To Flu Shot or Not??

LuLu2008 · Dec 18, 2008

I will be starting Nursing School in Jan 09 (yay!)
I went to get my immunizations in order.
When I asked about the flu shots, the nurses in the office said not to get it, it made them all sick.
What do you think? Should we get flu shots or not?

I think the nurses in the office acted unprofessionally and spoke to impressionable nursing students in a manner that a lay person would use in speaking to another lay person. How can we elevate our profession when we see this kind of behavior time after time? :banghead:

mawa · Dec 18, 2008

I remember the adverse reactions from Swine Flu vaccine during the late 70's or early 80's ? not sure exactly when, but do know that a great majority of people who received that vaccine became neurologically impaired on a permanent basis due to the vaccine being tainted. It was a big deal then and has made me vaccine shy ever since.....I have never received a flu shot and never get sick. I guess working in this business for so long has given me an immune system as strong as concrete! I know I'm fortunate, but will take my chances when it comes to the flu. Just my thoughts and experiences.....

CuriousMe · Dec 18, 2008

I remember the adverse reactions from Swine Flu vaccine during the late 70's or early 80's ? not sure exactly when, but do know that a great majority of people who received that vaccine became neurologically impaired on a permanent basis due to the vaccine being tainted. It was a big deal then and has made me vaccine shy ever since.....I have never received a flu shot and never get sick. I guess working in this business for so long has given me an immune system as strong as concrete! I know I'm fortunate, but will take my chances when it comes to the flu. Just my thoughts and experiences.....

The neurological complication was Guillain-Barré, they don't give that vaccine anymore due to those complications.

RossayRN · Dec 18, 2008

I say to each their own, but i have never had the flu, nor have I every had a flu shot. I don't see the need for me to get one especially since there are so many different strains of flu out there. My immune system has been doing quite a good job thus far so I'll just leave it alone.

fenders · Dec 18, 2008

Just wanted to add that I did a short term with infection control and there was a case at a downtown hospital here in Ontario, Canada where they test some of the strains of influenza. Actually most of the testing comes form asia, that is where they always hit first. One of the lab personal did not get his flu shot and somehow got exposed to one of the influenza (A strain). Anyhow, he was young in his early 40's and ended up in the ICU with acute renal failure, some resp failure. He recovered but just think about that case before you decide. This was in 2005/6.

I recently got the shot myself and got quite sick myself but it's nothing compared to what influenza can do to you and it will hit very fast. It has a systemic affect.

I think the reason we get sick is becuase the vaccine lowers our immune response while it works on the dead virus which takes several weeks to build immunity. It's not 100 precent though as the strains change throughout the year, it's hard to keep up with it.

My 7 month old baby was sick at the time, what she had for 2 days I got for 10. arrgh.

I'll still get it though.

CountyRat · Dec 18, 2008

"i remember the adverse reactions from swine flu vaccine during the late 70's or early 80's ? not sure exactly when, but do know that a great majority of people who received that vaccine became neurologically impaired on a permanent basis due to the vaccine being tainted."

no, it is not true that ". . . a great majority of people who received that [swine flu] vaccine became neurologically impaired on a permanant [sic] basis . . ." a very small minority had neurological problems, and most of those were not permanent. however, the vaccine was discontinued to eliminate even this small risk, as would the current flu vaccine if it caused neurological problems.

no, it is not true that the swine flu vaccine is comparable to annual flu vaccines. apples and oranges.

no, you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. if you could, the population of people who received the vaccine would have significantly more flu than the population of people who do not receive it. in fact, flu vaccine recipients have lower burdens of influenza than those who do not receive it. that is why most people should get it (and why nurses should recommend it to appropriate patients).

no, "getting sick" (whatever that actually means) after a flu shot does not demonstrate causation. remember incubation periods. people present signs and symptoms of infectious diseases days or weeks after exposure (depending on the etiological agent), making them terrible historians regarding those exposures. (what exposures to infectious disease did you experience 5 – 7 days ago? i don’t remember either. neither does anyone else, especially since exposure can occur from contact with people who are not yet showing any signs of disease.) people tend to attribute their illness to whatever notable event occurred during the day or two before disease presentation. they are usually wrong.

the reason some people report "getting sick" after flu shots is because:

1. some people expect to feel sick after the injection; and,

2. we administer the flu shot during flu season, that is, during the months in which the most people will get the flu. and, as others have noted, the flu vaccine only targets 3 or 4 strains of flu. it does not make the recipient "flu proof."

get the shot. the benefits far outweigh the risks unless you have a specific contraindication, such as egg allergy. then forget about it. the less you think about it, the less likely that you will think of yourself as "getting sick" from it.

have a happy, healthy holiday everyone!

paganoid · Dec 18, 2008

Our medical director published the results of a study in our monthly hospital newsletter: about 70% of healthcare professionals mistakenly believe that you can "get the flu" from an influenza vaccine. The sample included physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals.

We need to do everything we can to counter this staggering percentage of misinformed individuals. YOU CANNOT GET THE FLU FROM THE SHOT. If you get sick, you were already exposed and/or the hit to your immune system made you more susceptable.

To decrease the chances of getting sick after vaccination, get your flu shot or nasal spray vaccine well before flu season starts. I usually get mine the minute they become available.

Influenza is not an inconvenience. That's a URI. Influenza can be a life-threatening systemic infection. Don't take the risk. Get the flu vaccine.

:paw:

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Dec 18, 2008

I got my flu shot yesterday !!! I guess its okay... just like any other vaccine it may or may not take affect. I.E. I got the HEP B series, however I'm still not immune to the virus.

DF-LPN · Dec 18, 2008

In the 18yrs I've been a nurse, I have taken the flu shot once and still ended up getting the flu later that winter. I have't taken the shot again. I rearly get resp infections and the one I do get is usally bronchitis. And that is only once every few years.

If you are prone to resp infections then I say get the shot. As others have stated, the cons are: body/muscle/joint aches, there are thousands of diff types of flu bugs (and the little critters are mutating as I type :confused: ), you may still get the flu, and the vacine is usually made up from last seasons flu.

Cons: if you do get the flu, the shot should help with severity and duration. But the best con I think is that the more shots you have had the higher your immunity becomes.

At my facility it is a volunter option to take the flu but they will be makeing it mandatory within the next few years. I hope this helps and that I haven't just rambled on :imbar

Dee

silvia77 · Dec 18, 2008

I was dubious about the flu shot, too. Given I´ve never had one and never had the flu either. Our hospital sort of forced us to get the shot (stay home with no pay, if there is a breakout), so I got it, as I had a Dr.s appointment anyway. I didn´t get sick, not even a little headache ;o) AND I´m immune now! At least for this years stream.

But there are definitely side effects and complications people don´t talk about!!

Nobody can advice you whether to get it or not, it´s your own decision.

Good Luck:coollook:

moto231 · Dec 18, 2008

I have to say, I have been getting a flu shot since nursing school in 1985. I never had a problem other than a sore arm for a day or 2. That is until about 6 years ago, then I started to get the aches that you would get with the flu. OK I can buy that I was probably already exposed before I got the shot. Each of these last 6 years, those aches have increased so that last year, I called out sick for 2 days. I wish that is all I had to do this year. I got the shot at the beginning of October, by that afternoon feeling the aches and pains. The next morning, all I had to complain about was a sore arm. By 10am I started feeling a really sharp pain down my back, aches and headache. By the next day, I thought an elephant was stepping on my back and shoulder. The day after that, that elephant was joined by a cobra that was squeezing my ribcage. I was short of breath and had to lean almost 45 degrees forward to be able to get any breaths in. Urgent care sent me to the ER for possible stroke/heart problems...everything was fine there. The ER thought is was a response to the flu shot, gave me perocet and sent me home. That monday, I still was having difficulty breathing, no longer able to tolerate the smell of food, let alone eat. Went to my primary MD, said it definitly was a rxn to the flu shot (not sure if it was the "dead" virus or what it is mixed in or what), I do have a latex allery... Anyway received new pain meds, steriods and couple of other meds. The end of that week, I was back in the ER, still hurting and short of breath but not leaning over and able to eat somethings....Got different steroids, antibiotics, new pain meds, more blood drawn...so much fun..... I was out of work for just under 3 weeks, spent at least $500 in MD,ER and meds. The first week back, I could only work half a day before people told me they were afraid I was going to pass out. It took another 2 weeks to stop feeling the pain from my arm, down my back. I started to get my engery back. I had a little set back when I had to renew my CPR. The pain came back for 2 days. I am still easily tired even now and when I do too much, my back does still hurt. So all MD's that I saw....primary and ER felt it was response to the flu shot and the responses that I had over the last few years was my tolerance getting lowered from it. It is now on my list of allergies and I will NOT ever get another flu shot. My daughter had gotten the aches last year from hers, I would not let her get one this year or again. My husband has never had a flu shot and has only been sick once with the flu in the 25years that I have known him. I am still for people getting the shot when they are elderly or sick or young and I will not discourage anyone from getting one but I will not encourage someone to go out and get one. I don't know, over 3 weeks of PTO lost, $500 out of pocket and that pain....I will take the itsy bitsy flu when I get it........

cjscountry · Dec 18, 2008

At least you got asked if you wanted it. At my facility I was just told to get in the line for my shot. They said it was mandatory. Anyway it didn't make me sick and from what I understand it can't make you sick.