# I am questioning getting a flu shot next year. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952 "2019-10-18T13:35:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tricoteuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tricoteuse/32/4334_2.png) [@tricoteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tricoteuse)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/41 "2019-10-21T15:54:22Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Flu season is one of the most [festive times](https://www.theonion.com/excited-cdc-employees-begin-decorating-for-flu-season-1838742218) of the year. LOL I want some of those virus wall stickers! I could tell people they’re flowers or sea critters! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tricoteuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tricoteuse/32/4334_2.png) [@tricoteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tricoteuse)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/42 "2019-10-21T16:00:12Z")
As for the topic I got the flu in my 20s because I was healthy and didn’t have health insurance, and it was a pain to get to the doctor for a shot becaus I didn’t drive. This was before every drugstore started giving out flu shots. I ended up in the ER with a fever of 105 and I was so dehydrated they were worried about kidney failure. I missed 2 weeks of work and I was paid hourly so if I didn’t show up I didn’t get paid. It took months for me to get back to normal because I couldn’t take the time I really needed to recover because then I had a pile of medical bills on top of lost work. I hate needles. I hate doctors. I hate having a sore arm and feeling weird for a day after. But I get the shot because I hate hospitals and big bills much worse! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/43 "2019-10-21T21:14:20Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > … I have had aches, chills, fever, **diarrhea**. Emphasis mine - diarrhea is not a flu symptom, but it is a symptom of a norovirus infection. Which, from what I’ve heard, is active about the same time as the flue. Maybe the problem isn’t the vaccine, but the place you’re getting the vaccine? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/44 "2019-10-21T22:22:45Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > influenza is a respiratory illness. I don’t believe diarrhea is one of its usual symptoms. you’ve probably contracted something else coincidentally. A heck of a lot of viral infections all start out with “aches, chills, and fever.” > > edited to add: and I was one of those guys who thought “I never get the flu” until my dr. probed a little bit. I said a few times over the past number of years I had a “cold” where I ran a high fever. he asked how high, I said “104° until I took a tylenol.” He said “no, that was probably the flu.” Last year, there was a cold virus going around that kicked off with about 12 hours of high fever and severe body aches. I found this out on a local TV news program a couple days after I went through that, thinking I had influenza. BTW, the flu shot is not only safe during pregnancy, it’s recommended. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/45 "2019-10-21T23:08:28Z")
Flu shots ---- had issues once. My guess is I was exposed to the flu a day or two before the shot and that is what did me in. One of the reasons I get mine early these days. Now another vaccine ------- that one I had a serious bad confirmed reaction to. Will I go anti all over the idea in the future? Hell no. I’ll just plan the when and all a little better so I can reach out for help if needed in the future. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/46 "2019-10-22T00:07:58Z")
I used to get the flu every December like clockwork. And it was that “at least five days in bed feeling like I was gonna die” flu. Once I became religious about getting the flu shot I never had the flu again. I actually felt like crap after my shot this year, but that’s because I had my second shingles shot at the same time (my doc said it wouldn’t be a problem). It’s the shingles shot that’s nasty. Man, talk about a sore arm. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/47 "2019-10-22T00:12:33Z")
OK, so we’ll grant that you got sick from a flu shot. But does that mean that you’ll get sick from all flu shots, or only from that particular one? There are multiple different formulations. There’s one that mostly gets used for most people because it’s the cheapest and easiest, but some folks have an allergic reaction to it, and so they get one of the other ones. IIRC, eggs are used as a binding agent in the shot-- Are you by chance allergic to eggs? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/48 "2019-10-22T00:14:33Z")
I believe eggs are used to incubate the flu virus, prior to killing the virus so it’s safe to inject it into people. Because flu is kinda a bird disease that’s jumped to people. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/49 "2019-10-22T05:16:35Z")
I’m 66 years old and have never had a flu shot. Some years I do get what apparently is the flu, but its always quite mild and the symptoms are usually gone in 24 hours. I believe that because I depended solely on my own immune system to counter the flu bug, I am better prepared for next year’s attack. I also don’t eat “junk” foods and work out every day which I think also makes a deference. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/50 "2019-10-22T05:39:21Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > I’m 66 years old and have never had a flu shot. Some years I do get what apparently is the flu, but its always quite mild and the symptoms are usually gone in 24 hours. > > I believe that because I depended solely on my own immune system to counter the flu bug, I am better prepared for next year’s attack. > > I also don’t eat “junk” foods and work out every day which I think also makes a deference. Nope. Different influenza strains are dominant every year and having had (and successfully fought off) one type doesn’t mean you’ll have any resistance or more effective immune system reaction on a different type. You’ve been lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/51 "2019-10-22T13:24:09Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > Emphasis mine - diarrhea is not a flu symptom, but it is a symptom of a norovirus infection. Which, from what I’ve heard, is active about the same time as the flue. Maybe the problem isn’t the vaccine, but the place you’re getting the vaccine? I doubt it. I walked to a conference room in my building and they gave me the shot and I walked back to my office. I start getting sick about 8 hours after the shot. It lasts for about 16 hours and then is gone. This has happened twice. It would have to be quite a coincidence. > [@Chronos](#): > > OK, so we’ll grant that you got sick from a flu shot. But does that mean that you’ll get sick from all flu shots, or only from that particular one? There are multiple different formulations. There’s one that mostly gets used for most people because it’s the cheapest and easiest, but some folks have an allergic reaction to it, and so they get one of the other ones. IIRC, eggs are used as a binding agent in the shot-- Are you by chance allergic to eggs? I mentioned earlier that I just found out that they have egg in them and I will see if I can get a non-egg one next year. Actually, I am not exactly allergic, just “intolerant.” I get sweats, chills, diarrhea, etc. However, that is usually only after eating a sizable breakfast of scrambled eggs. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/52 "2019-10-22T13:44:14Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > I’m 66 years old and have never had a flu shot. Some years I do get what apparently is the flu, but its always quite mild and the symptoms are usually gone in 24 hours. That’s almost certainly not the flu. > [@Mangosteen](#): > > I believe that because I depended solely on my own immune system to counter the flu bug, I am better prepared for next year’s attack. > > I also don’t eat “junk” foods and work out every day which I think also makes a deference. Neither of these ideas are supported by the science. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/53 "2019-10-22T20:57:36Z")
Something else you should consider before getting a flu shot. A leading alt health/conspiracy website says: _“Wake up. The U.S. government is secretly using flu shots to seize control of every American’s immune system.”_ :eek: Don’t let the feds inject tiny Fantastic Voyage robot drones into your bloodstream to hijack your lymph nodes and spleen! Fight the power!!! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/54 "2019-10-22T21:10:20Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Something else you should consider before getting a flu shot. A leading alt health/conspiracy website says: > > _“Wake up. The U.S. government is secretly using flu shots to seize control of every American’s immune system.”_ > > :eek: > > Don’t let the feds inject tiny Fantastic Voyage robot drones into your bloodstream to hijack your lymph nodes and spleen! Fight the power!!! yikes! Maybe I shouldn’t get that shot this year. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/55 "2019-10-22T22:32:22Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > yikes! Maybe I shouldn’t get that shot this year. That’s OK ------- I figure our robot overlords can take care of anything pesky Uncle Sam gets in us. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/56 "2019-10-22T23:51:31Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > There is a reason virtually everyone who works in healthcare is required to get a flu shot. > > Be a citizen. > > GTS. Cite? In my experience, and I manage a medical office where we literally inject people all day every day, this is definitely _not_ the case. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/57 "2019-10-22T23:58:38Z")
**Mangosteen** , the people who get flu shots are also relying entirely on their own immune systems. They’re just telling the immune system in advance what to look out for, instead of waiting for it to figure it out on its own. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/58 "2019-10-23T02:02:07Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Cite? In my experience, and I manage a medical office where we literally inject people all day every day, this is definitely _not_ the case. > > ~Max [Nurse fired for refusing flu shot](https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20181204/nurse-fired-for-refusing-flu-shot-protestors-say) [Essentia Health fires 69 employees over refusal to get flu shots](https://www.fox9.com/news/essentia-health-fires-69-employees-over-refusal-to-get-flu-shots) [Cincinnati nurse who denied flu vaccination fired](https://www.wlwt.com/article/cincinnati-nurse-who-denied-flu-vaccination-fired/14383212) [Pregnant Hospital Technician Fired After Refusing To Get Flu Shot](https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/01/09/pregnant-woman-fired/) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/59 "2019-10-23T02:06:24Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > [Nurse fired for refusing flu shot](https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20181204/nurse-fired-for-refusing-flu-shot-protestors-say) > > [Essentia Health fires 69 employees over refusal to get flu shots](https://www.fox9.com/news/essentia-health-fires-69-employees-over-refusal-to-get-flu-shots) > > [Cincinnati nurse who denied flu vaccination fired](https://www.wlwt.com/article/cincinnati-nurse-who-denied-flu-vaccination-fired/14383212) > > [Pregnant Hospital Technician Fired After Refusing To Get Flu Shot](https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/01/09/pregnant-woman-fired/) Thanks, the number I was looking for is in the cite of the first article: The CDC’s [Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Health Care Personnel — United States, 2017–18 Influenza Season](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6738a2.htm?s_cid=mm6738a2_w). It’s at 78.4% which puts my unvaccinated nurses squarely in the minority. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952/60 "2019-10-23T03:41:38Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > I’m 66 years old and have never had a flu shot. Some years I do get what apparently is the flu, but its always quite mild and the symptoms are usually gone in 24 hours. > > I believe that because I depended solely on my own immune system to counter the flu bug, I am better prepared for next year’s attack. > > I also don’t eat “junk” foods and work out every day which I think also makes a deference. Being healthy, oddly enough, puts you at greater risk because the flu causes the immune system to turn on itself, and those with better immune systems are more at risk. The 1917-18 flu epidemic spread in army camps, and the death toll of the very fit soldiers was higher than that for the public at large. So shlubs like me are safer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-questioning-getting-a-flu-shot-next-year/841952.md?page=4)