Spin-Off of Flu-Shot Thread: Why DON'T You Get a Flu Shot?

[cmarsh31]

I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past 8 years. We didn't get the flu shot. Each of us has had the flu at least once in the past 8 years, but with a lot of diligence, it never spread (DH had the h1n1 the year it was first around - we quarantined him to the finished basement!). No one has a compromised immune system and we never had complications from the flu (DD & I have both had bouts of bad pneumonia, but never with the flu). This year, I'm back to teaching and we're going (flying) to Disney in Feb - that combination of over-exposure made me decide that we all got the flu shot this year. DS was fine, no reaction. DD & I both had a fever, chills, generally miserable for 2 days (I got it Friday and still feel lousy). So, we're an 'other' - case by case. I'll still probably end up with pneumonia after we fly. Sigh.

 

[aprilgail]

I am not getting one this year. I have gotten one every year in the past and the past two years my daugher and i both ended up with the flu anyway. We both also got a flu shot and got H1N1 since it didnt cover that anyway! I just decided not to put the stuff in our bodies this year since it doesnt help anyway.

 

[Micca]

I voted afraid of needles but I wish it would have said I HATE needles.

OK, I wasn't going to admit it, but since you were brave, I will be brave too. Needles scare me, more specifically injections scare me. I have blood drawn a couple of time a year, and that doesn't phase me much at all. Dental numbing is ok too, it's the shot in the arm that freaks me out.

On the upside, I haven't had flu since I was a kid. I don't work so I'm home most of the time, I feel like I'm pretty low risk for getting the flu.

 

[cmarsh31]

OK, I wasn't going to admit it, but since you were brave, I will be brave too. Needles scare me, more specifically injections scare me. I have blood drawn a couple of time a year, and that doesn't phase me much at all. Dental numbing is ok too, it's the shot in the arm that freaks me out.

On the upside, I haven't had flu since I was a kid. I don't work so I'm home most of the time, I feel like I'm pretty low risk for getting the flu.

I'm the reverse. Shot in the arm is fine. Drawing blood? One bad stick and forget it. I just pass out every time.

 

[Disney_traveler]

OK, I wasn't going to admit it, but since you were brave, I will be brave too. Needles scare me, more specifically injections scare me. I have blood drawn a couple of time a year, and that doesn't phase me much at all. Dental numbing is ok too, it's the shot in the arm that freaks me out.

On the upside, I haven't had flu since I was a kid. I don't work so I'm home most of the time, I feel like I'm pretty low risk for getting the flu.

It's the same thing with me. I get like shivers/heebie jeebies. Even when they show others getting injections on tv. I also have never had my finger stuck for a blood sugar test. Weirdly though, I have a tattoo. On my shoulder so I didn't watch it happen. I did watch my mom get her's but I think because I didn't see a longer needle going all the way in, it didn't bother me. Now getting my blood transfusion iv and accidentally seeing the little plastic tubing when it came out almost made me throw up.

 

[powellrj]

I know everyone says you can't get the flu from the shot, but I have had the shot twice and both times, 3 or 4 months later I get the flu. The last time was more than 20 years ago and I still remember how sick I was and won't take a chance again. My doctor is fine with it.

 

[tasha99]

I get it every year. Not for me, so much, but to help prevent getting it and inadvertently spreading it to a weak or elderly patient.

 

[kimblebee]

OK, I wasn't going to admit it, but since you were brave, I will be brave too. Needles scare me, more specifically injections scare me. I have blood drawn a couple of time a year, and that doesn't phase me much at all. Dental numbing is ok too, it's the shot in the arm that freaks me out.

On the upside, I haven't had flu since I was a kid. I don't work so I'm home most of the time, I feel like I'm pretty low risk for getting the flu.

My daughter hates needles so much that I literally have to hold her down when she needs one. She cries and hyperventilates and does herself more harm than good. She had to give blood a few months ago because we thought she had mono and she had to be taken to a separate room in the ER so we could go through the whole routine. She then had to lie down for 20 minutes because she worked herself up so much.

 

[katie01]

I am not getting one this year. I have gotten one every year in the past and the past two years my daugher and i both ended up with the flu anyway. We both also got a flu shot and got H1N1 since it didnt cover that anyway! I just decided not to put the stuff in our bodies this year since it doesnt help anyway.

This is almost exactly my situation too. I was required to get the vaccine the last three years while working in health care, and I got influenza two out of three of those years, and got the absolute worst cases imaginable (turned to pneumonia and I was pretty much bed ridden and out of it for weeks. Prior to those three years I'd got the vaccine maybe a few times and the rest of my life I didn't, and I only had influenza maybe one or two other times. This year I'm not working in health care, so I am not required to get the vaccine. I'm still really on the fence. I do know someone personally who died of influenza, so it's not something I take lightly, but it seems like the vaccine has not worked for me more often or the same amount of time it's worked. Maybe I'd be better off trying to get Tamiflu this year instead, I never have gotten Tamiflu in the past. The problem with me is that both of these last times where I got influenza, the quick flu tests in the dr's office were negative, but the blood samples they submitted came up positive, over a week later when it was too late for Tamiflu. Not sure if any dr would prescribe it to me based on past history and my knowing what the symptoms feel like early on. Both times it was the same, I went from being totally fine to suddenly having a cough and feeling like a truck hit me

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

OK, I wasn't going to admit it, but since you were brave, I will be brave too. Needles scare me, more specifically injections scare me. I have blood drawn a couple of time a year, and that doesn't phase me much at all. Dental numbing is ok too, it's the shot in the arm that freaks me out.

On the upside, I haven't had flu since I was a kid. I don't work so I'm home most of the time, I feel like I'm pretty low risk for getting the flu.

It may not matter at all, none at all.

But if it because you can see it, try asking for any shot in your, well, behind. Actually it is your hip.

If it is just the thought of the needle it won't help, but I much prefer a shot in my hip than in my arm. (And I take 2 shots a week in either my thigh or stomach.)

 

[leebee]

I voted "other." I never get a flu shot, and have never had the flu- and I'm a public school teacher. The flu strains in a flu shot are basically predicted guesses. Researchers look at the epidemology of past flu outbreaks and the prevalence of the different strains identified from each previous year. Based on epidemiology and statistics, they predict what strains of flu will be prevalent in the upcoming season and start making antibodies to those strains. IMO, the flu shot I get today is basically a crap shoot made over a year ago, with no real guarantee of what flu strains are now out there. This is why some years, the flu shot is very effective, and some years it's not as effective. The antibodies in that shot you get today are simply a prediction, an educated guess, of what viruses might actually be floating around. This, combined with knowing the kind of reaction I have to any injection (hard, painful lumps form under my skin and hang around for about a month), keeps me from getting the flu shot.

 

[jormom1030]

I am a teacher. Ever since I was a child I am rarely been sick. My first year of teaching I was offered the flu shot for free. I was so sick and threw up the entire next day. I haven't had a flu shot since. My son had three straight years of being sick the entire next day after getting a flu shot so I stopped having him get them.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I am in my 40's and I have never had the flu shot. I'm a risk taker I guess. I worry about side effects that I hear about all the time.

 

[Christine]

I know everyone says you can't get the flu from the shot, but I have had the shot twice and both times, 3 or 4 months later I get the flu. The last time was more than 20 years ago and I still remember how sick I was and won't take a chance again. My doctor is fine with it.

You definitely didn't get the flu from the shot. You just got sick with the flu or a flu-like illness during flu season. Either the shot didn't work or you had something else that strongly resembles the flu. Take this from me with a grain of salt--I don't get the shot either, but I know you can't get the the flu from the shot. You can certainly get the flu later (shot didn't work for you or there is a strain out there not in the vaccine) or you get something else (tons of viruses resemble the flu). I keep saying that I got the flu this past March. It certainly seemed like it. Came on VERY fast, fever for 8 days, total down time about 2 weeks. I tested negative for the flu on a nasal swab. But that's not 100% either so I do think I had it. First time that I would label an illness the flu since I was about 12 years old. Now, when my kids were young, I had several upper respiratory/fever type illnesses that I never called the flu but maybe there were.

 

[ronandannette]

You definitely didn't get the flu from the shot. You just got sick with the flu or a flu-like illness during flu season. Either the shot didn't work or you had something else that strongly resembles the flu. Take this from me with a grain of salt--I don't get the shot either, but I know you can't get the the flu from the shot. You can certainly get the flu later (shot didn't work for you or there is a strain out there not in the vaccine) or you get something else (tons of viruses resemble the flu). I keep saying that I got the flu this past March. It certainly seemed like it. Came on VERY fast, fever for 8 days, total down time about 2 weeks. I tested negative for the flu on a nasal swab. But that's not 100% either so I do think I had it. First time that I would label an illness the flu since I was about 12 years old. Now, when my kids were young, I had several upper respiratory/fever type illnesses that I never called the flu but maybe there were.

At any given time there are several strains of flu virus circulating; it's entirely possible to contract one of them even after taking the shot. The vaccine is developed using "best guess" by the health authorities and only protects against specific strains.

 

[aprilchem]

I never have gotten Tamiflu in the past. The problem with me is that both of these last times where I got influenza, the quick flu tests in the dr's office were negative, but the blood samples they submitted came up positive, over a week later when it was too late for Tamiflu. Not sure if any dr would prescribe it to me based on past history and my knowing what the symptoms feel like early on. Both times it was the same, I went from being totally fine to suddenly having a cough and feeling like a truck hit me

I've always had Tamiflu prescribed to me without a flu test - around here, if the flu is bad they tell you not to go into the office (because you will spread it) and to just call in with your symptoms. Usually if I get the flu I just use our online dr. visit portal and tell them I need a prescription for Tamiflu.

To answer the original question, I work with college students so I am pretty diligent about getting my flu shot every year. I don't know many times I've had a student come to a class or to my office to tell me in person that they've just gotten a positive flu test - ugh! So I'm exposed every year. I think I've only ever actually had the flu twice.

The only years I didn't get a flu shot were years when I was pregnant and couldn't get a thimerosal-free formulation of the shot.

 

[prprincess]

I've never gotten one in my life. When I was pregnant with my oldest son 12 years ago, my obgyn suggested it. But when I told her I'd never gotten one and was afraid of the side-effects, she then told me that in that case, it would probably be better for me to not get it. When my sons were in public school, they were required to get it, but since I moved them to private, they haven't gotten it.

 

[pryncess527]

I don't really fit any of the categories, so I picked other. We don't get them because we're all healthy, no chronic conditions or factors that would make us high risk for complications, and don't have any pressing need to do so. I've had the flu once, a relatively mild case as such things go, and none of the rest of the family got it. Generally I trust in handwashing, reasonable caution, and our immune systems to deal with anything we're exposed to, and it has done us well so far. I'm not opposed to the shot and we used to get them when I helped to take care of my grandmother, who was medically fragile, but I just don't feel like they're necessary for us at this point in life.

This pretty much describes why I don't.

 

[Magpie]

For most of my life, I didn't get the flu shot. I'd had the flu a few times (properly flu, chills, fever, muscle aches, etc) and felt that I'd rather just suffer through it, than worry about any side effects from the shot. I already knew what flu felt like, while the side effects seemed like a scary unknown.

But, then my mother-in-law moved in with us and first there was the knee surgeries, then the first round of cancer, and more surgery, and the second round of cancer, and chemo and radiation... Anyway, for the last decade or so, we had a person with a compromised immune system living with us.

So, all of us began getting our flu shots. Because, we actually like her and we don't want to accidentally kill her, by giving her the flu.

Now she's in a nursing home, probably in her last weeks/months (maybe?) of life, and we spend every evening with her. It's more important than ever, that we get our flu shots. Not only are we protecting her, but we're also protecting everyone else in that nursing home, that we might come into contact with (ie, share an elevator with, speak to, etc).

A few years ago, I did get six months worth of a frozen shoulder (inflammation of the joint), just once, thanks to the flu shot. That was definitely unpleasant. But, I haven't had the flu since I started getting the shot, so even with the shoulder thing happening that one time, I expect I'll continue to get my shot even after my mother-in-law is gone.

 

[si-am]

I've gotten a flue shot 3-4 times in my life, and every single time I've ended up pretty sick the next week and had to miss work. Coincidence? Maybe. But I just don't risk it anymore.