# Should I get a flu shot? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 6, 2013, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210 "2013-01-06T00:29:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![luv2draw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@luv2draw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luv2draw)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/41 "2013-01-19T01:42:14Z")
Got my flu shot at the pharmacy at Target way back in October. There was only one other customer getting it back then so no big wait. Never had the flu but started getting the shot 3 years ago when COBRA ran out. Figured $25+/- was cheaper than a doctor’s visit/prescription. This year the pharmacist gave me the new one with the short needle. He held it up to show it to me. Like I could see what it looked like without my reading glasses on (I had already put them away after doing the paperwork). Ha! Anyway, this time that cute short little needle left my arm sore for a couple of days at the injection site when the long needle in the past didn’t. Go figure. Next year I’ll need the super duper shot because I’ll be 64! Or maybe that one is at age 65. 😃 ---
**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:** [January 19, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/42 "2013-01-19T03:25:41Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > So, since not getting a flu shot has worked for me in 54 out of 55 years and I appear to have the constitution of a cockroach, I shall continue not getting the flu shot. But it does seem wise for those with more vulnerable immune systems to get the darn thing. 🙂 “Not getting a flu shot has worked for me” could easily be defined as “I have been lucky and/or lived or worked in a setting that minimizes my exposure to flu carriers”. Mainly I wanted to point out that while people with compromised immune systems are often vulnerable to flu, the opposite situation is hazardous as well. Some flu strains (H1N1 was an example) disproportionately hit healthy young people with strong immune systems. The Great Influenza of 1918 ravaged younger populations for what’s thought to be a similar reason - a powerful immune response to the flu (“cytokine storm”) caused devastating injury to the body, including swamping the lungs with fluid. Overall, one might be best off as a middle-aged person whose system has immune memory of a number of different flus, is strong enough to mount an effective response to infection but not so strong that it inflicts innocent bystander damage on the body it’s supposed to protect. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/43 "2013-01-19T03:40:48Z")
I got my flu shot a while ago. I interact with middle school students every day, and they’re a bunch of snuffling little virus factories, so I’m not taking any chances. And while we’re on the subject, if you haven’t gotten a pertussis booster since you were a kid, it’s worth asking your doctor about. Whooping cough won’t kill most adults, but it’s not pleasant, and if you’re ever around babies, it _can_ kill them. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/44 "2013-01-19T16:22:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ve had the full-blown influenza once as an adult - when it’s really the flu, you know it. Same here, right down to the laying helplessly on the couch bit (and the worst part of all was that it was during Christmas vacation and we had to cancel our annual trip home so that I could spend my vacation days being sick.) All that time, I had mistaken really bad colds for the flu. When I actually got the flu, I knew immediately that it was the first time I’d ever had the flu. As a general rule of thumb, if you feel like you’re dying, it’s the flu. Whenever people tell me that the flu is ‘‘no big deal,’’ I conclude that they have never actually had the flu. Incidentally, I’m getting my flu shot today, at Rite Aid. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/45 "2013-01-19T17:47:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > “Not getting a flu shot has worked for me” could easily be defined as “I have been lucky and/or lived or worked in a setting that minimizes my exposure to flu carriers”. > > Mainly I wanted to point out that while people with compromised immune systems are often vulnerable to flu, the opposite situation is hazardous as well. Some flu strains (H1N1 was an example) disproportionately hit healthy young people with strong immune systems. The Great Influenza of 1918 ravaged younger populations for what’s thought to be a similar reason - a powerful immune response to the flu (“cytokine storm”) caused devastating injury to the body, including swamping the lungs with fluid. > > Overall, one might be best off as a middle-aged person whose system has immune memory of a number of different flus, is strong enough to mount an effective response to infection but not so strong that it inflicts innocent bystander damage on the body it’s supposed to protect. All very true, which is why my initial response to the OP was, > [@](#): > > Common sense party line: Yeah, get it. Even if you get the flu regardless it’s likely to be just a mild case. I’ve yet to read of a downside (anti-vaccination wackos excepted.) I fully acknowledge that it makes sense and there’s really no down-side to getting the flu shot. And that my not getting it is perhaps illogical; thus I wouldn’t ever advise anyone against it. ---
**Author:** ![spunkymuzicnote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@spunkymuzicnote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spunkymuzicnote)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/46 "2013-01-19T17:52:00Z")
I’m all for getting a flu shot - got mine in November - but be aware, this year’s shot doesn’t cover all of the strains out there. Look at me, I’m currently stuck home with the flu. Still, something is better than nothing. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/47 "2013-01-19T17:52:25Z")
Why take a chance?- Flu kills 1000s of people every year in the US and puts 100s of 1000s in the hospital: [Center for Disease Control: Seasonal Influenza (Flu)](http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/us_flu-related_deaths.htm) (from link): > [@](#): > > (CDC estimates that) **more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year for respiratory and heart conditions illnesses associated with seasonal influenza** virus infections. > > CDC estimates that **from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.** Death certificate data and weekly influenza virus surveillance information was used to estimate how many flu-related deaths occurred among people whose underlying cause of death was listed as respiratory or circulatory disease on their death certificate. To give an sense of proportion motor vehicle deaths were ~32000 in 2011. The shot I got from Walgreen’s in October cost me $31.99. WalMart was charging ~$26 but they were out and I didn’t want to put it off. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/48 "2013-01-20T12:08:33Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > So, since not getting a flu shot has worked for me in 54 out of 55 years and I appear to have the constitution of a cockroach, I shall continue not getting the flu shot. But it does seem wise for those with more vulnerable immune systems to get the darn thing. 🙂 Getting the flu shot is not about you. It is NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about the vulnerable people you may come into contact with, and herd immunity. You’ll probably live through a bout of the flu. The old lady you stand next to in the supermarket may not, and I’m fairly certain you don’t want to be the one that passes it to her. Also, the more people that are at least partially protected by the shot, the fewer people there will be who pass the virus along, meaning less risk for truly vulnerable people. The flu shot is not about YOU, it is about THEM. Get a damn flu shot. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/49 "2013-01-20T20:26:30Z")
> [@spunkymuzicnote](#): > > I’m all for getting a flu shot - got mine in November - but be aware, this year’s shot doesn’t cover all of the strains out there. Look at me, I’m currently stuck home with the flu. Still, something is better than nothing. **No year’s shot covers all the strains.** **Ever**. I’m tired of people arguing that since it doesn’t cover every single possible virus that may make them sick, they’re not going to bother. This year’s shot is a good match for the most prevalent circulating strains. Unfortunately, there are dozens of strains of influenza wandering around and the flu shot can’t predict all of them with perfect accuracy a year in advance (which is how early they need to get the formulation down in order to manufacture it). This year we’re also dealing with several really nasty upper respiratory viruses that _aren’t_ influenza but can make you miserable as shit for a week. And there’s the norovirus outbreak causing havoc, which is a problem because people like to call vomiting and diarrhea “the flu” when it’s not influenza-related at all. You may still crash your car while you’re completely sober, but that doesn’t mean you may as well drink before driving. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/50 "2013-01-20T23:54:09Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > This year we’re also dealing with several really nasty upper respiratory viruses that _aren’t_ influenza but can make you miserable as shit for a week. I had this last year, which in my case was six months ago. It’s the first time I’d been sick in about four years, and hit me really hard. Seriously sucked. But, as noted, not the flu. A flu shot would not have prevented it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/51 "2013-01-20T23:57:04Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > All that time, I had mistaken really bad colds for the flu. When I actually got the flu, I knew immediately that it was the first time I’d ever had the flu. As a general rule of thumb, if you feel like you’re dying, it’s the flu. Whenever people tell me that the flu is ‘‘no big deal,’’ I conclude that they have never actually had the flu. Is this true? I thought that, while the flu can lead to horrible illness, there’s also such a thing as a mild case of influenza, that comes across feeling like a nasty cold, with fever, chills, and body ache. Am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/52 "2013-01-21T00:16:35Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Is this true? I thought that, while the flu can lead to horrible illness, there’s also such a thing as a mild case of influenza, that comes across feeling like a nasty cold, with fever, chills, and body ache. Am I wrong? That’s what I’ve got right now. Is it “really” the flu? No idea, I don’t plan to go to the doctor unless things get worse. I did have a flu shot in October through work. My husband, who had this first, did not have the shot. He’s feeling better and playing WoW about 5 days in. I’m on my second day and still feel like crap. More achiness and chills and fewer upper respiratory symptoms than a typical cold. The flu shot is only about [59% effective](http://www.kare11.com/news/article/994888/391/U-of-M-study-challenges-effectiveness-of-flu-vaccine). Definitely not perfect. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210/53 "2013-01-21T03:50:24Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > Getting the flu shot is not about you. It is NOT ABOUT YOU. It is about the vulnerable people you may come into contact with, and herd immunity. While I agree that the vulnerability of young children, elderly and immunosuppressed people one may come into contact with is worthy of consideration, sheer altruism doesn’t work very well as a motivation for getting immunized. Better to say “It’s not _just_ about you.” 🙂 And yes, it’s possible to get a mild case of the flu. Even when flu shots are not completely protective, they may result in one getting a relatively mild illness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-a-flu-shot/646210.md?page=2)