To Flu Shot or Not??

soon2bRN516 · Dec 12, 2008

I think that just depends on each individual.....The reason I say that, is because last year was the first time I can remember that I had a flu shot, and yes I was sicker than I have been in my whole adult life...Now whether that had anything to do with the shot or not I am not sure...However I chose not to get it this year...I can only hope I made the right decision...I don't normally get sick, so this was very out of the ordinary for me...If you are someone who catches things easily then I would say yes, it would be wise to get the flu shot......

CuriousMe · Dec 12, 2008

Vaccines can be touchy subjects. I personally believe that there is enough evidence to support that they protect far more than harm.

The flu shot has minimal side effects...the arm where you get it might get sore and red or even swell a bit at the injection site, you may get a low-grade fever and you may feel some aches and pains for a day or two.

None of these symptoms would compare to the flu at all. I'm not sure if that's what the nurses you spoke with meant by they got sick, but the vaccine is made of inactivated (or dead) flu virus, so...it's highly unlikely that they caught the flu from the flu shot. The shot does take roughly two weeks to be completely effective, so if someone gets the flu right after the flu shot...what's more likely is that they were exposed to the flu before their shot and the shot wasn't effective yet.

Even if you're not concerned about getting the flu yourself, just think about the vulnerable populations you'll be around in your clinicals....wouldn't it be great to not pass the flu on to one of them?

Here's the link the CDC site about the flu and flu vaccines:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/

Peace,

CuriousMe

krenee · Dec 12, 2008

We were just learning about flu shots, and my instructor also said since the flu shot is a dead virus, you can't get the flu from it. I got mine and felt just fine afterwards. I think it might be psychological!

Kelly

rnjls · Dec 12, 2008

If someone gets sick, it's more than likely they were exposed to the flu before they got the shot. As other people have said, the flu shot contains a "dead" virus, so it can't cause disease.

I start clinicals in January as well and I made the decision to get the shot. I don't want to risk missing any school, and I don't want to pass the flu to any of my patients.

RhodyGirl, RN · Dec 12, 2008

My school mandates that we (nursing students) get a flu shot every Fall. I always get one anyway, though, because I can't be home sick for 7 to 10 days.

polka-dot, RN · Dec 12, 2008

If you get sick despite a flu shot you may also have been exposed to a different strain of the flu. They try to predict what strains will be heading our way, but aren't always 100% accurate.

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Dec 14, 2008

Also, the flu vaccine is made using chicken eggs, so if you're allergic to them that's one of the few good reasons not to get the shot.

Other than that - since you're going to be working with sick people, you really should get the flu shot.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 14, 2008

Since I've never had any problems with the flu vaccine and I also can't afford to be sick I always get one. I agree that it doesn't make sense that people would have a reaction to the dead virus but I know quite a few fairly intelligent people that swear they did. :confused:

CuriousMe · Dec 14, 2008

Since I've never had any problems with the flu vaccine and I also can't afford to be sick I always get one. I agree that it doesn't make sense that people would have a reaction to the dead virus but I know quite a few fairly intelligent people that swear they did.

Anecdotal evidence is so attractive. So shiny and glittery, so easy to to put our faith in...

I know of folks that swear they got the flu from the flu shot as well. I have no doubt that they unfortunately weren't well shortly after the shot, and can even buy that it could be related to the shot....maybe they were fighting a bug when the got the shot and the hit to their immune system was what they felt, maybe...well a thousand things.

Research shows though that across the population, the effects of the flu shot are far less dangerous than the flu.

Best,

CuriousMe

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Dec 14, 2008

Get the flu shot. Protect the rest of the herd (which includes your sick, immunocompromised patients) as well as yourself.

Smart people often confuse correlation with causation, hence the erroneous belief that they got stick from a dead virus. Flu shots come out during flu season, which is also cold-got-the-icks season. The shot to prevent the former does not cause the latter.

:)

wannabesedated · Dec 14, 2008

I have been getting the flu shot the last few years and have not gotten sick from it. I get the flu shot to protect myself after seeing how horrible the flu can be, but also to protect high-risk patients that I may be working with in clinical.

As mentioned above, the flu shot can't cause the flu because the vaccine does not contain live virus.

According to my immunization guide, "Soreness at the injection site lasting up to 2 days occurs in 10%-72% of patients but rarely interferes with normal activities. Fever, malaise and myalgia may occur within 6 to 12 hours after vaccination and last 1 to 2 days, especially in those receiving vaccine for the first time. Prophylactic acetaminophen may decrease the frequency of some side effects in adults."