# Should I get a flu shot? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920 "2007-10-16T17:36:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/21 "2007-10-17T15:56:11Z")
I had the flu back in the mid 70’s, I’ve never been so sick in my life. You should get the shot, you DO NOT want the flu. Many people get a bad cold and think it’s flu, if you get the flu, you’ll have no doubt and it’s very serious, as QtM says, maybe fatal. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/22 "2007-10-17T16:01:34Z")
I’m healthy and young, so I’m not going to bother, and haven’t ever bothered since I was about 12 or 13. I’ve also never had the flu. I guess, as already stated, it depends on your health and if you are around any vulnerables. And you also have to consider that the flu vaccine doesn’t cover ALL flu viruses, just those that the medical profession think may be making the rounds that year. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/23 "2007-10-17T16:38:09Z")
I got mine at work, but the company covered the fee. Not sure if I would spend my own money to get one, but I’m a tightwad. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/24 "2007-10-17T16:49:24Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] I got mine at work, but the company covered the fee. Not sure if I would spend my own money to get one, but I’m a tightwad. [/QUOTE] Would your health insurance cover it? ---
**Author:** ![Contrary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/db5fbb/32.png) [@Contrary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrary)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/25 "2007-10-17T16:50:43Z")
I have never had the flu, and don’t have any health issues. So no, I haven’t ever gotten the shot and don’t see a need. I’m sure since I’ve now posted this, I will get a nasty case of the flu post-haste. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/26 "2007-10-17T16:59:22Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] I save the shot for an old person who needs it. [/QUOTE] Remember a couple of years ago when there was that severe shortage of flu vaccine that was reported on so heavily in the media? We had to toss hundreds of doses because they expired. We couldn’t give em away. So “saving” them, while a noble idea, is not necessary, and can actually be bad because you can catch & pass the flu, even if you’re not showing any symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/27 "2007-10-17T17:00:37Z")
Get the damn shot and give the rest of us some herd immunity, will ya? As for myself, I always get it, because it’s free and they do it right in the office. Of course, I work for a hospital system… ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/28 "2007-10-17T17:02:20Z")
I keep TRYING to get a flu shot, but for the last two years they’ve been pretty unobtainable. My dad is 76 and in poor health, so my mom always gets one too, and I try to get one because I really don’t want to give any diseases to Dad. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/29 "2007-10-17T17:09:51Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] I keep TRYING to get a flu shot, but for the last two years they’ve been pretty unobtainable. [/QUOTE] [Here](http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.aspx?c=aqKGLXOAIlH&b=1015035)’s one resource. Also, check around different pharmacies & medical centers/hospitals. Around here, Walgreens & Rite Aid offer flu shots, as do the public health department and all the private hospitals (Kaiser, CPMC, etc, thought they may be for members only). If you call and they say they’re out, call a week or two later, when they might have gotten more in- that can happen on little notice. A few times in the past years someone (usually the state) gives us one or two thousands more doses out of nowhere, and we’re one of the big players. Also, if you know any nurses, you could always just ask them. Even if their company has a bunch of restrictions, they might be able to snag one or two under the table. They’d want your dad to be healthy as much as you do. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/30 "2007-10-17T17:33:20Z")
See, Walgreen’s was supposed to have them last year - they ran out ten minutes before they were supposed to start giving them out! I tried three different places, including the county health department, and then I just gave up. (This was last year.) ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/31 "2007-10-17T17:42:25Z")
Get the shot. I’ve got a son with asthma, a 7 YO daughter and my wife is prone to respiratory illnesses. Even though I am generally healthy person I get the shot so I don’t risk infecting them. The one year I did not get a shot I caught the flu. Actually; it was more like it slammed right into me. Started getting sick on the train going home, by the time I walked in the door I would have gladly accepted a visit from Dr. Kevorkian. I was out of commission for almost a week (fortunately I was able to work from home for a the last couple days), running between chills and fever with body aches worse than anything I could possibly remember. If you are going to be traveling you will encounter lots of people. It’s better to be prepared on the off chance that the person you are sitting next to on the plane has the bug. ---
**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 17, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/32 "2007-10-17T20:22:40Z")
Systemic reactions to flu vaccine (encompassing low-grade fever and aches) remain both 1) uncommon, and 2) extremely unlikely to approach the level of misery which accompanies actual influenza. > [@Mama Zappa](#): > > On the anti-vax front: We have good reason to be cautious in our household given the history of autism though we don’t believe vaccines were a factor in Dweezil’s autism. However we have noticed a definite, significant downturn in Moon Unit’s behavior for a week or more after any immunization (including flu shots the last couple of years) so we’re likely opting out of it this year. Whether it’s mercury, an autoimmune thing affecting the brain chemistry, or sheer coincidence… I have no doubt that children can exhibit behavior changes or other symptoms associated with getting shots. As a young child, I was so panicked at one point about getting shots that I ran and hid under the bed. It didn’t matter that my father (a doctor) was the one giving me the shots, and he had nearly painless technique besides. Maybe the trauma explains some personality factors developing later on… What baffles me is that some parents readily accept the possibility of vaccine-related reactions in themselves due to well-documented mechanisms that don’t involve mercury preservatives or autoimmune brain alterations, but suspect or conclude that any changes in their kids after immunization are due to vaccine-related brain damage (despite the lack of data supporting this theory). ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/33 "2007-10-17T22:54:32Z")
I get the flu shot every year for free from work. Last year, after I received the shot in my left arm, my neck swelled on the left side and it took several weeks for the swelling to go down. I saw my Doctor about it and sent me to an ENT and also had my thyroid checked. Everything checked out fine and he didn’t seen further concerned about it. He said it was OK for me to get the show again this year, but I’m feeling reluctant about it. I ususally recommend the shots, though. Flu stinks. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/34 "2007-10-18T03:22:31Z")
I get two colds a year, regular like clockwork (fall and spring); it’s completely anecdotal, I know, but the years I’ve gotten the flu shot, I haven’t gotten my two colds. My WAG on that is that my body isn’t using resources fighting influenza virus, so I have more resources to fight the omnipresent cold viruses. I have no problem getting a flu shot, when I can find a free one. I _have_ had the flu - I started feeling sick leaving my house, and could barely move when I got to the mall half an hour later (I am notorious for just working through any illness I come down with - this was not an option with the flu). I agree with everyone here that if you think you have a flu, it’s not flu. You _know_ flu. My husband has asthma - I wish he would get the shot. Danged needlephobia. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/35 "2007-10-18T10:42:18Z")
I get it every year - not only do I work in a hospital with patient contact, but I also work with a lot of patients with AIDS. I haven’t had the flu since I was a kid, and that was enough for me, thanks. My husband got the flu two years ago and literally, honestly thought he was going to die during parts of it. During those worst times he was feeling like a truck ran him over and was shaking uncontrollably with chills even though he was bundled under multiple layers of blankets. He wasn’t able to find an immunization last year but plans to get one this year, as he’d prefer to avoid that again. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/36 "2007-10-18T13:44:28Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] … My husband has asthma - I wish he would get the shot. Danged needlephobia. [/QUOTE] Would [Flumist](http://www.flumist.com/) be an option for your husband? They list an age range of 2-49 so he might be outside that, and there are other restrictions as well. One in particular: “FluMist should not be administered to any individual with asthma…unless the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Do not administer FluMist to individuals with severe asthma or active wheezing.”. The year shots were in such short supply (I actually stood in line for a couple of hours to get mine at one of the last “grocery store clinics” held) my doc told me it was OK for me to get Flumist if I couldn’t find a shot, despite me having asthma. I’d get it myself, but my company offers the shots for free. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/37 "2007-10-18T13:51:33Z")
I got one for the first time in my life this year. I’m a new EMT, and I figured with all the exposure to sick people, it would be a wise move. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920/38 "2007-10-18T15:40:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mama Zappa] Would [Flumist](http://www.flumist.com/) be an option for your husband? They list an age range of 2-49 so he might be outside that, and there are other restrictions as well. One in particular: “FluMist should not be administered to any individual with asthma…unless the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Do not administer FluMist to individuals with severe asthma or active wheezing.”. The year shots were in such short supply (I actually stood in line for a couple of hours to get mine at one of the last “grocery store clinics” held) my doc told me it was OK for me to get Flumist if I couldn’t find a shot, despite me having asthma. I’d get it myself, but my company offers the shots for free. [/QUOTE] Hmm - his asthma is very well controlled with steroids, so I don’t know if the potential benefits outweight the potential risk for him. A flu with his lungs would knock him down and kick the shit out of him, but he’s not at risk for it in any way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/422920.md?page=1)