Have you gotten your flu shot this year yet?

I will get on October 24th. Three years in a row and no flu.

All set. Got a tetanus shot not too long ago, too. Had planned on a pertussis vaccine, but little point now.

Tomorrow at work.

Tomorrow. I have Friday off from work. Flu shot is on the agenda.

Yeah, I got it last week.

A lot of things are popping all around me, so I haven’t thought of it until I saw this question. They are only effective for about 90 days, and the season comes later for us down here—peaks about February. We don’t get a double peak like North Americans and Europeans do. Tourists usually bring it down with them during the winter rush and when it hits, it can hit hard. My guess is that these people don’t carry a lot of natural antibodies around with them for this kind of thing and become quite susceptible. I’ll be getting mine around Christmas.

@Espiritus_Corvus They are effective for somewhat longer than 90 days, but you are correct in that the peak effectiveness is about 3 months.

I thought they were effective for about 5 months?
I always get mine in the first 2 weeks of Nov.
It takes 2 weeks to kick in and usually the flu season in this area is Dec./ April, peak Jan./Feb./March.
the 2 worst flus I ever had were both in Feb.

This is regular question on any Q and A site..flu is so popular till date..)

I had Guillain Barre Syndrome, so I will never get a flu shot. Never ever.

I only got a flu shot once in my life, and I’ve never had the flu.

Our geese and horses get West Nile vaccines too. Can’t hurt, might help.

@jca That’s one of the few legitimate contraindications for a flu shot. You are right not to get one.

@Rarebear Sooo, I have always heard that the flu shot lasts around 5–6 months with the effectiveness weakening as time goes on. Is that true?

Is there any reason why they don’t / can’t last for couple of years or so?

Evolution works.

Thanks for the reminder to take my daily zinc tablets :)

TAMILFLU notice came under my door..in case I may wish to pre order it?
I did research online for the Pros and Cons..not good.
I have never taken a Flue shot and have not gotten sick.
Took Vitamin C and got 8 hrs sleep and ate properly.
My older brother says to look at European literature on Flu shots.
One would be surprised what is in these!
British Doctors won’t take Flu shots for a reason.
One’s body if healthy will sustain its defences by immunitites that are natural to the body.

No.

Tamiflu is not a vaccine. Not relevant.

@dxs
thanks for correcting me on that.
But as for Flu shots..I have never taken any in all the years that they had it available.
I trusted my immune system to take on that battle.
Vitamin C, good sleep,eat regular meals,fruits and veggies,and chicken soup helps.

Sure have. I never miss. Flu could be serious for me and fatal for my husband, so I don’t put it off.

Also tamiflu has been shown to be less effective than paracetamol at reducing the effects of flu.

And let me assure you that British doctors get the flu vaccine. Given that we like to look after our patients and not kill them by giving them the flu as we’re smart enough to know that the point of vaccination isn’t to protect the individual but to protect the group. Particularly the frail and vulnerable members of the group.

Yes, two weeks ago.

During my physical a couple of weeks ago.

I don’t normally bother and I don’t get the flu, just colds but I caught two different colds already this fall and am having a shit time shaking this one. I think I’ve reached that age I can’t risk it any more. That, coupled with my job, exposes me to risk factors I can’t brush aside anymore. Thanks for the reminder.

Got them at work last month. Kids go to the “shot clinic” next week.

But no more nasal spray version, a real shot now. (The flo-mist it seems doesn’t work.)

Nope.

@Rarebear, I live in Tennessee, US, and in three weeks will be heading to the UK for the next five months. Is it worth getting a flu shot here in TN before heading over? Should I get one once in the UK? Is it safe to get both?

In a few weeks I will. When i get back from my trip.

No, don’t plan to. Never get the flu.

@snowberry Famous last words. I felt that way too until at age 45–46 I got 2, killer flus, 2 years in a row, one while on a road trip across the Southwest. Spent 5 days trapped in a hotel room in the middle of bumfuck nowhere New Mexico absolutely dying. It was baaad.

Made a believer out of me and now, no flu for the last 9 years since I started getting the vaccines.

@Coloma I have people in bumfuck nowhere New Mexico. Next time you get in a pinch there, holla.

I just starting getting them last year when a friend said, “You really don’t want to be living alone and get the flu.”

No thanks. I have other means for protecting myself. :)

I got mine last week. For free, thanks to my employer

@Pied_Pfeffer This might influence your decision – it’s £12.99 from Boots. They will still be vaccinating by the time you get here.

@Rarebear Yes September 29th. I get them every year.

@snowberry I’m not sure that wreath of garlic around your neck is effective. lol

Here are my responses to the above

1) vitamin c and zinc are no more effective than placebo

2) tamiflu only marginally effective in reducing symptoms in patients and only if taken early.

3) effective for about 4–5 months but best within 3

4) don’t know about the travel thing. I would get it here though.

@Rarebear while we have you on here, what’s your take on the Shingles vaccine. Thinking i should get it?

I don’t think I’ve ever had a flu shot unless it was as a grade school kid.

Yes Doctor —> @Rarebear

Flu shot 9/28 also Prevnar 13 for pneumonia

Edit: I spent some time writing a 2 paragraph response, but Fluther only wrote the first line. I don’t have time to rewrite it. I’m not happy about that.

Regardless, my methods of combatting flu is quite effective, and it has nothing to do with wreaths of garlic.

@janbb How old are you?
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shingles/expert-answers/shingles-vaccine/faq-20057859

I’d like to have more information about the shingles vaccine, too. @Rarebear that Mayo page raises more questions for me than it answers (e.g., Why wait until 60 if the vaccine is approved for 50 and up? How does one decide whether the risks due to the vaccine outweigh the potential benefit?). Short of reading research papers, I wonder if is there a more in-deth repository of information about it for the layman?

@dappled_leaves If I have time I’ll try to see if I can find it for you.

Being approved for use isn’t the same as what the data show. When you get a vaccine, the effectiveness wears off after time. It may just be an issue that shingles has the highest prevalence in patients over 60, so they’re trying to target that population.

My husband and I both got the shingles vaccine 5 or 6 years ago on our doctor’s recommendation. We knew people who’d had shingles, and despite its funny name it’s no joke. I have to tell you that it’s one I’m glad to cross off my worry list.

A good friend got shingles about ten years ago and he had a droopy face and all kinds of terrible effects.

Yes and I have a feeling it has elevated my BP. Is that possible?

@Rarebear “When you get a vaccine, the effectiveness wears off after time. It may just be an issue that shingles has the highest prevalence in patients over 60, so they’re trying to target that population.”

Sure, but shingles isn’t like the flu – would they not be able to administer a booster some time after peak effectiveness has passed? If there’s no downside to getting it earlier, I can’t see why I wouldn’t want the coverage; conversely, if there is a potential downside, I’d like to know exactly what it is.

I mean, there are other vaccines that we simply have no data on efficacy beyond a specific age range. There’s a difference between saying, “The vaccine is not effective at this range” and “We know how effective it is at this other range”. That difference is important for the patient in making an informed decision.

Shingles vaccine is figured to be about 50% effective (which means you can’t exactly cross shingles off your list, @Jeruba, or maybe you meant cross getting the vaccine off your list). From what I understand it did show higher effectiveness in preventing post herpetic neuralgia, which is worth something. I don’t think there is a high percentage of bad side effects, so in my opinion (a non-medical opinion) there isn’t much “risk” per se.

I choose not to get the shingles vaccine, because I’ve been getting shingles since my 20’s. I’ve had many outbreaks, luckily not very severe, but the last time, for the first time ever, it was on my face, and yes near my eye.

@JLeslie I know nothing about this vaccine, but am wondering why you choose not to get it? Would it not help you at all since you have already had outbreaks?

@dappled_leaves Apparently it’s cost.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-shingles-vaccine-cost-idUSKCN0R729X20150907

And before people get their panties in a bunch, I agree with this. If the incidence of disease is very low between 50 and 60 then it’s not cost effective to get the vaccine.

@Rarebear Right,. I had a feeling that would be the case. In Canada, it is recommended above age 60, but available above age 50. I believe it’s covered by Medicare in either case, though I haven’t been able to verify that quickly.

@chyna I assume that the vaccine won’t help me. Having shingles doesn’t spike my immunity, so I can’t see logically why the vaccine would. I asked our former resident infectious disease jelly doctor if there have been studies done regarding people with recurrent shingles and the efficacy of the vaccine. I would be very interested in that sort of information. He didn’t know of any, and I couldn’t find any. He agreed with my logic that it probably wouldn’t help me. That’s just us hypothesizing, we could be wrong.

@JLeslie Check with your PCP, I have heard from a friend that their Doctor told them to get the shingles vaccine to reduce or shorten the length of time with shingles. Don’t assume when it come to your health. If you are over 65, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) cover all commercially-available vaccines (like the shingles shot) needed to prevent illness.

^^You think a PCP will know more than an ID doctor? I mean it’s possible a PCP might be aware of a study the ID doctor wasn’t, definitely possible.

Are you saying your friend has had an outbreak, and the doctor said it should reduce future outbreaks? Or, they have never had an eruption before?

By the way, I’m 48.

Also, I’m not assuming anything about the efficacy ehen used “on label.” It’s considered to be just over 50% effective.

I want to add that I would need to see the study that follows people who had outbreaks previously and had the vaccine afterwards, and who didn’t have the vaccine, and see the comparison.

They were 66 and had had three occurrences over 5 years, they are now 69 and no new outbreaks of shingles since get the vaccination. It doesn’t prove anything.

^^Thats interesting. Although, it has only been 3 years. I had probably 7 outbreaks in 10 years. Then I had about a 5 year break. Then it started up again, a few outbreaks in a few years. About three years ago I had two in one year. This year I had one. But, I realize now that the itch and discomfort I sometimes have on my face and head the last 5 years is probably shingles. I don’t know if it can be considered just neuralgia, because that started happening before I ever had the rash. Sometimes I think it is an outbreak that could happen that gets fought back by my body.

It still makes no sense to me that a vaccine would be more effective than actually having shingles. It’s like saying the chicken pox vaccine is more effective than having the chicken pox.

There is a theory that shingles will continue to rise in America in the short term, because we now vaccinate children for chicken pox in America. I don’t think the relationship is proven though. You would think I get a “boost” every time I get shingles. Maybe I help protect my husband? That would be nice.

I don’t think anyone is studying young people who get shingles outbreaks, and I think the stats on us are very understated. My first outbreak I was misdiagnosed. I’ve only told my doctors about ¼ of my outbreaks. They aren’t reporting my outbreaks anyway I don’t think? I don’t know how the data is compiled.

Yep. Got it and an updated pneumonia shot last month.

@Inspired_2write Did you address the wrong person?

Yes I did. I got it with my Hepatitis B in my left arm, and Hep A in my right. I also have some live thyphoid virus (Vivotif) in my refrigerator that I will take in 2 days. (I will be traveling outside of the US, obviously and do not want to come home with any “friends”.)

I get my flu shot every year.

Safe travels @LuckyGuy

@Rarebear Could you clarify? Are you saying that if you don’t have any diseases then between those ages you need not get the jab? I don’t want the jab because I’m a medical phobic. I’m 53. I smoke. (UK).

^^Any what diseases? Regarding the shingles vaccine I think @Rarebear is agreeing with the government’s decision to wait until after 60 to give the vaccine, because of low incidence below age 60, and the shot efficacy is fairly short-lived.

Your government doesn’t give the chicken pox vaccine, unless that has changed, and the current theory is your people should have less incidence of shingles than the US.

If you are talking about the flu I would bet a lot of money he would say just because you have never had the flu doesn’t mean you won’t catch it this year, and won’t get a life threatening case. I’m pretty sure he would advise everyone to get a flu shot with the exception of people who are known to be allergic or have bad reactions like @jca.

I don’t get the flu shot, and I’ve only had the flu twice as an adult, so I tend to feel I’m healthy and could fight off the flu well if I get it, but I don’t delude myself that I’m not susceptible, or not at risk. I take the risk, my choice, but you would be hard pressed to find a doctor who agrees with the risk I take, they would all advise me, and everyone, to get the shot. I would get the shot in specific instances.

For flu get the shot yearly
For shingles wait until you are 60

We, in eastern North Carolina, had a reported fatality the week ending October 14, 2016 from the Flu.

Got it done at work on Friday. Dealing with my usual rash (which is from the alcohol swab, not the vaccine; I’m allergic) but otherwise no side effects. It didn’t even hurt this year, usually there’s a slight burning feeling when it is injected. It was free with my insurance.

Mariah next year have them clean it with soap and water, not alcohol

Sometimes I mention it, usually I don’t. I’ve had blood draws delayed like crazy as the phlebotomists go searching for betadyne and it’s often not worth the hassle since the rash isn’t any big deal.

No. I prefer not to get flu shots really. My primary care Dr. wants me to one next month. I guess I am going to, but kinda don’t want to. Not only do I dislike shots with a passion, I hear quite a few that get the flu shot get the flu.

@nightwolf5 you are right in that the shot reduces your chances of getting flu by 50–60%. It’s not 100% effective. But surely that protection is better than no protection? The shot itself doesn’t ever give you flu. Flu is an awful illness. You can be off work poorly for 2 weeks and then continue to feel pretty awful for another two weeks.

Also by getting the jab and not getting flu, you are helping to stop the spread of it around your community. People who are more vulnerable than you are less likely to get flu then. People can die of flu.

I had mine and it was a little painful but afterwards, I felt that I’d been brave and that was a good feeling. Try to dig deep and face your fear That’s what being brave is – feeling the fear and doing it anyway. It is for the best for you and those around you too.