I had chicken pox. Years later I had shingles (basically dormant chicken pox that becomes active again but way nasty). I wish the vaccine had been around before I got chicken pox to avoid the shingles. I probably don't need to worry about them again until I"m officially old, but...

There is now a shingles vaccine as well, I believe. I will be getting it. Yes, you get shingles from having had chickenpox. I know of people who have been fighting shingles for years. It is a miserable disease. Get your chickenpox vaccine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_zoster

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postherpetic_neuralgia

there have been cases of people getting the vaccine for chicken pox and getting chicken pox later, then getting shingles as well, i call bs on half the vaccines now a days.

And kids are supposed to get booster shots for their vaccines.

I had the flu for about a week, so did my Mom & Dad, and brother, mom and brother spent 12 hours in hospital. I did not have flu shot, and all three of them did! Didn't help them on this one!:thinking-006:

I got hit with the flu in grade 3. It put me out of action for almost 3 weeks and nearly had me in the hospital. Couldn't eat, puking all the time, aches, fever, chills, dizzy you name it I pretty much had it.

I'm 24 now and have never had a flu shot, at least not since that big sickness. Ive also never gotten the flu since then. I get a couple colds a year, usually one in spring, one in fall. That's it. I let my immune system deal with it the way it should. It's handled everything so far. The day it doesn't and I kick the bucket...well, guess my time was up.

A five word phrase comes to mind regardless of your position on this one --- "It's not just about you". I also hope I never have to collect on my insurance. I also hope if the other driver doesn't have insurance, it's not me that get's hit.

True ^ ... also known as the 1918 Flu Pandemic. It killed well over 50 million people.

The more recent N1H1 Flu has killed over 600,000 so far, and still counting. In Calgary alone this month, three healthy middle-aged people have died from the flu.

So many folks here on this thread are brushing this whole subject off, as nothing much to worry about. The flu isn't just a bad cold, it's something far worse ... and it can kill you!

Mac

I get the flu shot every year. I work in the public and the 2 years out of the past 10 that I didn't get the shot I got the flu. I'm a believer!

Has anybody ever seen a study comparing the likelihood of contracting a serious illness from an improperly administered or produced flu vaccine in relationship to the likelihood of becoming seriously ill from contracting the flu?

My uneducated guess would be that risks associated with the vaccine and its administration are higher than the probability of me dying or becoming seriously ill from the flu.

That might change depending on my age or overall health.

So no... I do not get the flu shot. Have no plans to do so until I figure the risk outweighs the reward.

With that comment, I'm totally OK with you not getting the shot. I only pity the people you pass a disease along to. You may have a mild case of the flue, but your Grandparents might not find it so.

The number of people out there who pass along faulty and dangerous information/opinions/whatever is just staggering to me.

:)6 ounces glass with vodka mixed with half tea spoon of black pepper-kills all bugs in your body.
Flu shots-suicide

:snapoutofit:So flu shots r becoming more common and the flu's continue to grow stronger and mutate, Hmmm?,and those of us who don't get the shot are to bame? I dont think so doc

I visit my great grandmother's grave quite frequently out at a little country cemetery

She died in 1918 from the Spanish Flu. I wonder if she would have taken the vaccine if it was around at that time.

How did she contract the virus. The boys were coming home from WW1.







.

Curious if anyone is doing any studies on the effects of having a vaccination every year of your life for the next ... 20? 30? 40? 50? years?

Children that are little getting the flu shot in theory could have a flu shot every year for 70+ years? Granted some years the strains will be the same but I haven't heard them say yet "No need to vaccinate this year, the strains and risks are the same as last years shot".

As well many vaccinations remain effective for many many years without a booster, so at what point is enough enough? (i.e. I was vaccinated for TB as a newborn yet 25+ years later I will still throw a reaction to the test due to the antibodies).

For BC healthcare workers who refuse to get the shot do you know what the solution is? They wear a face mask. If a face mask is all that is required to prevent the spread of the flu why don't they just hand out face masks during flu season instead of vaccinations?

If a guy is ONLY worried about H1H1 but was vaccinated when it originally came out, does he need to get the flu shot this year that has the multiple strains including the H1N1? Called health link and they said yes because it's mutated, but wouldn't it be called something else? H1N2 or whatever? I'm flu illiterate.

Me n the wife got our travel shots for Thailand today.....and the Doctor highly recommended getting the N1H1 flu shot. He said there is a mutated version of the Spanish flu going around and there are 900 cases in AB alone.
He said this new flu strain will knock you off your feet for bout a week.

Yes there are many misconceptions about the flu shots.

choices
 

After seeing the cover story in the Journal this evening about people dying from the FLU, I'm going for my first ever shot. FS

Actually, they don't. And the justifications that they use for them are bunk.
As soon as it becomes involuntary, this fails to become a democracy. You know that these programs don't exist in many 1st world countries for equally compelling reasons.
Just another way to line the pockets of the pharma-monsters that fund political parties.
You know that me not getting the shot shouldn't effect you if yours works right?

And why did the strain mutate? Stop getting in the long line because the white coat told you to.......

I've had the Doc's nearly kill me twice and my son once. I don't just follow the leader anymore.

I used to get the flu shot every year. Then three years ago I got the shot, went home, and within 12 hours I was extremely sick. Apparently I had a negative reaction to the vaccine. Since then I've been reluctant to get another one!

Your wrong, when it comes to sticking a foreign substance in my body it is all about me, so shove off.

Think we should drag this thread up in the spring for a post mortum

At least they tell you they have the flu. Meanwhile they are out ice fishing laughing at you for believing they have the flu after getting the shot.:sHa_sarcasticlol:

I have been on the fence about this for years. One of the things bothering me lately is why so few health workers (doctors and nurses) are not getting the shot. These folks are well educated on the shot's merits, but are still not getting the shots. What are they seeing that causes them to not get the shot?

When I was a kid I was pretty sick. I had a family doctor, and pediatrician specialist, and a on call doctor in the children's hospital. When it came time to get my vaccinations the family doctor told my mom to take me to the pediatrician, and the pediatrician said go see the hospital doc. Hospital doc said oh you have to go to the family doctor. Round and round it went till the pediatrician fessed up and said no of them wanted to do it because they were all worried about complications. As a result I've never been immunized.

As a side note an article I remeber reading about shingles. http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/09/01/12896.aspx

Maybe some of the people who know more than I could comment on it.

how many doctors and nurses still smoke? a few me thinks so education does not help that much

If they really weren't sick, they wouldn't be out hunting or fishing, because there is the risk that I would see them there. On the other hand, if they were on a golf course, or at a casino, they wouldn't have to worry about running into me.

Exactly!

They smoke because they are addicted and can't or are not ready to quit. Education is one thing, addiction is another. I'm sure if they could take a vaccination that made them cease smoking they would. The flue shot can as easily make you sick as prevent you from getting sick.

Judging by the line-ups I see on the news, there must be a few converts. Too bad the Doctors and Hospital nurses didn't listen to their teachers....I think the effectiveness of immunization is taught in school. Whatever folks choose, I hope they take steps to keep others safe by applying science and not belief.

I have had the flu shot since 1992 no adverse efects had the hong kong flu dam near took me take no chanses now. Wife lost both grand parents in 1918 flu.
Many lies told about the flu shot if you can not tell the truth you should shut up.
I am close to 80 and do not need any flu bugs health is good and want to stay that way.

This is the same boat that I think I'm in as well. Have never had a flu shot but the numbers are down right alarming!!!!