Got the Flu Shot

lisamct · Oct 26, 2002

I never took my employers upon their kind offer of the flu jab! Too many collegues have had to call in sick afterwards that it put me off so ive never had it.Not had the flu yet either,so, fingers crossed this year will be ok too.

Lisa

rncountry · Oct 26, 2002

Just got through taking an infection control class, part of my job is infection control.

First realize that the flu vaccine is not made with live virus, therefore it cannot make you ill. Secondly it takes three weeks for you to have immunity from flu, so you are able to become sick with the flu during those three weeks. Every year when I do flu shots at least one person tells me they don't take them because they make them sick, however the vaccine cannot make you ill. People who do come down with something after they have the flu shot make a casual connection to it being from the shot, but it is not true.

If you have further questions refer to the cdc website. http://www.cdc.gov

baseline · Oct 26, 2002

mcountry, I agree with your statement 100%. This issue has been thoroughly discussed in a previous thread. The flu virus IS indeed a killed vaccine. The usual side effects are a sore arm and perhaps a low-grade temp. This time of year there are many viruses out there.....any of which can make you feel pretty yukky. I hope you feel well soon!!

sjoe · Oct 26, 2002

Cynder--I didn't get the flu this time, after getting my shot, but I DID experience such fatigue that I slept all but 4 out of the next 24 hours. Didn't feel bad or hurt, though. Hope you're all better soon.

BadBird, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2002

Call me paranoid, but with all the bioterrorism threats out there I just don't want anything foreign injected into my body. I will take my chances with the flu bug.

kittyw · Oct 27, 2002

Got the flu shot like normal... just a sore arm for a few hours. Not a big price compared to getting the flu! But some people are sensitive to what other things that go into making the vaccine which can make them sick afterwards.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Oct 27, 2002

I got the pneumovax, Td, and flu shot on the 17th. Other than a slightly sore arm from the Td I felt fine.

cmggriff · Oct 27, 2002

While a vaccine made of killed virii will not give one the disease, I am fairly certain these injections a associated with the Guillane-Barre Syndrome. So technically the shots can make a person sick.

I don't take the flu shots myself. And I have seldom had the flu. I just hate getting shots. :imbar Gary

prmenrs, RN · Oct 27, 2002

I got my shot last week, didn't turn a hair x MILD tenderness @ injection site.

When babies get their shots these days, they get tylenol @ the time of injection and q4hx24hr after. I think adults should do the same.

When you REALLY get the "flu", it can be incredibly bad. We're not talking cold, here, we're talking intense myalgia, fever, headache, malaise/fatigue as in can't raise your head off the bed. It lasts a good week or 2, and takes FOREVER to totally recover. Some people wind up w/pneumonia, etc.

The influenza pandemic of 1918 KILLED hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

My point is: THIS IS NOT A DISEASE TO BE TRIFLED WITH!! If you take care of pts who are immunocompromised, and you get the flu, you can transmit the disease to them before you realize you are sick, and they can DIE from it.

Trauma Columnist · Oct 27, 2002

Well I'm probably in the minority here, but I think if you are a normally healthy person with no medical problems - you don't need the flu shot!!! I never get a flu shot, work fulltime in ER and never get sick. Just my $.02 worth.

baseline · Oct 27, 2002

http://www.immunize.org/vis/2flu.pdf

This might answer alot of questions.