It seems like all anyone can talk about these days, and all you can hear about on the news lately, is the flu. Both the regular, 'seasonal', flu and the H1N1 flu (aka Swine Flu)…
And while I am not about to add to the swirling stew of information and anxiety, I'm mostly just wondering if people are getting worried about it and if it's affecting your decisions about getting the flu vaccine in general.
For some people, this will be the first time they get a flu shot, and for others (like myself), it's just another sign of autumn—dropping leaves, shorter days, and a jab in the arm. (I get one every year.) What about you?
Do you normally get the flu vaccine each year?
Will you get one this year?
And are you planning on getting the swine flu vaccine, if/when it becomes available to you? (At this point it's being given primarily to children, as well as to some other high-risk groups.)
Obviously, talk show host/comedian Bill Maher has stated his case—arguing just over a week ago on his HBO show and on his Twitter stream that allowing oneself to be injected with a live virus was "idiotic." (Of course, what he neglects to understand is that the flu shot contains a KILLED virus!! Only the nasal mist has a live virus—although it's weakened.) What are your thoughts?
Photo from Flickr
I do not get the flu virus, nor will I get either of them this year. I can understand why older people and those who arewho may be immunocompromised should get it, because their immune sstems may not be able to cope. However, why parents are insisting that their kids get it id beyond me. I have healthy kids who are grown now and have always been fine living in a metro area. I think we are overstimulating their immunse systems with all this stuff and its not helping anyone.
Just my opinion.
I don’t plan to get either vaccine this year. My husband plans to get the seasonal vaccine, because his company offers it to the employees at no cost. Neither of us are too worried about the H1N1, since we don’t have underlying health conditions and we don’t have kids. If either of us get it, I imagine we’ll feel lousy for a few days and then get better. My brother and my sister-in-law had H1N1 earlier this fall, and they both recovered just fine.
No my family will not be getting the shots. Many of the shots (not all) contain thimerosal which causes brain damage. Maybe not right away, but over time. Go to You Tube to watch what a tiny bit of mercury does to your brain. Also, there are too many cases popping up of Guillain-Barré syndrome directly after a vaccination…especially with the Gardasil vaccine. I’d rather have the flu than Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Media is over-hyping this (shocker). Google “Desiree Jennings” and see what happened to her 10 days after her flu vaccination. This was her third flu vaccination and she had no problems with the first two. Guess the third time was not a charm for her…
I always get the flu shot. And, if the swine flu shot becomes available for me, I’ll get it, too. Being sick as a dog for a week or so isn’t my idea of a good time.
Until then, I’ll wash my hands, use hand sanitizer a lot, and use my neti pot before bed each night.
I always get the flu shot (already got it) and I will get the H1N1 vaccine too. I have a kidney/pancreas transplant, and I have to take immunosuppressants to keep my body from rejecting the organs.
For people who don’t get the shots – while they may get the flu and recover, they could also give it to Grandma, a baby, or someone with cancer who could potentially die from it.
I am glad to see also that some schools are stopping those ridiculous Perfect Attendance awards because of the swine flu. (Yeah, come to school sick so that at the end of 12 years, you can get a paper certificate, and infect 20 other kids each year).