Thread: Flu vaccinations?

What do you think; Are for or Against them?

I worked with a guy a couple of years back who got a Flu shot and wound up in hospital the next day. He developed pneumonia and eventually had a lung collapse. He was in hospital two or three months.

Now, "they" tell him it was because he already had the Flu when he got the shot, and it's because of THAT that he got so sick. He said he felt 100% when he got the shot, and, he hadn't been sick the weeks leaving up to it. He may well have had a strain of the Flu when he got the shot, but, as he felt fine there was no indicator that he would get so sick. I wont get a Flu shot until I'm so old my own immune system can no longer deal with getting the Flu - based mostly on the above story.

Will you get a Flu shot based on what strain of the Flu is going around this season? (It is my understanding the Flu shot only targets one strain of Flu that is going around, I may be wrong)

never had it as of yet. Dont think ill bother this year either.

I've had mine already. I get it each year and have done so for about 10 years. Working with the public, we get ours supplied at work for free and there are some real grots out there who cough and sneeze right in your face so I won't go without one.

Originally Posted by soriminah

I've had mine already. I get it each year and have done so for about 10 years. Working with the public, we get ours supplied at work for free and there are some real grots out there who cough and sneeze right in your face so I won't go without one.

Im in a similar situation. I just got an email offering the shot, but, I cannot remember the last time I actually got the Flu. I get colds quite a lot, and sore throats, but I don't think I get an actuall case of the Flu. The only thing leading me towards thinking about getting the shot is just the increased contact with people.

I'm booked to have mine next Tuesday. Have to have it as my immune system is poo.

Im having mine tomorrow. The womens and kids hospital do them for free (for staff). I HAVE to have it done or i cant go on clinical placement so thats the main reason im having it done.

Interesting to note that a fairly large number of nurses here don't and won't have them.

no thanks I just mix in a bit of glutamine in my protein shakes and that seems
to stop me from getting any flu

It's free at work, so i get it. Don't think it makes f-all difference. Still a bunch of ppl sick already, not even cold yet.

Never had it and never plan to... I get the odd light dose of the cold, but even that's pretty rare for the last couple of years...

One of my sisters had the Flu shot five or so years ago and developed a very nasty allergy to eggs!

she hasn't had a flu shot since and is still very allergic to eggs. I'm not totally convinced that it is (the flu shot) the best thing.

I do think exposure to a great number of people and all those lovely, sly, germs that we are privy to in our global society, is a big worry - uh, swine flu... - ehgad, a biddly bit scary to me!

Don't think the current flu shot can totally protect us.... yes, being 'healthy' can protect us to some extent... but the strange thing is.. the most recent flu epidemics have (among others, of course) particualrly taken the 'young healthy adult' population. Whether or not these people were supplementing or regular folk, I don't know... but doesn't one initially imagine that the "young adult" demographic would be more resistant to the (take your pick) flu virus?

I got it for the first time this year and now i'm pretty glad I did. No reaction for me. I think things happen to people and if they've happened to have the flu shot, they blame it on that. I think its safe.

I just got an email from work saying I could get it for free. I won't be getting it either.

No I won't be having it either... I think many people tend to overreact to having the "flu" when actually they only have a cold and sore throat.

I however think it is wise for the elderly to have it.

dont they inject the actual flu virus (of mutiple strains) into you? i only ask cos some one told me that, not that i know if its true or not?

and a few friends actualy get the flu/cold after the shot they told me?

Originally Posted by RIX

dont they inject the actual flu virus (of mutiple strains) into you? i only ask cos some one told me that, not that i know if its true or not?

and a few friends actualy get the flu/cold after the shot they told me?

I got it for about 4 years in a row but stopped last year (didnt get the flu last year luckily). In basic terms they put the 'outside' of the flu into your system but not the 'inside' of the flu. The 'outside' is what the body detects, responds to and remembers, thus protecting you from the real one. The 'inside' is the bit that makes it grow and spread so since that is missing the actual flu does not develop from a vaccine. Because the body reads it as a real flu from what it can detect (the 'outside'), many people suffer from flu symptoms for a couple of days afterwards.

Given the mexico pig flu, I might go get it again this year to increase the chance of being healthy thru winter... otherwise I would have given it a miss again.