him out for a whole week. I slept in baby's room as he was only 10 days old at the time and I was nursing. None of the rest of us got it, thank goodness. And don't you know my hubby is getting the flu shot next week! He does not want to go thru that again. It was awful!

The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6 months gets a flu shot. Having nearly died from the flu myself when I was in college (and I had been the picture of health before getting that flu), I know why it's so important to protect the population at large from getting the flu. The flu shot is formulated in the same way that other vaccines are, so there's nothing weird about it, and it saves lives. Herd immunity helps the weakest (babies under 6 months who can't get the shot, those with auto-immune issues, the elderly, etc), and ensures that the rest of us won't catch the worst strains of flu that year. Frankly, there's not much downside. Our whole family gets the vaccine as soon as it comes out every year. I will not take the chance with one of my kids that they will nearly die from the flu like I almost did. My husband and I get the shot in the arm, and the kids usually opt for the nasal spray.

My daughter is 21 and has never had one, and I can count on one hand with fingers left over the number of times she has had the flu. I stopped taking them over a decade ago, and when I stopped taking them, I stopped getting the flu.

We don't do it . . .

I am another in the minority here. We do not get the flu vaccine (we do it when our kids are under 3 and then stop). First I have to mention that the flu vaccine is made in eggs, it does not contain fetal tissue. This is why people with egg allergies can't get the vaccine. The flu shot does protect you against some strains of flu - the ones that are suspected to be most prevalent that year. It doesn't protect you from all flu. You can get the shot and still get the flu. We are a family that does get all the other "required" vaccines on their regular schedule. I realize that all vaccines have preservatives and mercury, etc. So I don't want to put more of that in our bodies...it seems like it's too much already. There are also antibiotics in the vaccine. These particular antibiotics can get rid of the good bacteria as well. I, personally, think this is why so many people get sick after getting the flu shot. And I don't know how true it is, this may be another flu "rumor", but I recently heard that studies are linking the flu vaccine to Alzheimer's. So for our family, it's a case of which is better the cure or the disease? We take our chances. We have taught our kids how to wash their hands and sanitize and we do what we can to stay healthy.

Myself and the kids get it every year, my husband does sometimes and sometimes not. The only time I really wanted him to get it was when I was pregnant during the H1N1 scare.

My 8 year old asks for it every year, so she doesn't get sick. She is terrified of getting sick (she is just like her father).

Get the flu shot, but don't do it because the 8-yr old wants it. Do it because you, as the parental authority, decide it is best for the child.

I never get the flu shot and neither does my daughter (20 yrs old). She has never had the flu and I've had it 2 or 3 times in my 59 years. (I work with children so I come into contact with lots of germs.) We both have good immune systems and I feel like the more "vaccines" we get, the better chance of messing up the body's immune system. Just my opinion. That being said, everyone is different and do whatever you think is best for your granddaughter.

My husband gets his flu shot from the Navy, whether he wants it or not. LOL My two girls get the shot because they have asthma, so they are susceptible to everything respiratory. I don't get the flu shot because I am immune to the flu, it seems. When my oldest got it (it was less severe since she'd had the shot), and I was caring for her, I didn't get it. And when I was in high school, and both my brothers were home sick from college with the flu, I didn't get it. I kind of feel like I'd be changing my body chemistry and making myself susceptible to the flu if I get the shot, even though my suspicions have no scientific basis whatsoever. LOL If I ever get the flu, then I'll definitely start getting the shot though.

I would go with your feelings on this. I have never had the flu shot and have only had it a couple of times in my 50+ years of life. BUT one of the other grandparents in our grandparents group has her grandkids because her son died from the flu. That makes me think twice, plus it is getting more deadly as time goes by. It can't be contained, too many people go from country to country daily and bring/take germs and virus' to everywhere they go and breathe. It's up to you to decide.

I get the flu every summer :P

I have friends who work in the Mideast, and the flu hits there first (flus usually start out in China from birds or pigs, and then travels west), so they bring it back with them. Every freakin summer = 10 days of isolation.

If I didn't catch the flu before the immunizations made it here (they'er in the mideast and EU in the summer), I'd get one.

I get it every year. I have Asthma.
My kids get it as well. They get the Nasal spray form.
We have never, gotten any side effects from it, nor have we gotten the Flu.
My Husband got it too this year.
My Mom who lives with us gets it too. She is elderly and has lung issues.
We have all, never gotten any side effects from it.