Did u take flu shot and got the flu anyway??

MrsDash

Thu, Dec 01 2011, 11:44 pm

I got it last year, and had a pretty good couple seasons without any noticeable illnesses. I haven't gotten it this year, because I've been sick with one virus after another the past couple months. Sad

My daughter got the flu vaccination, and my husband got it as well, because his doctor was very adamant about it.

bigprincess

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 12:32 am

My sister used to take it every year and she got the flu every year. One year she decided not to take it and she didn't get it. Rolling Eyes

I personally never took it.

Debbyl

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 1:29 am

bigprincess wrote:

My sister used to take it every year and she got the flu every year. One year she decided not to take it and she didn't get it. Rolling Eyes

I personally never took it.

Hey, is your sister my friend? Smile

My friend had the exact same thing. I guess the flu vaccine isn't very effective.

notshanarishona

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 1:41 am

I take it most years because I am in a high risk category but I have still gotten the flu several times. They say it blocks the more dangerous types of flu and/or that it doesn't block every type.

MiracleMama

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 4:22 am

I've never had a flu shot, never plan to. And I've only gotten the flu once in at least the past decade, probably longer. But I know plenty of people who get it year after year and get the flu anyhow. Why they bother, I have no idea.

chocolate moose

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 7:49 am

The flu shot will protect you aginst the type of flu that the experts think will be the worst that year. There are several types of flu out there, you know.

amother

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 10:12 am

I'm a healthcare provider, and every winter get VERY exposed to flu. Bli ayin horah I've never gotten the flu. I think people sometimes forget that Hashem gave everyone their own natural flu shot, it's called immunity. (I'm not bashing people who get the shot or those at high risk categories, just explaining my approach). The side effects people experience from the shot seem prety ugh. I've never given it to my kids, and bli ayin horah they've never had the flu although they've for sure been exposed.

Chayalle

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 10:51 am

Both my DD's had the flu shot last year and got the flu.

My older DD was sick for a week with awful fever, etc...my 3 year old took tamiflu and was better in 3 days. (Older DD wouldn't take it.)

Chayalle

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 10:53 am

amother wrote:

I'm asthmatic so I always take the flu shot. B"H I haven't had it in years (since like 3rd grade). I have never experienced any side effects to the shot, nor did my children.

But two of my kids did get the flu last year....it's not perfect, that's for sure.

LUV2SLEEP

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 11:08 am

I never got the flu shot until my ob recommended it this year since I'm in my 3rd trimester and babies cant get the flu vaccine until theyre 3 months old... I did it and did not get the flu or side effects

farm

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 11:43 am

I think I may have had the flu when I was in 3rd grade or so, never since then. I have been vaccinated against flu for the last 5 years. No side effects and b"H no flu. DH and kids as well.

nylon

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 3:17 pm

chocolate moose wrote:

The flu shot will protect you aginst the type of flu that the experts think will be the worst that year. There are several types of flu out there, you know.

This. And some people call all kinds of viruses "the flu."

The only way to know is if you got sick and had them test for the strain (which they don't really do). If your illness wasn't one of the strains you got vaccinated for, it's nothing to do with the vaccine. You'd only know it failed if you came down with one of the targeted strains that year.

I never seem to get flu whether I get vaccinated or not. Now that everyone can get the shot I do, because real flu is a misery and I don't have a week to be sick in bed.

imamiri

Fri, Dec 02 2011, 3:25 pm

What do you mean by "the flu"? The Influenza vaccine covers INFLUENZA. Not common cold, and certainly not Norovirus (stomach virus).

What people call "stomach flu" is not flu at all. Flu is respiratory, not gastro.

FWIW, they are working on a noro vaccine. Until then your best protection against "stomach flu" is hand washing. It is passed via the fecal oral route mostly. Yes, there are many disgusting people in the world who do not wash their hands after using the toilet. And you can shed noro in your stool up to 2 weeks after your symptoms have ceased. So they use the toilet, don;t wash, and touch everything. Then you touch things , put your hands in your mouth and voila. Welcome to stomach virus land.

amother

Sat, Dec 03 2011, 8:57 pm

I had a baby during flu season, and they recommended that I get the vaccine before I was discharged. That year, there was a regular flu shot and an H1N1 flu shot. I only got the regular one. Four weeks later, I came down with H1N1. I did not take Tamiflu, as I was nursing, and I was pretty sick for a long while.

tikva18

Sat, Dec 03 2011, 9:45 pm

Dh used to get the flu after the flu shot - year after year. He doesn't get the shot anymore. I used to get the shot with no ill effect, but I don't get it anymore.

ElTam

Tue, Dec 06 2011, 11:55 pm

Re: the poster above, just wanted to say that my lactation consultant ruled Tamiflu okay when I was breastfeeding.

I have not gotten the flu vaccine two years since I was an adult. Those two years, I got the flu. All other years I got vaccinated and did not get the flu.

Another issue people should know is that it takes two weeks for vaccine immunity to build up and it wears off after a few months. So, you could get vaccinated on Monday, get exposed on Wednesday and come down with the flu. Not the vaccine's fault. Or, you could get the shot in September and have a late flu season that year and come down with a case in late March or early April when your vaccine has declined in effectiveness.

Compare H1N1 infection rates over the last few years. The year there weren't enough shots, tons of cases. Next two year, plenty of vaccine and very low rates of infection.

MrsDash

Wed, Dec 07 2011, 12:06 am

I think it depends on the person. Some may contract a virus a lot easier, and more often than others. I for one always manage to catch everything Sad

If I don't get the flu shot, I'll be sick most of the fall/winter season.