Yet another person checking in to say that I have never had the flu (and I am well beyond my twenties). Given the prevalence of flu, I have to assume by now that I have some sort of immunity, so no, I will not get a shot.
I have never had hepatitis or tetanus either, but in those cases I have no reason to believe that I have immunity.
Actually, I suspect that I may get the flu but in my case it is so mild that I don’t notice it. About 30 years ago there was a strain of flu that had an unusual symptom of causing pain behind the eyes when you moved your eyes. I had a very slight pain when I moved my eyes - and no other noticeable symptoms. Were it not for that unusual symptom, I would have had no clue that I had any infection of anything at all. So maybe I do get flu, but the symptoms are so mild that I don’t notice. That’s not worth getting a shot for.
I’ve also never had one, and am not getting one this year.
I’ve never had the flu, and like amarone, I’m going on the assumption that maybe I’m immune. In theory, I could get three of them for free (through either of my jobs or my fire department), but I don’t plan on getting one.
I work with both sick people and little kids, so I’ve been exposed to god-knows-what, but the worst I ever get is a minor cold.
I wash my hands a lot, and use contact precautions at work, so I’m not worried.
I’ve never had the flu either. My job offers free flu shots, but I decline because of some of the same things you mention. Annual blood being drawn, TB test and Hepatits are enough. Plus the fact my blood doesn’t want to hold the Hepatitis antibodies (I think 10 is the lowest number you can have and mine insists on being around 1) I had to get two rounds of the Hepatitis shot this past year.
I got the flu shot about a month ago. Since I’m not working in a doctor’s office anymore, it was a lot more expensive but worth it. If if ever had the flu, it’s not been more than once when I was a kid. My body is also fond of going through runs of colds, but that’s nothing compared to the flu.
-Lil
On accounta teh diabeetus I am told it’s a good idea, so yes, I always get one. Couple years ago, when there weren’t any, I had it done on a trip to Canada.
A couple of years I had a particularly nasty case of flu, and I’ve had other bad cases of it, so I got my first flu shot last year and didn’t get the flu. True it’s only one data point, but I’m interested in accumulating more data. I’ll get another flu shot.
I’ve gotten flu shots every year for the past 15 years or so, maybe only skipping one or two. I got mine earlier this month. I was at my doctor’s for a checkup and he happened to have a supply of the vaccine and offered to give me one, so I took him up on it.
Got mine last week. I’m hoping it’ll stop me from the usual once-a-winter “PLEASE KILL ME NOW BEFORE I DROWN IN MY OWN NASAL SECRETIONS” fun romp.
It did leave a rather spectacular bruise on my shoulder, though. I don’t know why: I usually never bruise from things like blood donations etc., and I don’t think the nurse jabbed me “wrong” or anything.
I got one at Costco yesterday. I haven’t gotten it for the past few years because of the shortage and I didn’t have time, but they were there and I was there, so I got one.
I did have the flu about 8 years ago and I have never been so sick in my life. I could barely move. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t had someone to feed the animals because they would have gone without for at least 2 days. I haven’t had “the flu” (I think lots of people have colds and call it “the flu”) since but the shot was there so I took it. Didn’t hurt at all.
I work in healthcare around patients with compromised immune systems. I also had the flu once and it was hell.
I will get the vaccine on Monday for free at work. I’ve gotten it for years with no ill effects. After all, the vaccine is dead virus. You may have a reaction from an ingredient in the shot but you can’t specifically get the flu from it.
I don’t think I’ve had the flu either. I rarely get sick - maybe a sniffle or cough that leads to fever for a couple of days once every two or three years. That may often be referred to as “the flu” by many people, but I’m pretty certain it has never actually been influenza.
They’re now using a live attenuated virus vaccine, which can cause viral shedding for up to three weeks post-vaccination. The manufacturer’s information states that the viral shedding is at too low a rate to be infectious.
I’m a big fan of vaccination, probably because I’m young and naive and I don’t have children. I’ve never had a flu shot, but any time I’m offered a shot in a convenient location (I mean in my immediate surroundings, not a convenient location on my body), I usually get it. I’ll probably start getting flu shots when I get a real job.
I’ve never had bad pain with any shots. I usually don’t feel the needle going in at all, but I know people who’ve been pretty much paralyzed from the shoulder down. Sometimes my arm is a bit stiff to raise for a day or two, but nothing major.
Nope, I haven’t had the flu shot. I’m very high risk but haven’t had the flu for probably more than twenty years or so. I can get the shot free at my doc’s office, at my pharmacy and at several Sacramento County locations for free as well.
The flu strains that each year’s vaccine can prevent are not the strains that hit my area (thusfar, I admit). Why take the chance on a shot that may make me ill? With a compromised immune system, why should I risk it? Evidently my immune system isn’t receptive to the various flus that have been prevalent here. Go figure.
Yes, but that is not for the shot, it’s for the mist version. The shot is still inactivated virus. Many people still belive the myth that the flu shot will give you the flu and I was just trying to dispel that myth.
My arm swelled up, then my lymph nodes followed by my eustacean tubes and my sinusoidal cavities. It went downhill from there.
I’m glad I got it. I had the flu about 5 years ago. Living death, I tell ya. Not to mention the fact that I’m asthmatic and some people with respiratory problems DO die of the flu.
