Lots of reactions to the flu vax this year

Nurses General Nursing

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we've given a lot of vaxes through our home health agency and this year we're hearing a lot of minor complaints: feeling achey, low grade temps, etc. last friday monster got hers, and she's been running a fever ever since. unusual for her, she's never run fevers with vaxes before. not low grade, either, i've gotten some readings up to 103 at night.

yesterday dd#1 called me in a total panic at work, monster was running 105. i dropped and ran. took me an hour to get home and it had come down to 103.8. motrin brought it down to 100.6. by the time we got to the doc two hours later it was 99-something. fnp thinks it's just a vax reaction because she can't find anything else, but dang! she's on motrin around the clock for 3 days then we'll try a trial day of nothing to see if it comes back.

funny side note: i have a temporal thermometer. after the temp got down to 100 dd#1 said "her fever broke."

monster started crying and pointing to her forehead: "mama, my fever broke-ded here, can you fix it??"

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Glad to hear you fixed the broke fever.

I'm not hearing of any problems this way. We got ours yesterday and so far so good.

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Couple of years ago, two of our staff ended up with GBS after their flu vaccines. Since that is supposed to be such a rare complication, having two develop this was a bit unnerving.

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Specializes in LTAC, Telemetry, Thoracic Surgery, ED.

and people think I'm paranoid for not getting one.....never got one and never plan on it....

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Peds/O.R./Legal/cardiology.

I have seen some HELLACIOUS reactions in the past few years! Both local and systemic. Infection control folks say "Not possible, this is not a live vaccine"...blah, blah, blah Well, what's doing it then?

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My DD (20 months) had a reaction this year. She ran a fever for 4 days, it got up to 103 at one point. She may have been coming down with something before the shot, but I'm not really sure.

I felt a little more achy than usual after I got this year's too...

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My dh got the vaccine a couple of days ago and is complaining about the same. No fever yet but I think it's coming. He's feeling pretty puny.

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I have had the vaccine this year and for the last few years....no problems. In 1976 I had the vaccine via a jet injector. As we left the facility, my younger sister and I were sick (vomited), likely from the shot as many others that year reported similar problems. My mom was fine, so was my older sister. Because of that experience in 1976, I avoided flu shots for many years. I am now back using them because my doctor recommended it and because of working in healthcare.

I'm glad your daughter is doing better.

I can't help but wonder if there are times the vaccines are contaminated somehow (e.g., with like material) or if people have allergic reactions to some element of the agent carrying the killed viral material. I have trouble with the idea of a killed virus causing a problem.

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Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.

I am not sold on the flu vaccine... I have never gotten one and I never plan on getting one at this point.

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I never got one until I was pregnant, because the one time I did get one I got sooo sick. So did a coworker. When I got the second one and didn't react, I took it for the next couple of years. I didn't take it this year just because I never got around to holding my arm out for someone to stab. I think I'll skip it this year.

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Specializes in IM/Critical Care/Cardiology.

My doc declined to give me one this week as I am ill with upper respiratory. I found it interesting that he would say, this year it would really make you worse......Anybody know which strains this year the vaccine is covering?

Hope your daughter feels better too, Tazzi.

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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.

I've given almost 100 so far this year and haven't had anyone complain of anything other than a mild local reaction.

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