I’m sure this has been asked before, its just that when I use the search it keeps freezing up on me.
Unless your doctor tells you not to. There are a lot of flu strains out there, and the shot will protect against the three most likely for you to get, but not the others. You cannot possibly get the flu from a flu shot. When you do get the flu, you will spend 4 to 7 days in flu hell, and you can get more than one strain a year. I always get a flu shot, because the cost (about $10) is a heck of a lot cheaper than being out of work for four days.
You are protected from the three strains you are immunized against approximately 6 to 8 weeks after your shot.
If you get a flu strain that you were not protected from, or the strains you were protected from before the immunization has had time to take effect, and if you see your doctor within the first 24 hours, you can get a perscription for one of two flu reducing descriptions. I took one last year called Tamiflu (a registered trademark) and I felt a lot better (but not fully recovered) the next morning and fully recovered in 3 days.
You should definitely get a flu shot if you suffer from a chronic lung disease, are elderly, or have a medical condition that puts you into a high-risk group for flu complications.
Those medical personnel with patient contact should get flu shots, not only for their own health but also so they don’t spread it around.
Those who spend a lot of time around a lot of kids - teachers and daycare workers, for example - should also get the flu shot for the same reason.
When vaccine is in short supply (expected again this year - what’s the deal with this?) healthy young people might be asked to skip it, because flu is unlikely to cause severe problems.
If you are allergic to eggs do NOT, repeat, do NOT get a flu shot because it is manufactured in eggs.
Folks with immune problems (HIV, organ transplant, other conditions) should ask their doctor
From what I’ve read, there will be plenty to go around eventually, but low risk individuals are being asked to wait until the high risk population gets immunized first.
Being in retail I always get a flu shot because a lot of people will come into the store violently ill.
But a more important reason is that the Flu Virus can cause major damage to the body. One of the more interesting facts is that a certain number of people who have to get Heart Transplants get on the list because of an episode of the flu has damaged their heart beyond repair. I am sure that it also has to do with other factors, but it seems like an inordinate number of Heart Transplantation cases start out with the patient having had a severe case of the Flu.
I get one every year and pay for all my employees to get them as well. And if you have kids, you should get a shot as well, because schools are wonderful breeding grounds for all sorts of viral infections.
I had mine already. But I’m not exactly in the greatest health, my doctor recommends I get one early. I tend to develop persistent sinus infections whenever I get the flu, and several times I’ve ended up on antibiotics.
I would also recommend people like me who get major respiratory problems from the flu to get a Pneumonia vaccination too. AFAIK, you can get one and it confers lifetime immunity (although I could be wrong about that).
I’ve been getting vaccinations regularly for about 6 years and I can’t recall the last time I even had a cold.