FLU SHOTS: Yes or No

Absoutly NOT!
We have Never had one and as long as I care for my family they will never EVER have to worry about getting one.

I'm sorry I just dont see the point of putting an unwanted strand of a virus into my body.
I just dont get why people feel the need for shots..

Feel free to come and tell me if you feel otherwise!

nope!

my mom's a nurse and tries to give me one every year though! but i've only gotten the flu on the years that i haven't been able to avoid her!

T Cheri, We feel the same way!

RUN Kelldogg RUN! LOL!

My mom use to give them to me. Not sure how I feel about them. But as I write this, my poor little baby is getting his 6 month shots today and I hate it. Poor little thing!

nope, their are more risks with the shot than with out it. What they do not tell you when you get the shot is that the shot can cause Asthma. I regret ever getting the shot. I know people who have tried to take it that get sick every time they have taken it.

My doctor wants me to have it, but I have never had it before and I don't know if I am going to this year or not.

Nope. I got sick the one time I did.

No! There's too many shots as there is.

No. I don't feel that it is necessary.

we got the flu shot for about 3 years, a lady at church was giving they out free, She got the shot stuff free from where she worked. She goes to a different church now so she must be giving shots there now.. don't know if we will get them this year or not.

I've never had one. They asked me when I went in to deliver my son...they asked if I had chicken allergies, I said no, but I was allergic to eggs as a toddler. They said they'd check, but they never mentioned it again.

My work offers them for free, but the nurse would not give it to me because I asked her about the egg allergies. I did not give my son one either.

My husband works in a nursing home, and he got his last year.

My son and I got the flu, my husband did not.

1. Influenza can be a very debilitating, even lethal illness.
2. You can NOT get the flu from a flu shot. You can have some mild side effects.
3. Angela, you have been misinformed. The risk/benefit ratio strongly favors the benefit.
4. The reason health care workers get the flu shot is to reduce the risk of patients getting flu from the health care workers.
5. The bad news is that the flu shot is the "best educated guess" each season. Epidemiologist and other scientist study what strains are most likely to be a problem in any given season in time for vaccines with the optimal combinations of strains to be produced in quantity and distributed. There's always the possibility of a new strain which is not "covered" by the vaccine spreading.

Natalie, my daughter, gets sick alot during flu season, so for her, it's a must! As for me, I don't intend to get it anytime soon!

I have COPD and weak lungs and may have to give in and eventually give in and get a pneumonia shot. But the only time I have ever taken the flu shot, the doctor I worked with gave all of us one and I caught the worst case of flu ever. It was horrible with two small defensless children and couldnt get up to cook or anything. Just kept a trash can handy. Finally the lady next door came over to check and see why she hadnt seen me going to work. She took good care of me until I recovered and called my mom to come get the kids. I had no phone.

So since I was 25 years old I have not taken a flu shot.

Unfortunately, it is not a choice for me to make. I am immuno suppressed from leukemia and the chemotherapy.......so I MUST have one. John, you are right on in the points you made! So many people don't understand about flu shots and you made it very clear. It use to be that when getting the flu shot, most people would get a "touch" of the flu from it to build up their anti-bodies. However, the way they are made now, eliminates a lot of that!

Before I was diagnosed with leukemia in January, I had the flu shot around Oct/Nov. I never even had so much as the sniffles with it. Amazing as my white counts were so high from the undiagnosed leukemia. So, unless one is allergic to eggs, flu shots are not really all that bad anymore. Older people and people with immune deficiencies should seriously consider getting one.

Nopers! I never volunteer to let folks stick needles in me! lol

My employer offers flu shots for free at work every year. In fact, they are tomorrow. I get one every year now, and am glad that I do. I get sick less often, but there always seem to be one flu that goes around that it doesn't protect.

I failed to mention in response to T Cheri that the influenza "shot" is not a live virus. The nasal spray is. Elaine K brings up that point. Immunocompromised people are NOT given live vaccines of any type. The "flu shot" allows the body to develop antibodies to the influenza virus without contracting the disease, while catching the "flu" does put an unwanted virus into your body.

My husband got his flumist last week. He's required to get it. I haven't decided for sure yet, but I'm thinking Elliott and I won't get shots this year. Elliott has never had one. We discussed it while I was pregnant with him, since he's a winter baby, but my doctor and I both decided it was best if I didn't get one. Last time I had one was 2004, and even though I'm sure it was totally unrelated (it was several months later after all) I ended up so sick in early 2005. I was in and out of the hospital a few times, and my doctor was afraid I would end up with brain damage from the sickness. That kind of put me off from having the flu shot, though, since it did happen the ONLY winter I have ever had it.

I got it on Monday and my daughter got it today

After reading through the list of side effects, I figured I would rather take my chances having the flu. I have never had one.

I got it - i like with an elderly person and an asthmatic and someone with a heart condition - too many risk factors for them if i bring home the flu. I am not allergic to eggs or any of the precautions so it seems like a good idea