Do you get flu shot every year?

I have not had flu since the late 90s. I have only gotten a vaccine the last 3 years because it was required for a volunteer job in the hospital, where it's pretty likely to come in contact with all sorts of germs. I have not had any side effects other than 'soreness at injection site,' as they say.

Yes, every year for well over ten years. No side effects.

Nope. Not into it.

[quote]I work at home most time, don't really worry about contacting the flu from other people, so it just never occurred to me to get seasonal flu shot.

OP: That is the stupidest statement ever. Do you ever go out? Go the grocery story? Go out or go to work when you're not working at home "most of the time?" Ever meet a friend for coffee? Ever give anyone a ride in your car? The flu virus is in the air. Don't be ridiculous. Keep in mind, if you get the flu, you could also pass it along to someone else. It's not just so you don't get it.

The flu vaccine is very effective. Yes, get your flu shot. Every year.

I've always gotten one although i did skip last year which was the first year I could get the over 65. I've never had any noticeable reaction to the vaccine. That is until this year when I got the over 65 vaccine for the first time. The day after I felt like absolute crap the whole day. Ached from head to toe. By the next day all was okay again.

Yes, for the last 24 years because of an AIDS diagnosis.

The lack of effectiveness is enough reason to avoid it.

The flu vaccine is very effective,

No side effects ever. The flu vaccine is a dead virus. It doesn't make you sick.

Those that don't get a flu shot deserve to die of pneumonia.

My sister, who has to get it yearly for work, had a nasty reaction this year and ended up in the hospital for a few days.

Scared me off of it for a month but I eventually did get it.

The only year I didn't get it was the year I spent about 5 months recovering from surgery and couldn't really leave my house all winter.

R4 well this may really surprise you maybe some other people on DL too, but I will tell you this, if I don't want to, I do not need to have ANY close contact with other people at all, in fact, my interaction with other human beings is minimal at most, and usually at a distance.

I don't work for other people, I work at home in front of a computer, the UPS drivers may come every day but I instruct him to drop the packages in the front door, so I don't open the door or talk to him, and I use drive through drop box to mail things out.

Do I have to shop local? of course, but I don't use cashiers or wait in the checkout line behind someone, I shop at Sam's, sometimes Target and Walmart for grocery etc but I use scan-n-go or self checkout, no cashiers or waiting whatsoever, my shopping is usually swift and short, no more than 10 mins. For bulk purchases, I use pull-n-go, which you email/fax an order list to Sam's, they pick everything from the shelf and put them in a flatbed cart and wait for you to pick it up. And you can also grocery shopping online at Walmart, just drive to the pick up lane, use your phone to notify them you are here, you don't have to step out your car, open the trunk , they will load for you and close the door, then you drive home, I tried a couple of times, seriously good, Walmart grocery pick up, which I think it will give Amazon fast delivery a run for their money, two day or even one day cannot beat 10-min drive through with your car still running, and they load it for you!

No, I don't go out for coffee, I hate waiting in Starbucks, even If I do, I choose mobile order and pick it up from the counter, no questions even asked.

I don't offer strangers or friends for a ride, they should have their own cars, and I don't think there is a reason for me to give them a ride, usually that will be them visiting me for personal or business purpose, but it has to be arranged or planed ahead.

I remember Sandra Bullock had a movie called "Network", sort of "isolated" working/living, entirely relying on the internet for communication etc, well you know what, that is reality now. The "virus" as you said maybe in the air, but for me, I do not have to go out to be exposed in that "air", and I am not exaggerating here, I could go on for weeks without a close contact with any humans at all, maybe except a wave to the neighbor once a while in the morning.

I know that I should get it every year, but I've only received the shot twice, in 2009 for Swine Flu and this year, on my doctor's insistence. I paid the price a couple of times. A year or two ago I had a fast-onset flu that lasted only a couple of days, but man, was I sick, with a high temperature. A number of years ago I had an A-Victoria strain that seemed to last forever, and it was no picnic.

I have often wondered about those who seem to hardly ever leave the confines of their own home/car. My mum is elderly, doesn't take the flu jab, and I think she avoids going out during flu season. She claims she cannot have the jab... I still tell her she receives mail, delivered groceries, Amazon, etc... all things which have been handled by others who may be sick, may have sneezed on something, etc....

I also recall reading an article that showed results of swabs around people's homes, and they tend to find flu viruses on and in window sills. So if you crack a window open for fresh air, there's still somewhat of potential to become infected IMHO. (especially if there are warm stretches of weather.) Visitors who may appear to be in good health could always be incubating a virus for ten to fourteen days in my estimation.

Curious as to our resident DL physicians think about "shut-ins".

^ as to what

No. I get the flu maybe once every 5 years, and I never have the flu for a long period. It's always gone in less than 10 days out of my system.

[quote] I do not need to have ANY close contact with other people at all, in fact, my interaction with other human beings is minimal at most, and usually at a distance ... I do not have to go out to be exposed in that "air", and I am not exaggerating here, I could go on for weeks without a close contact with any humans at all, maybe except a wave to the neighbor once a while in the morning.

OP should be inducted into the DL Hall of Fame :). He’s the most “classic” DLer of all of us.

[quote] well this may really surprise you maybe some other people on DL too

Nothing surprising at all. That’s many DLers’ dream life - to have as little contact with icky, pesky other “humans” and fresh outdoorsy “air” as possible, apart from the occasional visit from a rentboy / gentleman-caller :)

I've gotten the flu shot yearly for at least the past 20 years.

Twice in those 20 years, I also got the flu despite having the shot. Both those were in years where they said they flu shot didn't cover all the strains. Despite getting the flu those two years, I got over it in just a few day.

Shut-ins may have weak immune systems if they are exposed to fewer pathogens. They say nurses have stronger immune systems because they are routinely exposed to more pathogens. Anywhere you go in public is loaded with germs. Door handles, handrails, money, seats in theaters, busses, waiting areas—yes, even in doctor’s offices are probably never sanitized. Anything you touch that others touch can pass on new germs to you. Don’t get me started on hours at a casino. How many people have handled the chips you are playing with, or the cards in your blackjack or poker game? How fastidious is the hygiene of employees that handle your food at restaurants? Do you realize how many men and women walk out of restrooms after doing their business without washing their hands?

Yes, every year for 20+ years. The worst that has happened is a sore arm and being tired for part of a day. I've never had a serious flu infection in that time, though I have had brief periods of flu that were not incapacitating. Of course the shot is no guarantee against all flus, and there have been years where the virus strains chosen in a particular year's formulation were, in hindsight, not the best in, but that's a tricky thing and the nature of that sort of vaccine.

Think of it as easy, quick, and with an infinitesimal level of risk, and as protection against some major viruses. Or think of it as the devil's work: thalidomide, Tuskegee, three-headed babies. You're of one mind or another already I expect.

Yes, been getting one for the last 25 years, no side effects, never got the flu. You nitwits that think it's dangerous have let saggy tit, rubber face Susann Summers medical advice go to your head.

I've been getting them since 2013.

In 2012 I had the worst flu in my life. That was an odd flu. The first week I still had my appetite but developed a terrible cough (sounded like a TB patient) then I felt better and a day later went downhill again and this time lost my appetite. Funnily enough I never ran a fever and my temperature was normal the whole time. Sleep ending up being the cure - and lots of it.

The only effect I may have had from a flu shot was to feel tired for about two days after but it could have easily have been from something else.

Is your employer hiring, OP?

[quote]I don't offer strangers or friends for a ride, they should have their own cars, and I don't think there is a reason for me to give them a ride, usually that will be them visiting me for personal or business purpose, but it has to be arranged or planed ahead.

Too bad, Twattina. Maybe one of them could have instructed you in the art of the non-run-on sentence.

[quote] don't really worry about contacting the flu

Do you have its number?

OP, all of the things you list make you just as susceptible to it.

[quote]if I don't want to, I do not need to have ANY close contact with other people at all,

You don’t need “close contact.” It’s an airborne illness.

[quote] the UPS drivers may come every day but I instruct him to drop the packages in the front door, so I don't open the door or talk to him, and I use drive through drop box to mail things out.

If he is sick and touched your delivery, or if the last person to touch the drop box was....

[quote]I use scan-n-go or self checkout, no cashiers or waiting whatsoever,

If the person or persons before you were sick....

[quote]For bulk purchases, I use pull-n-go, which you email/fax an order list to Sam's, they pick everything from the shelf and put them in a flatbed cart and wait for you to pick it up. And you can also grocery shopping online at Walmart, just drive to the pick up lane, use your phone to notify them you are here, you don't have to step out your car, open the trunk , they will load for you and close the door, then you drive home,

And if they were sick....

Seeing a pattern here?

Every year for 25 years, haven't had the flu since. If you travel for work and don't get the shot you are rolling the dice, people who are really obviously sick think nothing of jumping on planes/trains.

[quote]people who are really obviously sick think nothing of jumping on planes/trains.

I have a friend like this. He simply refuses to stay home from work. He says everyone is like that where he works. They just keep giving each other the same cold or flu all winter long. Not for nothing, all year long, this friend stays home on weekends because he's "nursing a cold." It's code for "I'm finding someone on grindr to share it with."

You cant avoid the flew if you go to a hospital. People come in every day with emergencies AND some of there are sick on top of that. You cant just ask them to stay home until they get better.

[quote] You cant avoid the flew if you go to a hospital.

Or an airport.

I have a compromised immune system due to chemotherapy. I hate that flu season goes on for months, as it means adios to public activities like shopping. It sucked shit finding items for Christmas. People coughing into the air everywhere. Fucking pigs.

I had the flu shot this season. Yet managed to catch a cold being around drippy nosed fucking adult shoppers. It evolved into non-viral pneumonia. Fuck you all, that done give a shit because YOU’LL be over it in days. It’s been a month for me.

The strains of flu it covers are never the ones that go around.

So many antivaxxers flushed out into the open!

I used to work with the public and got a very unpleasant week-long bug five years ago. That convinced me I had to at least try to avoid that misery in the future. And I've been flu-free since then. Cost/risk/reward? Totally worth it.

Always! Not going to be the only idiot to get the flu.

Wide scale vaccination programs are also key to protecting people with vulnerable immune systems, which isn’t me, but is a lot of other people, many of whom cannot be vaccinated, depending upon their situation.

“The "virus" as you said maybe in the air, but for me, I do not have to go out to be exposed in that "air", and I am not exaggerating here, I could go on for weeks without a close contact with any humans at all, maybe except a wave to the neighbor once a while in the morning...”

OP is going to be the only one among us to survive the zombie apocalypse.

About 20 years ago, I got a horrible case of the flu, which left me feverish and bedridden for a week. I've gotten a flu shot yearly since then and have never had the flu again.

Nice to see the studies that shows that people who got the shot yearly for a decade seemed to have an extra layer of protection,.

Why anyone would CHOOSE to get the flu is beyond me. I had it once and thought I was going to die!

The primary purpose of getting a flu shot is not to keep oneself from getting sick (although it can have that effect). The primary purpose is to diminish the efficacy of transmission amongst groups so that, like mentioned already, vulnerable groups don't get affected. There are some 10s of thousands of flu going around in any given geographic area. Getting a flu shot obviously doesn't render one immune to all winter ailments. What it does is up the body's ability to the defend against illness. I have this same argument with my dad year after year. He got sick one winter that he received the a flu shot, and now believes it to be a big hoax.

With that said, one of my doctor friends has said the best (and really only) way to avoid getting sick is to practice proper hygiene and eat properly and maintain a healthful lifestyle.

[quote]I am not exaggerating here, I could go on for weeks without a close contact with any humans at all, maybe except a wave to the neighbor once a while in the morning.

It's true, you have worse problems to worry about than the flu.

Me, I didn't get the shot for years until one bad case of the flu that was such a miserable experience that I vowed never to repeat it. Flu-free for about six years now, thanks to the vaccine.

R38, I may add, the proper "hygiene" practice to prevent flu is to wash your hands thoroughly, and face too. Whenever I go out to shop, I would go to the restroom to wash my hands before getting back to my car.

I got the flu shot this year, and I got sick. Life is good.

If you don’t have lots of contact with other people, your immune system is weakened, thus the need for the shot.

R40, couldn’t you just carry a bottle of hand sanitizer?

Shit is gross, r43. And ineffective.

[quote] frankly I am a bit surprised to find out that many people do get one annually

Do you live under a rock? You clearly don’t interact with the healthcare system much. Most people are recommended to get an annual flu shot; children, parents of small children, anyone who works or comes into regular contact with kids or elderly, and anyone over 50. These might not apply to you, but many people are at high risk for flu, and it’s highly contagious and can be fatal for many, so everyone should be vaccinated to reduce the spread. This has been standard for decades.

Frankly, I’m surprised you don’t seem to know ANY of this.

OP’s post at R12 speaks volumes! 👉🔄🤪

Flu shot , don't bother me, Flu shot don't bother me, ………..

I'm Type II diabetic, so I get one every year. I think I've had the flu once in the past fifteen years or so--when I was growing up, I used to get it every year. Some of that may have been the difference in susceptibility at different stages of life. Once in awhile I'll get a mild soreness at the site of injection for a day or feel like I might be coming down with something for about 24-48 hours, but it always goes away.

Obviously, it's hit or miss, depending on how accurately they can anticipate the strains and corollary and cause are not the same thing, but my insurance covers it completely and I can get it on the spot at the local pharmacy, so why not?

Just yesterday.

A flu jab is easy. The flu is extremely difficult. Don’t be a putz.

I'm not against the flu shot but choose to refrain. I haven't had the flu in at least 15 years. When I did have the shits/pukes/fever years ago, it was for less than 24 hours. I suspect that was from something I ate. I feel like I'd get the flu once I get the shot. Shoot me.

No Jenny McCarthy said it was unnecessary and would give me autism.

No, not every year. I thought about it this fall as I'm in a residence with other seniors. I may disinfect more often and step up my vitamin D3 intake to 10,000 IU a day with the coronavirus now in North America but those are the only two precautions I'm making.

So just takin’ your chances, eh R53?

The flu shot will not immunize you for this shit coming in from China. We're all going to die I suppose.

Not me. I’ve got my paper mask.

R53, so you can pray that the herd immunity of all the sensible people will help protect you, I guess.

Yes I get the flu shot every year. I am in good health and am not at risk of serious complications from the flu. However, I interact with the elderly, immunocompromised people, pregnant women, and children. For this reason, to prevent from becoming a vector of the illness to vulnerable populations, I get the flu vaccine.

Yes, I am a doctor. And I despise the poorly educated nurses who refuse this vaccine every year. They should be fired.

Yes, because whenever I don't get it I get the flu and am miserable for about a month.

there are a lot misinformation in this thread, especially in R26 in R4. The flu virus transits via air though sneezing or coughing, it can stay on a dry surface for a few hours or maybe even a day before itself dies (no longer infectious). The flu virus is very vulnerable after leaving human body, it cannot survive on its own, and it cannot move or multiple itself, its destiny is death within a few hours. If you accidentally touch a infected surface with a "live" virus (doorknobs, desks, counters or a UPS box etc), the virus could transfer to your body, your hands, your face, skin or your clothes etc, but that doesn't mean you will get sick, you will only get sick if a "live" flu virus somehow gets inside of you through your mouth, eyes or open wounds, for vast majority of people, it's through MOUTH and EYES. You could be covered with flu virus, but you will be perfectly fine if the virus couldn't find a way to get inside of your body before they die within a few hours, so the tips are

- staying from the crowd definitely will help , you don't have to worry about the sneezing or coughing droplets which contains tons of flu virus.

- washing your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water before touch your face, mouth and eyes

R14 the virus found in window sills are "dead" ones or in scientific term, identifiable only but they are no longer infectious

I am surprised so many people get the flu shot.

It seems more bother than it is worth. I get the flu maybe once a decade and taking two days off from work to lay in bed does not seem so bad.

If there were a shot for colds or some illness that you get more often and that lingers longer, I would be for it. But the flu is not a big deal.

Get one every year. Get sick once every winter. Currently I have some kind of thing, an chest cold/virus that is making the rounds. It's going away, I hope, but it's been with me for a week with an awful cough.

R43 hand sanitizer works relatively well in a pinch. And of course, if handwashing isn't an option, it's better than nothing. But according to my doctor friend, the problem with hand sanitizer is that the alcohol kills some germs faster than others (and some aren't able to be fully killed without a supply of water to break open and flush out the insides of viruses and bacteria), thorough handwashing is generally better because, while soap may not kill germs, it will rid the hands of them in a rinse whereas, with hand sanitizer, many harmful bacteria and viruses may not be immediately killed and wont be flushed from the hands.

I also work from home and don't go out much and still got the flu every single year, sometimes more than once, until I started getting the flu vaccine a few years ago. Haven't gotten it once since. No side effects at all.

[quote]But the flu is not a big deal.

You've never had a severe case of the flu, r61. If you had, you wouldn't say that.

[quote]I feel like I'd get the flu once I get the shot.

You’re an idiot. The anti-science bias here is depressing.

And it apparently needs repeating:

[bold]Healthy people need the flu shot not just for their protection, but to keep the flu from spreading and infecting people at high risk for the flu and flu complications that could be deadly.[/bold]

How wonderful for you R51 that the flu only lasts 24 hours and you’re man enough to brave it, but you’re spreading it around to people who take it much harder and could even die.

Get the fucking flu shot.

R45, I am not OP but I also do not have a lot of interaction with the healthcare system. Most people who do not have chronic health issues do not.

I though all those posters at the drugstore were just marketing. I never had a doctor recommend flu shots because I only see a doctor once every year or two. Some of us just did not know that this was really such a big thing because we thought it was overmarketed.

A lot of you are just showing your privilege and ignorance.

I have had the flu vaccine every year for 30 years. Never had a negative reaction, and never had the flu during all that time.

Oh, yeah, r60. We’re all taking advice from someone who doesn’t even understand the basics of the English language.

Here’s the thing, how come I’ve only had the flu, to such a degree that might be cause for alarm, and/or hospitalization, only once, even though I don’t get an annual flu shot? And the one occasion where I got REALLY sick, was a little over 20 years ago.

I understand that if one is immuno-compromised , or living with someone who is, the shot is the lesser of 2 evils, but if not, then what’s the point of getting a shot that is not even guaranteed to protect you from a current, ultra virulent strain of a flu?

Never got a flu shot, have always lived in major metropolitan areas, and have only had the flu to the point where I may have needed medical assistance had it not processed through my system very quickly, which thankfully, it did... hmmm.

I dunno. Perhaps my natural immunity developed a resistance to it due to the one time I got really sick? And my doctors have told me that I have a pretty strong immune system, so who knows?

Maybe just luck AF, so far.

Yes. One year I got a flu bout anyway, and I was really mad until I found out that happens sometimes and the vaccine makes the flu less bad than it would have been.

I got my first one a few weeks back on my doctor's recommendation. I figured, why not?

All my life, I've heard people toss aroung the term, "the flu." It always they were talking about a common cold, not anything dangerous. And certainly not anything similar to the illness that caused the 50 million deaths caused by the flu epidemic of 1918. Consequently, I never bothered with the annual flu shot.

Then, two years ago next month, I got the flu. I've never been so sick in my life as I was that week. For about five days, I felt beyond awful. My temperature never went below 100 degrees and for some part of every day, it went up to 102. I was okay with it on the first day and the second day. But not the third day. The fourth day, I went to my doctor who had nothing to offer that I didn't know, but I'm glad I checked in, anyway. The fifth day was as bad as the four before it. The next day, the symptoms lessened greatly and even more so the day after that. But for most of the following week, I was exhausted. Really spent.

It was a miserable experience and a major interruption in my life. Get your fucking flu shot. Influenza is not just like a cold.

Yeah, R73, I might go ahead and start doing so as well.

I’m not adverse to getting it, being that I understand the advantage of doing so. It’s just never been a priority, being that I’ve never gotten the flu to the point of making the shot a priority.

I’ve gotten colds, and stomach upsets, but the actual flu? Once.

I know they say you can't get the flu from a flu shot but each of the three times I have gotten the flu shot I have gotten sick with flu like symptoms within a couple of days. When not getting the flu shot I got the flu maybe once every 5-7 years before I retired. Since I retired 10 years ago I haven't gotten the shot or the flu once so I will take my chances without the shot. I did get the two pneumonia vaccine shots and both shingles vaccines, so you can't say I am anti-vaccine. Just anti- flu vac.

R66 fuck off. I'm not an anti-vaccine nut in the slightest but I don't want the flu shot. My brother got one and he got really sick. I'm not killing old people and immune system compromised individuals by not getting the shot. I'll offer up the one I didn't use for one of those people I'm supposedly killing...who SHOULD be getting THEIRS n'est ce pas?

r74, I had a similar experience. Anyone who doesn't get a flu shot has clearly never had the flu, but a cold or other virus. You don't bounce back from the flu in a couple of days. I had it so bad that I slept for three days, getting out of bed only to use the bathroom and make some tea. At one point passed out on the floor because I couldn't make it back from the bathroom. Once I was over the worst in about 5 days -- missed an entire week of work and didn't care at all, didn't even call to check in after initially calling out sick, I had a deep lingering cough. I ended up having to go on two rounds of steroids over the course of 6 weeks to get over that shit. If I ever thought I was coming down with it again, I'd haul ass to see my doctor, or go to urgent care or the ER to get Tamiflu, which lessens the severity if you take it within two days of being symptomatic. I get a flu shot every year and am vigilant about washing my hands frequently. It grosses me out how few people wash their hands before eating. I also don't usually go to movies during cold and flu season and never hang out in ski lodges anymore (which is where I am sure I picked up the flu years ago).

[quote] I’m not adverse to getting it,

Oh, dear!

Get it every year, no side effects and not had the flu since I was a kid.

The flu is awful--you feel like you're going to die. It hurts to move a muscle. You're sweating like a dog with fever. When you have to go to the bathroom, it takes all your might to get out of bed. When you're dont in the bathroom, you just lay down on the tiled floor because it's cool and you don't have the energy to go back to bed.

So when I hear people say, "I think I had the flu once," I tell them, "You didn't have the flu."

The flu kills thousands of people every year. Why not get a vaccine which kills no one?

[quote]When you're dont in the bathroom, you just lay down on the tiled floor because it's cool and you don't have the energy to go back to bed. So when I hear people say, "I think I had the flu once," I tell them, "You didn't have the flu."

So if I've never curled up next to the toilet and gone to sleep, I've never had the flu? Ohhhhhhkay.

r76, it's probably more likely that you picked up something that gave you "flu-like symptoms" while you were waiting to get your shot.

I get the flu shot every year and I've never had the flu. In fact, I'm VERY RARELY ill.

I think what they were saying, r83, is that if you've had the actual flu, you KNOW it.

Yes, every time I had a really bad cold or bug, I thought it was the flu, until I actually got the flu! I know some strains are worse than others, but I was never more sick in my life. I'd put my flu experience as worse than appendicitis, diverticulitis, and broken bones requiring surgery.

The older you get, the more vulnerable you are to it. I don't ever want to be alone and that sick again. My office manager, the ultimate frau but in a kind way, she was like the office mom, came by to check on me out of concern the fourth day I was out sick. I warned her to stay away because I didn't want her to get sick but she had a flu shot and insisted. She brought me food, stayed so that I could take a shower, I was afraid I might pass out so hadn't really bathed and I was rank. While I was in the shower she opened up all the windows to get some fresh air in, and my sick funk out, sprayed Lysol and even changed my sheets. I was too grateful to be embarrassed. I'll never forget her kindness. I should give her a call.

A couple of schools in my area are overrun with the flu. The schools do not close for a Feb week break anymore so i expect it will get worse.

I'm an ER nurse, and yearly flu shots are mandatory.

Even if it wasn't required, I would still get one.

What a great story, r87!

I have to second the "you didn't have the flu" theme. I seriously had n idea what the hell it was until a couple years ago, I got it real bad. Thankfully I had a flu shot, so it didn't last long. But fuck me if that wasn't the worst two days of my life. I was freezing yet my sheets were soaked, you're up and down. Like others mentioned, people keep thinking of the common cold or an upset stomach. The flu is horrible.

Also got the flu and can confirm it's nothing like a cold. I had a fever up to 105 for five days and paracetamol could only bring it down to 102. I could barely get up to go to the bathroom. Food made me nauseous and even drinking water was difficult . Felt like every muscle in my body was painful. It took me a month to get back to normal, and I was 25. I'm not surprised it can kill older people.

Obviously I get my shot every year. I'm not going through that again.

Its funny I've only ever gotten the flu really bad twice (January 1996) & (August 2012). Both times I was burning the candle at two ends so to speak. Since 2012 I've gotten flu shots but I do think its also about keeping yourself healthy in what you eat and getting sufficient rest as your body is more able to cope with the virus and make a more speedy recovery. Easier said than done in todays hectic 24 hours world though.

I've also had a number of mild colds and so on but the last time I ever ran a temperature was in March 1997! With all the mild cold since then and the one really bad full in August 2012 I never ran a fever at all. Very odd.

I found that - as I entered my twilight years... - if I did get the flu it made me a lot sicker than it had in previous years. I started getting the shot and was successfully flu-free except the one year I didn't get around to it and (of course) got it and was out for a week and was I a mess! Have not skipped a year since and have been doing okay.

I'm Millard Fillmore and this has been my testimonial.

If the "real" flu takes you so close to death, why do doctors call the other maladies flu, when you say that they are not real flus but only flu-like illnesses?

Do we need to stop listening to the doctors and pay more attention to DL?

Yes, R95. Always pay attention to DL.

Discard 2/3's of what you read here. But pay attention.

I was 49 last year and didn't get the flu shot. For the first time in years I got the flu, only that really bad strain that was going around. Within 6 days I was in the back of an ambulance being rushed to the hospital, and yes I had been in urgent care three days before and was sent home with some meds to wait it out. Only mine took a bad turn. I ended up in the icu for 5 weeks on a ventilator and needing dialysis. Body was starting to shut down. For extra fun, I got double pneumonia. Literally couldn't move. Flat on my back hallucinating for a month, with tubes going in and coming out everywhere. So thirsty but can't drink cause of the trache. Ice chips for 6 fucking weeks, that was when I was coherant. I actually almost died. Somehow I pulled through and got sent to thd rehab hospital to learn how to get up and move around again, and get weaned off the ventilator. Another 5 weeks. Sick.as a dog. Just miserable. The last three weeks in rehab hospital weren't too bad. Was off the machines and eating again, just doing phy/occ therapy. Could function again, but it took a good three months back home until June basically that I felt 100% myself again. I'll never miss another flu shot ever again. Nurses also said in flu season you can't use enough hand sanitizer. Keep it everywhere, home, car, work, etc. Just my experience. Its killed people much younger and healthier. In my case having a little extra weight helped as you don't waste away so quickly. That's a true story. Please get your flu shots. It is still very deadly. I was ignorant of this.

[quote] So if I've never curled up next to the toilet and gone to sleep, I've never had the flu? Ohhhhhhkay.

Actually probably not.

It's kind of like saying, "I might have had cancer but I'm not sure."

[quote] I ended up in the icu for 5 weeks on a ventilator and needing dialysis.

So if I've never been in the icu for 5 weeks on a ventiator, I've never had the flu? Ohhhhhkay

[quote] that was when I was coherant

You still aren’t.

I have asthma, so I get the flu shot every year and I keep up with my pneumonia vaccines and boosters.

I've only gotten the flu once since getting vaccinated for it. Even with Tamiflu I couldn't get out of bed for a week.

My sister's been a nurse for over twenty years and is daily exposed to illness. She rarely gets the flu or even colds. She is required by her employer to get the flu shot each and every year.

Always.

What's your first language, OP?

Geez Louise R97 - That sounds rough! You've certainly presented a cogent, vivid argument for getting the shot. I guess you never know when something you think is minor can turn into something that is life threatening.

I'm so glad you pulled through - you must be one tough cookie. Stay healthy.

Laugh all you want. The flu can still kill you and it can happen fast. If people get a shot because of my experience I'm happy to share. Just trying to demonstrate how fast it can go bad fyi. And I do have a sense of humor, else I would not be on DL 😉 now get your flu shots bitches!

Thank you r105. That's very kind of you to say. It was a very surreal experience. I shared because I myself was very unaware that the flu was still so deadly. I was pretty healthy at the time I got sick, only carrying some extra weight. It scared the bejesus out of me. I was told had I gotten the shot, even if I had still gotten sick, it would not have been nearly that severe. The flu shot can save your life. I will say that until I'm in the grave. Peace!

Flu shot every year since 1997. The last time I had a real flu was September 1996.

I developed a severe headache, took some Advil and went to bed. I woke up in the morning with a high fever and every muscle in my body hurt. Like, even my eyelids. I took Tylenol and tried to eat. No dice. I had coffee and threw it up. Took a shower and threw up. I crawled back into bed and tried to sleep, but I was so hot I could not sleep. And I had just moved into a new apartment and the blinds did not block all the light, which hurt my head. Over the next few days, I alternated between burning up and having the chills. I thought for sure I was seroconverting, but hadn't had sex for at least two months prior.

After Day 5, the fever finally broke and I felt like eating. In retrospect, I was lucky I didn't develop a chest infection, so no cough. I took an entire week off work during this unpleasantness. I went to my doctor the next week for an HIV test, and she told me I probably had the flu. Whatever; I have gotten the flu vaccine every year since. I haven't had the flu since.

Every September bro

[quote]In my case having a little extra weight helped as you don't waste away so quickly.

Cut the self-delusion. Your obesity would have contributed to your poor outcome.

Yes, I get it every year.

All these posters here saying it's too much work... WTF?

I go into the pharmacy down the street, 5 minutes and it's done. Free. No charge.

Is it 100% effective against all strains? No. But even the "old" shingles vaccine was only about 50% effective but made the shingles I had last year much less painful than it would have been otherwise.

Actually r110 I research before I post, do you? Its called the obesity paradox. I'm not quite at that level, but the science is there. Ask the young fit folks these past few years who have not had the same luck. They were sicker than I was. Just saying. Don't get your shot then. Your loss.

I get it every fall/early winter. Only once have I had it fail, and that was two years ago.

I’ve never had it fail

Although in any particular year the flu shot is only x% effective, if one gets the shot every year, in a number of years your body has developed a repertoire of immunities to a larger number of flu strains.

Interesting.