Flu after Immunization????

Nurses General Nursing

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Can you get the flu even after you have gotten an immunization? I looked it up on the CDC website and it was not very specific. I asked an infectious disease doc and he said "yes" if you are exposed to a different strain but you won't get "as sick". Everyone here in So Cal is sick with something, coughing, sneezing etc. and I thought I was being careful but something has hit me hard.

I'm alone in a hotel room surviving on advil and bottled water. This sucks being far away from anyone taking care of me but I'm feeling better bit by bit.

Specializes in Peds.

Yup. Definitely.

It takes about 2 weeks to get full immunity from the flu vaccine, so in that two weeks, you are still vunerable. It also only has 3-4 different strains, so if you exposed to a different one, than yes, you will get it. I don't believe any vaccine is 100% effective. So it is very possible you have the flu or some sort of virus. Like you said there is so much going around these days.

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Yes, quite possible.

Here are a couple explanatory links from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/effectivenessqa.htm

Yeh, I work in an ER, I don't even bother with the flue vac. , ther are so many strains, it's not worth it to me. Besides, I like my immune system to do the work on it's own.

Specializes in Med Surg, Tele, PH, CM.

THe flu vaccine is formulated to protect you from the strain of flu that sends people to hospitals and ICU, and often kills them. Most people think that it will protect them from the garden-variety influenza that goes around more often. It was explained to me that getting a flu shot, especially if you already have a cold, will lower your resistance enough to make you more suseptable to any bug that is going around. The shot is a dead virus, however, and will not directly give you a dose of the flu - unless you get the FluMist vaccine, that is a live virus.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
Can you get the flu even after you have gotten an immunization? I looked it up on the CDC website and it was not very specific. I asked an infectious disease doc and he said "yes" if you are exposed to a different strain but you won't get "as sick". Everyone here in So Cal is sick with something, coughing, sneezing etc. and I thought I was being careful but something has hit me hard.

I'm alone in a hotel room surviving on advil and bottled water. This sucks being far away from anyone taking care of me but I'm feeling better bit by bit.

Hi Haunted. I got a flu shot and got the flu. I tested positive for it on the 26th and it definately was not any lighter than the real thing, next thing on Jan 2 , I get a CXR and have right upper lobe pneumonia and now today with hearing loss due to the virus attacking the auditory nerve in my left ear. So Yes!

Sorry you are so sick. Sorry you're far from home.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I am sure that you can. There are so many strains of influenza that the vaccine may not cover, that I am sure it can happen. Feel better, soon!

I have always been taught that no vacine is 100% effective.

Hi Haunted. I got a flu shot and got the flu. I tested positive for it on the 26th and it definately was not any lighter than the real thing, next thing on Jan 2 , I get a CXR and have right upper lobe pneumonia and now today with hearing loss due to the virus attacking the auditory nerve in my right ear. So Yes!

Sorry you are so sick. Sorry you're far from home.

I'm cominh home soon girlfriend and will bring you some hot tea and fluff your pillows. Look for me on Wednesday of next. You won't be able to hear me mumbling behind your back, yuck yuck yuck....

Specializes in med surg.

I got the vaccine and got the flu the vaccine was suppose to protect me against. I was down for 6 days and it has taken another 3 weeks till I feel half way myself. They did see me within hours of the onset because frankly I thought there was something really wrong , never guessed i was coming down with the flu. So I took the Tamiflu, I hate to think how sick I would have gotten without the med and the vaccine and it makes me wonder why more elderly people are not hospitalized with flu.

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

Some people get flu like symtoms as a reaction. But the flu shot itself does not give you the flu.

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