No Flu Shot for Me

i havent had the flu in over 7 years, so i feel there is no need for me to start getting the shot, if your body has a history of not getting sick i dont see a reason to alter it

My GI insisted that I get the flu vaccine last year because I'm on Remicade, but I ended up getting the flu two weeks later. I've often wondered if I picked a strain up that the vaccine didn't cover or if I actually got it from the vaccine itself. I'm still debating whether or not I want to get it again this year. I have four kids, so they bring home a lot of germs for me!

For US residents:

Not all manufacturers of influenza vaccine use mercury. For those concerned about the mercury issue, you might want to consult the chart [Table 4] at the link and get a vaccination from a brand that dies not use mercury.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/acip/dosage.htm

I think there are two things that are inportant to remember when discussing the issues in this thread:
1) Please be respectful of others opinions. Remember that newcomers first impression of our community might be from reading this thread.
2) Please check your facts before making statements regarding the flu vaccine, side effects, influenza, etc.

If emotions spiral out of control here, I'll have to ask to have the thread locked.
Peace everyone!

The warning about vaccines is specific to LIVE virus vaccines. That is why those who are immunosuppressed are not allowed to have the nasal spary vaccination which contains LIVE virus. We can only have the shot.

I worked in the ER for many years and got my flu vaccine at work every year. When I finally left the hospital, I wasn't so vigilant. In 2003, I had a bad chest cold and delayed my vaccination until early December. That was too late for me. I didn't have enough time to develop the necessary antibodies before flu season was upon us. On Christmas Eve, my husband started to sneeze on the way toour family party. He also had not gotten a flu shot. By Dec 26th, half of the family, including myself, both our mothers and a mother in law were all very sick with flu. Two elderly women ended up in the ER and although it can't be proved, we believe that it was my husband who exposed us all. Talk about guilt!

Since I hadn't had flu in many years, I had forgotten just how bad it really was. Certainly working in health care I knew the difference bettween the colds that most people call flu and the real McCoy, but I was surprised at how sick I got and how fast I got sick. I was also lucky inthat I was aware of how quickly you need to get to a Doc and get started on Tamiflu. Within 24 hrs of my first cough, I was sitting at the pharmacy waiting for my script. The pharmacist mentioned something about my just having showered, but I was drenched from the sweat of the fever, not from water. That round of flu was enough to make me determined to get the shot early every single year. I don't ever want to risk going through that again. AND, my course of flu was significantly lessened because I was able to get on Tamiflu immediately. I don't want to know how bad it would have been without the meds.

So, I'd urge anyone considering to skip the shot to think long and hard about the consequences to yourself and your family & friends should you become infected and spread it. Many of my friends get the shot only to avoid the possibility of spreading it to elderly family members that they care for.

I had the pneumococcal vaccine 2 years ago and had no side effects from it. The flu vaccine does sometimes leave me with some mild body aches, but it's never been more than some tylenol could remedy.

IF YOU GET THE FLU YOU MUST GET TO A DOC IMMEDIATELY. MEDS LIKE TAMIFLU ONLY WORK WITHIN THE FIRST 48 HOURS OF BECOMING SICK.

Last week's CDC Influenza Surveilance Report lists sporadic outbreaks of Influenza in Oregon, California, Utah, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida and New York and local outbreaks in Hawaii. Flu Season is upon us already.

I get the flu shot every year.  One year I didnt get it, and I ended up with the flu TWO TIMES, it was my most horrible winter ever!   

On a related topic, I swear that I dont get nearly as sick as anyone else I know.   I mean of course I run lots of small fevers, which stinks, but when everyone else around me gets a cold or bug, I never seem to get it as fully as anyone.  I thought Remicade was supposed to lower your immune system, but to me it seems to have the opposite effect. <he should be smiling for this comment.

Concerns have been raised about the emotion surrounding this thread. The emotion arises, not from any of us trying to impose our beliefs on others, but from the potential that mis-information about a national public health issue will sway others' decisions about whether or not it is appropriate for them to take the flu shot. Since one person's decision not to take the flu shot has the potential to impact thousands of individuals, including themselves, it seems appropriate to ensure that they are not swayed by mis-information.

One point those who don't take the flu shot should consider, when they assure themselves that they'd never go to work, or the hospital, or the mall, or to their elderly parents etc when they are sick, is that you are contagious for between 24-48 hours before you get your first symptoms.

belleenstein said...
Concerns have been raised about the emotion surrounding this thread. The emotion arises, not from any of us trying to impose our beliefs on others, but from the potential that mis-information about a national public health issue will sway others' decisions about whether or not it is appropriate for them to take the flu shot. Since one person's decision not to take the flu shot has the potential to impact thousands of individuals, including themselves, it seems appropriate to ensure that they are not swayed by mis-information.

One point those who don't take the flu shot should consider, when they assure themselves that they'd never go to work, or the hospital, or the mall, or to their elderly parents etc when they are sick, is that you are contagious for between 24-48 hours before you get your first symptoms.

I'm certainly not trying to educate anyone or sway anyone either way. What I posted is my personal experience and opinion. Since none of us are experts here, that's really what all of us are giving. An opinion.

Honestly I see mis-information all the time on this and other boards regarding medications and Crohn's itself. Hopefully people are smart enough to always talk to their doctors and not get their medical advice from the internet. Because the internet is FULL of mis-information. Only our doctors know our personal health needs, and that is who we should be consulting if we need to be swayed or need answers on any health concern. Not the internet.