Why not take the Flu shot?

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I hear a lot about people who avoid this vaccine. Why? I have an 8 year old step child and her mother says she's not allowed to take the flu shot because she has asthma. I have breathing problems also...though I never went to the doc about it. I buy the Primetene Mist from stores. It works well for me. Sometimes I have trouble breathing at night. Im not over weight, 5'3" 128 pounds. If I take this shot will something happen to me? My mother in law was diagnosed with diabetes right after her mandatory flu shot!!

I don't think I ever had this shot.

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.

Asthma is not a contraindicated condition for getting a flu shot. Probably a good reason to get the shot. As for DM being caused by flu shot, no way. Coincidence. It is another condition that is a good reason to get a flu shot.

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Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).

My husband gets his annual flu shot BECAUSE he has asthma. HonestRN is correct....no way diabetes was caused by the flu shot.

If you have breathing problems, you should be seen by a physician. Not to frighten you, but Primatene is an exceedingly bad idea; google "Krissy Taylor", a model who died from undiagnosed asthma, using Primatene mist.

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Specializes in Too many to list.

Whether you have asthma or not, the vaccination is a good idea, but if you have asthma, it is an even better way to protect yourself. The more risk factors you have, the more I would be concerned for you.

A well known psychiatric patient that I have cared for many, many times died with swine flu at my hospital just last week. She was asthmatic, obese, and diabetic as well.

You have to take care of you! Yes! Please do go see your doctor about the possibility of asthma. It is not something to be guessing about, especially now.

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I think your step daughter's mom is right to hold off on the flu shot for the time being, there is a soon to be published study suggesting people are twice as likely to contract H1N1 if they have received a seasonal flu shot. Because of this study, several Canadian provinces will not be giving the populations at higher risk the flu vaccination prior to the H1N1 vaccination. They will giving the H1N1 first and the seasonal flu shot later in the winter.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/more-flu-programs-suspended/article1304958/

I plan to read this study when it is published before I make a decision.

dishes

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

i find that study odd though i have not read it. The seasonal vax just came out so how could they have studied that? and who would have even thought to study that? odd...but I will read it BUT i sure will get my vaxs-my lil niece and nephews mean too much to me to risk it...or my mom who is older and will not be able to get it for quite a while, as she is older -but still at risk.

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Specializes in RN CRRN.

are they saying that those who had a flu shot for the 2008-09 came down with the swine flu this spring and summer? well the two have nothing to do with each other-two different flu strains? I guess I will reread it but I didn't see alot of detail about the actual study. To me none of us had had this virus before so we were all susceptible this year. To say we are also susceptible if we have EVER had a flu shot doesn't tell me a lot because we were all susceptible this year-past flu shots or not.

from article: The biological link between seasonal flu shots and H1N1 remains a mystery, but the authors suggested that repeated flu shots do not allow a person to muster a robust immune response when exposed to a new influenza virus

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I think your step daughter's mom is right to hold off on the flu shot for the time being, there is a soon to be published study suggesting people are twice as likely to contract H1N1 if they have received a seasonal flu shot. Because of this study, several Canadian provinces will not be giving the populations at higher risk the flu vaccination prior to the H1N1 vaccination. They will giving the H1N1 first and the seasonal flu shot later in the winter.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/more-flu-programs-suspended/article1304958/

I plan to read this study when it is published before I make a decision.

dishes

This does not mean that having the seasonal flu shot causes you to be more suceptable to H1N1. There is a difference between causation and correlation. The first thing that I think of when I read this study is that the people who received the seasonal flu shot last year are likely to be people who are at higher risk of contracting H1N1 anyway.

Also, the study is referring to people who had the seasonal flu shot last year. That really has no bearing on getting the flu shot this year. I will not be holding off getting anything based on a single, small, poorly controlled study.

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Specializes in IMCU.
This does not mean that having the seasonal flu shot causes you to be more suceptable to H1N1. There is a difference between causation and correlation. The first thing that I think of when I read this study is that the people who received the seasonal flu shot last year are likely to be people who are at higher risk of contracting H1N1 anyway.

Also, the study is referring to people who had the seasonal flu shot last year. That really has no bearing on getting the flu shot this year. I will not be holding off getting anything based on a single, small, poorly controlled study.

Exactly right! To conclude causation in this study is complete quackery -- and frankly, irresponsible.

So I am a nursing student. One of our clinical sites is insisting on proof of Flu vaccine (they haven't specified seasonal or H1N1). If you don't have the vaccination you must wear a mask throughout your clinical -- seems fair.

What completely surprises me is how few people in my class are even getting the seasonal flu vaccine -- including the instructor. One person said they aren't getting the season flu vaccine right now because it only lasts 3 months and then they would need a booster (seasonal flu). The instructor did not even correct her. I am astonished.

For the record I have had my Seasonal flu shot and you bet I am getting the H1N1 vaccination.

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Specializes in Med Surg, ER, OR.

Only reasons i could think of not taking it would be an allergy to eggs or a dx of Guillian Barre. Both of which are clearly printed on the vaccination handouts given with the injection. I know of 4 incidences in which a pt contracted Guillian Barre after receiving the injection. scary but even scarier that we dont know enough about these medications we give to our pts and in no way is it possible to know enough! good luck to all!

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This shows the importance of doing research...We are getting info-overload right now, and although it can be hard to seperate the wheat from the chaff here, it is critical to keep up on the info.

The se4asonal flu vaccine is tried and tested, it's been around for many years. As far as this goes, you have to decide if the risks of the shot outweigh the risks of you actually getting the flu. Someone with severe asthma would probably suffer much with the flu, in that case you might consider it a worthwhile risk. But people who are otherwise healthy may decide just to go without it.

Either decision is good and respectable, as long as the decision is based on facts and thought, not on fear-mongering or panic.

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