I’m no doctor, but my doctor swore up and down that there is absolutely no way that a flu vaccine can make you sick. As he said, it is DEAD and can’t make you sick under any circumstances. If that is true, it may actually, and despite your opinion to the contrary, be an allergic reaction of some sort. You’d know more than me for sure, but don’t people develop allergies later in life or at random times on occasion?
If it is possible to get flu symptoms from the vaccine, why is my doctor so wrong? Is he a kook?
If he said you won’t have any reaction, he’s incorrect. If he said you won’t get the flu from it, he is correct. Malaise, sorenesws, fever are fairly common reactions and rarely last more than a day or two.
Also, what everyone forgets is that respiratory viruses are rampant, thanks mostly to kids bringing it from school (at the same time that flu shots are being given) so the chances of getting a repiratory virus around the time of a flu vaccine are not small. And, wherever you have a bunch of people lined up for doctor visits and flu shots, you will have a significant chance of exposure to one of these. Why do you think pediatricians get sick more often than everyone else, despite rigorous hand washing?
BTW, ‘flu symptoms’ is the most overused term out there. The flu knocks you on your rear end for days and leaves you weak and coughing for weeks.
By the way, swam that afternoon as the hardier of the group suggested - felt like hell the rest of the nite and into Saturday, and then did my long run today with no problem. Probably just wimpin’ out as I get older!
I’m in health care as well (Nurse Anesthesia). I did not get the shot because I hate needles. Strange because I have no problem sticking people every day.
I’m in health care as well (Nurse Anesthesia). I did not get the shot because I hate needles. Strange because I have no problem sticking people every day.
Funny how that works. We use 15g needles on most patients. Don’t know I would like that much myself.
I’ve never had a flu shot in my life. Everyone else in my house gets them every year. So far this season, everyone else in my house has had flu-like illness (I’m not a Dr. so I have no idea if it was flu, just similar symptoms) twice… I’m still illness free for the season. I’m not anti-vaccine though, I just never go to the Dr. I did break down and go to the hospital once last year. I couldn’t walk without staring straight at my feet and that combined with a few other symptoms I’d heard about before made me decide to get checked. A couple hours or so later I was without an appendix. That’s pretty much what it takes to get me to see a Dr.
You’ll KNOW it if you get INFLUENZA. It goes like this–Perfect example:
About 10 years ago my wife, an exercise nut and now Yoga nut, was in an exercise class, feeling fine. Halfway through she started feeling a little crummy. A few minutes later she was a LOT crummy. A few minutes after that she picked up her stuff (never happened before or since) and struggles to get into her car. She hade a terrible 2 mile drive home (6 minutes–max)–called her mother to pick up our daughters–barely managed a shower and literally crawled into bed. Over the next 2 days she was up less than an hour and she began to cough. Every part of her body, ocnluding her muscles and head, hurt. From 48-90+ hours she hurt worse, coughed much more, but was less prostrate. Then she coughed and was tired and weak for several weeks. She couldn’t not do any significant exercise for, at least, 2 weeks. FUN! HUH?