Community Chat

[dooBdoo]

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@happycat wrote:

I have gotten the flu shot in the past, and every time I get the flu. I am done with it.

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           @happycat,  It's not possible for the vaccine to give us the flu.    Many, many long years ago it happened with older vaccines but not now.    The Mayo Clinic explains this better than I can.   I'm sorry you had bad experiences.

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Can the vaccine give me the flu?

"No. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. But you might develop flu-like symptoms — despite getting a flu shot — for a variety of reasons, including:

• Reaction to the vaccine. Some people experience muscle aches and a fever for a day or two after receiving a flu shot. This may be a side effect of your body's production of protective antibodies.
• The 2-week window. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect. If you're exposed to the influenza virus shortly before or during that time period, you might catch the flu.
• Mismatched flu viruses. In some years, the influenza viruses used for the vaccine don't match the viruses circulating during the flu season. If this occurs, your flu shot will be less effective, but may still offer some protection.
• Other illnesses. Many other diseases, such as the common cold, also produce flu-like symptoms. So you may think you have the flu when you actually don't."

(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/in-depth/flu-shots/art-20048000?pg=2)

[Bridgegal]

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@Love my grandkids wrote:

I've gotten a flu shot every single year for over 40 years and have never had a cold or the flu. Works for me.

I've never had a flu shot and never had the flu nor a cold.  

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[Noel7]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@happycat wrote:

I have gotten the flu shot in the past, and every time I get the flu. I am done with it.

---

           @happycat,  It's not possible for the vaccine to give us the flu.    Many, many long years ago it happened with older vaccines but not now.    The Mayo Clinic explains this better than I can.   I'm sorry you had bad experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~

Can the vaccine give me the flu?

"No. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. But you might develop flu-like symptoms — despite getting a flu shot — for a variety of reasons, including:

• Reaction to the vaccine. Some people experience muscle aches and a fever for a day or two after receiving a flu shot. This may be a side effect of your body's production of protective antibodies.
• The 2-week window. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect. If you're exposed to the influenza virus shortly before or during that time period, you might catch the flu.
• Mismatched flu viruses. In some years, the influenza viruses used for the vaccine don't match the viruses circulating during the flu season. If this occurs, your flu shot will be less effective, but may still offer some protection.
• Other illnesses. Many other diseases, such as the common cold, also produce flu-like symptoms. So you may think you have the flu when you actually don't."

(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/in-depth/flu-shots/art-20048000?pg=2)

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Thanks @dooBdoo

I'm auto-immune and I always get a reaction after a flu shot, ranging from a red sore arm to a temp and feeling sick for a short time.

That's not the flu, it's my body's reaction.  It goes away shortly and is NOTHING like the flu.  I've had the real flu a couple of times years ago before the vaccine and almost didn't make it.  One is nothing like the other.

[dooBdoo]

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jewel3 wrote:

Flu shots do more than just protect from influenza. They also decrease inflammation. It is a real fallacy to believe that causing your immune system to mount an immune response weakens it. On the contrary, it is just doing its miraculous job. 

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with avoiding flu shots unless you get the flu and, while it is developing and you are shedding the virus, you infect a cancer patient or a baby too young to get shots or another vulnerable person. 

Influenza kills about 36,000 Americans each year. God forbid it happens to someone we expose to this virus, someone we love, or ourselves. You never know when someone in your own family may develop a compromised immune system. Why risk getting such a potentially terrible disease when you can just walk into a grocery store, Costco, or your doc and prevent it for yourself and others?

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          Thanks for this thoughtful, informative post, @jewel3.   I hope each person educates themselves using reliable sources and then has a long talk with their team of health care professionals, who know them personally, to decide what's safest and most judicious for their individual needs and for those they love.   These ubiquitous threads, sadly, often dissolve into personal insulting, attempts to mock others for simply expressing their views, and the inevitable right-fighting ensues...  one example of the reasons many fabulous posters hesitate to post or have departed the community permanently.    We learn from hearing other views presented in a thoughtful way, and that's a good thing.

          Thanks, again, for your respectful, civil, measured reply.

[truffle]

For those who don't want to get the vaccine, there are teas that have been proven as remedies to the flu and to pneumonia such as Tulsi, Oregano, Goldenseal as well as using garlic and ginger.

Don't forget about your Vit D levels!

[Melania]

Get it, don't get it.

But if you get the flu, don't give it to me.  

[happycat]

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@happycat wrote:

I have gotten the flu shot in the past, and every time I get the flu. I am done with it.

---

           @happycat,  It's not possible for the vaccine to give us the flu.    Many, many long years ago it happened with older vaccines but not now.    The Mayo Clinic explains this better than I can.   I'm sorry you had bad experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~

Can the vaccine give me the flu?

"No. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. But you might develop flu-like symptoms — despite getting a flu shot — for a variety of reasons, including:

• Reaction to the vaccine. Some people experience muscle aches and a fever for a day or two after receiving a flu shot. This may be a side effect of your body's production of protective antibodies.
• The 2-week window. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect. If you're exposed to the influenza virus shortly before or during that time period, you might catch the flu.
• Mismatched flu viruses. In some years, the influenza viruses used for the vaccine don't match the viruses circulating during the flu season. If this occurs, your flu shot will be less effective, but may still offer some protection.
• Other illnesses. Many other diseases, such as the common cold, also produce flu-like symptoms. So you may think you have the flu when you actually don't."

(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/in-depth/flu-shots/art-20048000?pg=2)

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I didn't word my post very good, I'm sorry. I didn't get the flu right after the shot. I got it later on during the same season though. The doctors always said either, "it would have been worse if you hadn't gotten the shot" or something along the lines of "it was a different strain of flu than we gave the shot for".

I realize my reply sounded like I thought I got the flu from the shot, thats not what I meant though. For me, it seems like a waste of time. The past 2 years, I didn't get the flu shot or the flu

My dh always gets the flu shot and never gets the flu, I do realize it works for a lot of people.

[suzyQ3]

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@truffle wrote:

For those who don't want to get the vaccine, there are teas that have been proven as remedies to the flu and to pneumonia such as Tulsi, Oregano, Goldenseal as well as using garlic and ginger.

Don't forget about your Vit D levels!

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@truffle, I'm sure (or at least I hope) that these teas won't harm anyone, but I seriously doubt that they are either preventative or remedies for the influenza virus.

If, however, you have scientific proof, I would like to see it.

[dooBdoo]

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@happycat wrote:

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@dooBdoo wrote:

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@happycat wrote:

I have gotten the flu shot in the past, and every time I get the flu. I am done with it.

---

           @happycat,  It's not possible for the vaccine to give us the flu.    Many, many long years ago it happened with older vaccines but not now.    The Mayo Clinic explains this better than I can.   I'm sorry you had bad experiences.

~~~~~~~~~~

Can the vaccine give me the flu?

"No. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. But you might develop flu-like symptoms — despite getting a flu shot — for a variety of reasons, including:

• Reaction to the vaccine. Some people experience muscle aches and a fever for a day or two after receiving a flu shot. This may be a side effect of your body's production of protective antibodies.
• The 2-week window. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect. If you're exposed to the influenza virus shortly before or during that time period, you might catch the flu.
• Mismatched flu viruses. In some years, the influenza viruses used for the vaccine don't match the viruses circulating during the flu season. If this occurs, your flu shot will be less effective, but may still offer some protection.
• Other illnesses. Many other diseases, such as the common cold, also produce flu-like symptoms. So you may think you have the flu when you actually don't."

(http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/in-depth/flu-shots/art-20048000?pg=2)

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I didn't word my post very good, I'm sorry. I didn't get the flu right after the shot. I got it later on during the same season though. The doctors always said either, "it would have been worse if you hadn't gotten the shot" or something along the lines of "it was a different strain of flu than we gave the shot for".

I realize my reply sounded like I thought I got the flu from the shot, thats not what I meant though. For me, it seems like a waste of time. The past 2 years, I didn't get the flu shot or the flu

My dh always gets the flu shot and never gets the flu, I do realize it works for a lot of people.

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            Hi, @happycat!    Thank you!   I really do appreciate the clarification.    There are so many myths about this topic, so I wasn't sure.    I'm glad you and your husband are doing well.❤️   Thanks, again!

[willdob3]

This isn't new information. It has been known for as long as I can recall. There are just a lot of people profiting from pushing drugs and many more simply ignoring the facts. While some people may need the shots, most people do not and should not get them.