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Yes, I do. Helps that I live with a Nurse Practitioner. However, the number of people I know who are convinced that getting the flu shot makes them sick or gi

Yes, I do. Helps that I live with a Nurse Practitioner. However, the number of people I know who are convinced that getting the flu shot makes them sick or gives them the flu and thus refuse to get the shot is shocking. Some things I've actually heard: "I get sick every time!" No, you don't. "It's a LIVE VIRUS! Everybody knows this!" No, it's not. You're just an idiot hanging around with idiots.

dominotw 7y ago
> "I get sick every time!" No, you don't. This is possible theoretically . yes? There is no guarantee that you get lucky from flu shot at-least once.
- kittiepryde 7y ago
  As it's been explained to me, you don't get the flu from the flu shot, but the vaccine forces a reaction from your immune system to prepare it to fight the real thing. The way your body reacts can make you feel sick, but you're not actually sick. And the way you feel is much more mild than what the real thing would do to you.
  - dominotw 7y ago
    oh makes sense. I didn't reliase that comment meant "i get sick every time" ( from flu shot). I thought it meant "i get sick every time" regardless of flu shot.
    - _ph_ 7y ago
      Then you were very unlucky in that you caught a different flu than the strains you were vaccinated against - there are 3-4 strains in a typical shot, but many more can come up during the flu season. Alternativey, you didn't have a real flu but a bad cold, which can be quite nasty in some cases.
  - jerf 7y ago
    Speaking for myself, I definitely do "get sick" when I get the vaccine, and it has a new strain in it. Sometimes flu shots don't change from year to year, and this year's doesn't actually have anything new in it. When there's nothing new I basically notice nothing. However, "get sick" is a very vague term. In my case, to be specific, about 3 through 9 hours after the shot with a new strain in it, the shot site is tender and I run a small, but noticeable, fever kind of thing, barely worthy of the term but definitely a bit of an elevated temperature. Then it subsides. It is basically a minor inconvenience. By contrast, while I don't get the flu every year, it can hang with me for two weeks and knock me out cold for a good three or four days in the middle. And the shot generally covers more than one flu. So yeah, both things may be "get sick" in some sense, but just because they both fit into the phrase "get sick" does not mean they are particularly comparable. (Incidentally, over the past 10 years I've managed to do a lot of improvement to my immune system for various reasons. When I got the shot with a less-strong immune system, I generally didn't notice any symptoms from a flu shot at all. Everyone's different, but I'd suggest you generally should notice some symptoms from an effectual shot.)
- SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
  Well now hang on... The flu shot you get every year in USA and Europe is the vaccine for the most common flu that was seen in Asia and Australia the 6 months previous. And vice versa. It’s a guess. If there are two common flus that went around, they pick one to vaccine for. Sometimes they get it wrong and the shot you get has nothing to do with the flu that ends up being common in your area. It’s very possible to get the shot every year and still get sick. There is a little bit of art in this science, a lot of people don’t get that.
  - dominotw 7y ago
    > It’s very possible to get the shot every year and still get sick. haha so I wasn't the only one who interpreted it wrong. comment means "I get sick everytime from flu shot"
    - SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
      Ohh... well, it should be the dead version of the virus, but the whole point is you develop an immune response. Do some people experience that as being sick-actual? I suppose there is some per person variance possible?
  - soperj 7y ago
    Normally there's at least 2 strains the vaccinate against. They've had flu shots with three strains before (around the time of swine flu)
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
endorphone 7y ago
I have usually skipped the flu shot for entirely selfish reasons -- that it's a hassle going to get it, needles are scary, and if I got the flu it's never that big of a deal. And I rationalized it to myself under the pretense that the shot sometimes doesn't work, etc. I'll be more vigilant in getting it in the future.
- mackey 7y ago
  Not sure if you are in the US and what your insurance situation is, but I got mine at some random CVS when I was passing the time, and I was in and our in less than 10 minutes.
TallGuyShort 7y ago
People are probably referring to the immune response. The flu shot does trigger an immune response and other side effects, so having a fever, muscle aches, etc. is not made up. I too have a far more severe reaction every time I get a flu shot than I've ever had from actual flu.
- Ididntdothis 7y ago
  Same here. I got flu shots twice In my life and both times felt worse than any flu I have had without.
  - gridlockd 7y ago
    Same question to you: The last time you had "the flu", did you get tested for Influenza? Are you sure it was Influenza and not a common cold, for which there is no vaccine anyway?
    - Gibbon1 7y ago
      Taking to some nurse friends they say a lot of people think they have the flu when it's a bad cold. And some people just appear to not be very susceptible. Friends that have gotten the flu appear to be laid out flat for week or more. Based on that I think I've never had the flu.
      - karatestomp 7y ago
        I didn’t get the flu until well into my 20s. Never got vaccinated, either. Ditto strep throat and sinus infections. Get all of them now. My diet and lifestyle are vastly healthier now than then and I have less exposure, so I guess HGH and massive amounts of testosterone are just a hell of a drug.
      - rootusrootus 7y ago
        > laid out flat for week or more That sounds about right. I did not really appreciate the distinction between a bad cold and the flu until I finally got the flu. I gained a real appreciation for why it kills weaker people.
uxp 7y ago
I've received the flu shot three times in my life. I've been hospitalized for influenza three times in my life. Please tell me more about how I've deceived myself. Just as the MMR vaccine is less about you contracting measles and more about your spreading measles to more vulnerable populations that are unable to get the vaccine, the flu shot is identical in that regard. Sure, it helps you not get sick and/or to lessen the effects, but there is the fact that some portion of the population is unable to get the shot for various health reasons. Edit: Instead of downvoting please tell me how my experiences are wrong. I'm very much aware of evidence and studies stating that its "impossible" to get the actual flu from the flu shot, yet I am walking proof of contrary evidence. I'm also aware of how batshit emotional people can get with regards to vaccines, and I want to be clear I am absolutely NOT advocating that anyone forgo getting a flu shot every year. When everyone else gets the shot, I'm safer. When I get the shot, my body reacts violently and I will contract the virus.
- ceejayoz 7y ago
  > I've received the flu shot three times in my life. I've been hospitalized for influenza three times in my life. > Please tell me more about how I've deceived myself. Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
  - uxp 7y ago
    Nope. Like I just stated in my edit, I'm not advocating that anyone forgo the flu shot, but that the flu shot is not 100% effective or 100% side effect free. It's not bias. It's a fact. My GP is the one that has specifically told me to avoid the shot because I have a history of complications with it. If you're capable, I'd love for you to diagnose me with some other mental disorder or logical fallacy, but please look at my medical history before you start dismissing my experiences as idiotic.
    - ceejayoz 7y ago
      Your edit says: > I'm very much aware of evidence and studies stating that its "impossible" to get the actual flu from the flu shot, yet I am walking proof of contrary evidence. This is the famous "anti-tiger rock" argument from the Simpsons. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Apu_About_Nothing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Apu_About_Nothing) You have evidence you got the flu. You do NOT have evidence you got it from the shot. > My GP is the one that has specifically told me to avoid the shot. Anti-vaccine cranks exist even amongst medical professionals. Hell, the whole movement was started by one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield > the flu shot is not 100% effective or 100% side effect free This is a strawman. Vaccine proponents agree with these specific statements. It's well known that the effectiveness varies from year to year, and that side effects are possible.
Angostura 7y ago
To be clear - some people can feel a bit rough after the flu shot for a day or so. Still much MUCH better than getting flu
- foxyv 7y ago
  It makes me feel like I'm sick for about 4 days after a shot. I STILL get it because I remember getting the Flu as a kid and hope to never get it again if I can help it...
throw1234651234 7y ago
It IS a live virus in many cases: "A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine I have nothing against vaccines, but my understanding is that you CAN get sick from it.
- ceejayoz 7y ago
  The definition of "sick" matters here. A dead-virus vaccine like the flu shot cannot give you the flu. It can cause "sick" side-effects (for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_sy..., or the fairly common aches and pains from the immune response), but not the flu. A live-virus vaccine like the flu nasal spray can give you the flu, especially if you're immune suppressed or something along those lines.
  - throw1234651234 7y ago
    I don't understand the point of contention - a lot of vaccines have historically included a live virus that has been stored for a while, often in a frozen and/or dried out form. Are you saying that a lot of vaccines are NOT weakened versions of the actual virus which can give you the sickness if your immune system is weak? Or are you saying that the commonly used flu vaccine in the US does not utilize a live form of the virus? If you are talking about the specifics of the latter, you could be right, I am not an expert.
    - ceejayoz 7y ago
      The latter. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm > No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and that therefore are not infectious, or b) using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection. This is the case for recombinant influenza vaccines.
dec0dedab0de 7y ago
I used to skip the flu shot because getting a week home from work every 3-6 years was nice. This year I got
- dec0dedab0de 7y ago
  I meant to say this year I got the flu and it was very bad. I realized that since I work from home now the week home is not worth it. I'm going to start getting flu shots.

dominotw 7y ago

> "I get sick every time!" No, you don't. This is possible theoretically . yes? There is no guarantee that you get lucky from flu shot at-least once.

kittiepryde 7y ago
As it's been explained to me, you don't get the flu from the flu shot, but the vaccine forces a reaction from your immune system to prepare it to fight the real thing. The way your body reacts can make you feel sick, but you're not actually sick. And the way you feel is much more mild than what the real thing would do to you.
- dominotw 7y ago
  oh makes sense. I didn't reliase that comment meant "i get sick every time" ( from flu shot). I thought it meant "i get sick every time" regardless of flu shot.
  - _ph_ 7y ago
    Then you were very unlucky in that you caught a different flu than the strains you were vaccinated against - there are 3-4 strains in a typical shot, but many more can come up during the flu season. Alternativey, you didn't have a real flu but a bad cold, which can be quite nasty in some cases.
- jerf 7y ago
  Speaking for myself, I definitely do "get sick" when I get the vaccine, and it has a new strain in it. Sometimes flu shots don't change from year to year, and this year's doesn't actually have anything new in it. When there's nothing new I basically notice nothing. However, "get sick" is a very vague term. In my case, to be specific, about 3 through 9 hours after the shot with a new strain in it, the shot site is tender and I run a small, but noticeable, fever kind of thing, barely worthy of the term but definitely a bit of an elevated temperature. Then it subsides. It is basically a minor inconvenience. By contrast, while I don't get the flu every year, it can hang with me for two weeks and knock me out cold for a good three or four days in the middle. And the shot generally covers more than one flu. So yeah, both things may be "get sick" in some sense, but just because they both fit into the phrase "get sick" does not mean they are particularly comparable. (Incidentally, over the past 10 years I've managed to do a lot of improvement to my immune system for various reasons. When I got the shot with a less-strong immune system, I generally didn't notice any symptoms from a flu shot at all. Everyone's different, but I'd suggest you generally should notice some symptoms from an effectual shot.)
SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
Well now hang on... The flu shot you get every year in USA and Europe is the vaccine for the most common flu that was seen in Asia and Australia the 6 months previous. And vice versa. It’s a guess. If there are two common flus that went around, they pick one to vaccine for. Sometimes they get it wrong and the shot you get has nothing to do with the flu that ends up being common in your area. It’s very possible to get the shot every year and still get sick. There is a little bit of art in this science, a lot of people don’t get that.
- dominotw 7y ago
  > It’s very possible to get the shot every year and still get sick. haha so I wasn't the only one who interpreted it wrong. comment means "I get sick everytime from flu shot"
  - SlowRobotAhead 7y ago
    Ohh... well, it should be the dead version of the virus, but the whole point is you develop an immune response. Do some people experience that as being sick-actual? I suppose there is some per person variance possible?
- soperj 7y ago
  Normally there's at least 2 strains the vaccinate against. They've had flu shots with three strains before (around the time of swine flu)
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

endorphone 7y ago

I have usually skipped the flu shot for entirely selfish reasons -- that it's a hassle going to get it, needles are scary, and if I got the flu it's never that big of a deal. And I rationalized it to myself under the pretense that the shot sometimes doesn't work, etc. I'll be more vigilant in getting it in the future.

mackey 7y ago
Not sure if you are in the US and what your insurance situation is, but I got mine at some random CVS when I was passing the time, and I was in and our in less than 10 minutes.

TallGuyShort 7y ago

People are probably referring to the immune response. The flu shot does trigger an immune response and other side effects, so having a fever, muscle aches, etc. is not made up. I too have a far more severe reaction every time I get a flu shot than I've ever had from actual flu.

Ididntdothis 7y ago
Same here. I got flu shots twice In my life and both times felt worse than any flu I have had without.
- gridlockd 7y ago
  Same question to you: The last time you had "the flu", did you get tested for Influenza? Are you sure it was Influenza and not a common cold, for which there is no vaccine anyway?
  - Gibbon1 7y ago
    Taking to some nurse friends they say a lot of people think they have the flu when it's a bad cold. And some people just appear to not be very susceptible. Friends that have gotten the flu appear to be laid out flat for week or more. Based on that I think I've never had the flu.
    - karatestomp 7y ago
      I didn’t get the flu until well into my 20s. Never got vaccinated, either. Ditto strep throat and sinus infections. Get all of them now. My diet and lifestyle are vastly healthier now than then and I have less exposure, so I guess HGH and massive amounts of testosterone are just a hell of a drug.
    - rootusrootus 7y ago
      > laid out flat for week or more That sounds about right. I did not really appreciate the distinction between a bad cold and the flu until I finally got the flu. I gained a real appreciation for why it kills weaker people.

uxp 7y ago

I've received the flu shot three times in my life. I've been hospitalized for influenza three times in my life. Please tell me more about how I've deceived myself. Just as the MMR vaccine is less about you contracting measles and more about your spreading measles to more vulnerable populations that are unable to get the vaccine, the flu shot is identical in that regard. Sure, it helps you not get sick and/or to lessen the effects, but there is the fact that some portion of the population is unable to get the shot for various health reasons. Edit: Instead of downvoting please tell me how my experiences are wrong. I'm very much aware of evidence and studies stating that its "impossible" to get the actual flu from the flu shot, yet I am walking proof of contrary evidence. I'm also aware of how batshit emotional people can get with regards to vaccines, and I want to be clear I am absolutely NOT advocating that anyone forgo getting a flu shot every year. When everyone else gets the shot, I'm safer. When I get the shot, my body reacts violently and I will contract the virus.

ceejayoz 7y ago
> I've received the flu shot three times in my life. I've been hospitalized for influenza three times in my life. > Please tell me more about how I've deceived myself. Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
- uxp 7y ago
  Nope. Like I just stated in my edit, I'm not advocating that anyone forgo the flu shot, but that the flu shot is not 100% effective or 100% side effect free. It's not bias. It's a fact. My GP is the one that has specifically told me to avoid the shot because I have a history of complications with it. If you're capable, I'd love for you to diagnose me with some other mental disorder or logical fallacy, but please look at my medical history before you start dismissing my experiences as idiotic.
  - ceejayoz 7y ago
    Your edit says: > I'm very much aware of evidence and studies stating that its "impossible" to get the actual flu from the flu shot, yet I am walking proof of contrary evidence. This is the famous "anti-tiger rock" argument from the Simpsons. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Apu_About_Nothing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Apu_About_Nothing) You have evidence you got the flu. You do NOT have evidence you got it from the shot. > My GP is the one that has specifically told me to avoid the shot. Anti-vaccine cranks exist even amongst medical professionals. Hell, the whole movement was started by one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Wakefield > the flu shot is not 100% effective or 100% side effect free This is a strawman. Vaccine proponents agree with these specific statements. It's well known that the effectiveness varies from year to year, and that side effects are possible.

Angostura 7y ago

To be clear - some people can feel a bit rough after the flu shot for a day or so. Still much MUCH better than getting flu

foxyv 7y ago
It makes me feel like I'm sick for about 4 days after a shot. I STILL get it because I remember getting the Flu as a kid and hope to never get it again if I can help it...

throw1234651234 7y ago

It IS a live virus in many cases: "A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine I have nothing against vaccines, but my understanding is that you CAN get sick from it.

ceejayoz 7y ago
The definition of "sick" matters here. A dead-virus vaccine like the flu shot cannot give you the flu. It can cause "sick" side-effects (for example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_syndrome https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_sy..., or the fairly common aches and pains from the immune response), but not the flu. A live-virus vaccine like the flu nasal spray can give you the flu, especially if you're immune suppressed or something along those lines.
- throw1234651234 7y ago
  I don't understand the point of contention - a lot of vaccines have historically included a live virus that has been stored for a while, often in a frozen and/or dried out form. Are you saying that a lot of vaccines are NOT weakened versions of the actual virus which can give you the sickness if your immune system is weak? Or are you saying that the commonly used flu vaccine in the US does not utilize a live form of the virus? If you are talking about the specifics of the latter, you could be right, I am not an expert.
  - ceejayoz 7y ago
    The latter. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/misconceptions.htm > No, flu vaccines cannot cause flu illness. Flu vaccines given with a needle (i.e., flu shots) are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ (killed) and that therefore are not infectious, or b) using only a single gene from a flu virus (as opposed to the full virus) in order to produce an immune response without causing infection. This is the case for recombinant influenza vaccines.

dec0dedab0de 7y ago

I used to skip the flu shot because getting a week home from work every 3-6 years was nice. This year I got

dec0dedab0de 7y ago
I meant to say this year I got the flu and it was very bad. I realized that since I work from home now the week home is not worth it. I'm going to start getting flu shots.