It's that time of year again... Flu shot or not?

Uncontrolable said:
Sounds good to me. I was just scratching the surface. But, as I said, if you need more information contact your Dr. where you may discuss this issue as it relates specifically to you. General information is nice, but knowing the specifics of a disease can never tell you about what your Dr. knows. Not everyone who gets shingles has the same reaction. I had supra orbital shingles. I had a little itching and a couple of vesicles on my forehead. I was a little down for a few days, but that was it. Just because I had a mild case doesn't mean you will. One more time, consult your Dr.
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Thanks, but in my practice, I have cared for many people with shingles.. including supra orbital. I have seen mild cases and I have seen severe cases.. As in everything, there is a spectrum of severity and no one can be sure how a particular disease will be for them.. My feeling is that it's better to prevent ANY degree of shingles. That's why I opted for the vaccine..
 
Camper6 said:
Because it hasn't been proven to be effective against shingles in older people.
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Why take the chance?.. Shingles can be nasty.. As we age our immunity against this virus lessens.. The vaccine just gives a your body an opportunity to rebuild the antibodies lost with time and increases the chance you can avoid a shingles outbreak. If you have had chicken pox, the virus is already in you and dormant at the base of your spine. So adding a few more circulating "bugs" is not something to worry about.
 

dpwspringer said:
I have a mixed opinion about vaccines, in part because I believe I had a serious reaction when given the two different vaccines at the same doctors visit, getting to flu once before in spite of being vaccinated, and because of info like this https://www.seniorforums.com/showth...Legal-Immunity-Since-1989?p=660843#post660843 which in a bit alarming about what is really going on.
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I would say just consult with you Dr. No matter what I say it won't replace what your Dr. can tell you.
 
Lolly said:
Why take the chance?.. Shingles can be nasty.. As we age our immunity against this virus lessens.. The vaccine just gives a your body an opportunity to rebuild the antibodies lost with time and increases the chance you can avoid a shingles outbreak. If you have had chicken pox, the virus is already in you and dormant at the base of your spine. So adding a few more circulating "bugs" is not something to worry about.
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Lolli, you are clearly knowledgeable. What kind of medical background do you have? Only if you don't mind my asking.
 
Lolly said:
nope... you take 'em.. I'm retired.. lol!!
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So am I. I was a clinical specialist while in the military. Held a LPN license for the state of CA. We were trained in war time medicine. They taught us how to do things like reduce a tension pneumo thorax, crycothyroidotomy. We learned mass casualty triage.

When I got out of the military they were paying LPNs $3.08 per hour. I went to work for the City of Portland as a laborer for $6.50/hr. It was a few years later they started to pay more for nurses. By then my nursing license had lapsed. Its funny. After my divorce I went back to school and got a 4 year degree in sociology. I found I was a good theoretician and did not like the hands on body work. I might have been OK in the ER, but never got a chance to find out.
 
I'm not questioning the value of getting a flu shot. I can't think of a half baked idea not to get a flu shot. I feel like ripe fruit ready to be plucked. Is it my health or getting insurance re-embursements they're worried about?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I'm not questioning the value of getting a flu shot. I can't think of a half baked idea not to get a flu shot. I feel like ripe fruit ready to be plucked. Is it my health or getting insurance re-embursements they're worried about?
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I had a friend who never got a flu shot.. an never got the flu... Until one year.. she did. AND she thought she was going to die.. She got her flu shot every year after that.

I don't think I've ever had a really bad case of influenza either, but hearing those who have talk about it.. I don't want to find out.

That said.. It's been a yearly mandatory thing for me anyway. When you are employed at a healthcare facility you have no choice but to be vaccinated.. or you can't work.
 
Lolly said:
I had a friend who never got a flu shot.. an never got the flu... Until one year.. she did. AND she thought she was going to die.. She got her flu shot every year after that.

I don't think I've ever had a really bad case of influenza either, but hearing those who have talk about it.. I don't want to find out.

That said.. It's been a yearly mandatory thing for me anyway. When you are employed at a healthcare facility you have no choice but to be vaccinated.. or you can't work.
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That happened to me, too, and it VERY quickly made me a believer in the flu shot. Many people equate the flu with a bad cold/respiratory infection. Believe me, it is MUCH worse than that. I know it doesn't cover all possible viruses, but I'll take all the help I can get.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I'm not questioning the value of getting a flu shot. I can't think of a half baked idea not to get a flu shot. I feel like ripe fruit ready to be plucked. Is it my health or getting insurance re-embursements they're worried about?
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I don't CARE what "they" are worried about. I had influenza and I never want to be that sick again. That's what I am worried about.
 
Lolly said:
I had a friend who never got a flu shot.. an never got the flu... Until one year.. she did. AND she thought she was going to die.. She got her flu shot every year after that.

I don't think I've ever had a really bad case of influenza either, but hearing those who have talk about it.. I don't want to find out.

That said.. It's been a yearly mandatory thing for me anyway. When you are employed at a healthcare facility you have no choice but to be vaccinated.. or you can't work.
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There is another factor to consider in relation to flu shots. Global warming is increasing the likely-hood that diseases will mutate, become more powerful. These flu shots present a temporary increase in immunity. This could be useful.
 
Every year, the CDC works on a new vaccine... I don't know what they base it on, but from what I understand it's simply a wild guess at which strains of flu will be most prevalent that year.. They do a pretty good job, but not perfect.. which is why some people contract the flu after getting the vaccine. One of the strains happens to slip through the crack every so often..

Interesting fact... we Golden Oldies have lived through the severe flu epidemics of the 50's... Remember the Asiatic Flu of 1957.... The Hong-kong flu of 1968... and the 1st swine flu in the 70's... Our immune systems have really been utilized and if we stay healthy, should be in pretty good working order.
 
Lolly said:
I had a friend who never got a flu shot.. an never got the flu... Until one year.. she did. AND she thought she was going to die.. She got her flu shot every year after that.

I don't think I've ever had a really bad case of influenza either, but hearing those who have talk about it.. I don't want to find out.

That said.. It's been a yearly mandatory thing for me anyway. When you are employed at a healthcare facility you have no choice but to be vaccinated.. or you can't work.
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I worked for a VA hospital. They did not require us to get a flu shot. I think it was considered a patients rights issue. I got mine nonetheless and so did the people I worked with.
 
I had the shingles shot a few years ago as it was recommended by my doc. Also the yearly flu shots and the pneumonia shot every 5 years. None of them have caused me any problem, were free (to me) and although the shingles shot (at that time was listed as $200+,without any insurance coverage, cost me $25. I forget who picked up the rest, Medicare or my supplemental insurance.

I wonder how many of you folks had friends who had and/or died from polio? I had a couple, one who spent some time in an iron lung and eventually survived. When the polio vaccine came about, I know very few people who didn't almost consider it a miracle and back then, there was little if any talk about avoiding it (unless it was small religious groups).
 
DaveA said:
I had the shingles shot a few years ago as it was recommended by my doc. Also the yearly flu shots and the pneumonia shot every 5 years. None of them have caused me any problem, were free (to me) and although the shingles shot (at that time was listed as $200+,without any insurance coverage, cost me $25. I forget who picked up the rest, Medicare or my supplemental insurance.

I wonder how many of you folks had friends who had and/or died from polio? I had a couple, one who spent some time in an iron lung and eventually survived. When the polio vaccine came about, I know very few people who didn't almost consider it a miracle and back then, there was little if any talk about avoiding it (unless it was small religious groups).
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See your point, but its still a patient's rights issue.
 
Uncontrolable said:
I worked for a VA hospital. They did not require us to get a flu shot. I think it was considered a patients rights issue. I got mine nonetheless and so did the people I worked with.
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I have never worked in a hospital that did not require each and every employee to get a flu shot. Those who claimed they were allergic were given vaccines made without egg protein.. Those that still refused had to wear face masks from the time they walked into the facility until they left. Those who refused were terminated. No exceptions... No rights... Hospitals employ "at will" and can make these rules.

Patients, however, have the right to NOT be exposed to the flu from an employee. These are really sick people and very vulnerable.. If you choose to go into a healthcare profession, you have to realize the patient comes first.. their safety is the number one priority.. People not feeling that way have chosen the wrong profession.
 
I had the Mexican Flu>Swine Flu>H1N1 Flu (ah, aren't we all so PC?) in 2009. I thought I'd tough it out, but when it headed into my lungs, I popped the Tamiflu and it was gone, almost overnight. I have had flu shots every single year since 1987, but H1N1 caught everyone by surprise.
 
Lolly said:
I have never worked in a hospital that did not require each and every employee to get a flu shot. Those who claimed they were allergic were given vaccines made without egg protein.. Those that still refused had to wear face masks from the time they walked into the facility until they left. Those who refused were terminated. No exceptions... No rights... Hospitals employ "at will" and can make these rules.

Patients, however, have the right to NOT be exposed to the flu from an employee. These are really sick people and very vulnerable.. If you choose to go into a healthcare profession, you have to realize the patient comes first.. their safety is the number one priority.. People not feeling that way have chosen the wrong profession.
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I know. I am not saying they did not get shots. I am only saying that they had patient's rights. We were told, if we were running a temp stay home. The VA is different than other places. Even if you got the shot you could present with another upper respiratory illness. You just can't tell until you get it. Hell, we had more staff dying of MRSA related stuff. Our ER staff seemed especially vulnerable.
 
Uncontrolable said:
I know. I am not saying they did not get shots. I am only saying that they had patient's rights. We were told, if we were running a temp stay home. The VA is different than other places. Even if you got the shot you could present with another upper respiratory illness. You just can't tell until you get it. Hell, we had more staff dying of MRSA related stuff. Our ER staff seemed especially vulnerable.
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Unfortunately, the flu is contagious before the extreme symptoms are obvious.. Same with colds.. Employees could infect patients before they realize they are ill.. Imagine someone trying to recover from Open Heart surgery contracting a bad case of influenza... It's best to require the flu shot for everyone... from the Janitor to the CEO.

When you are employed "at will".... of course you have the right to refuse a flu shot.... Your employer has the right to fire you too.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I'm not questioning the value of getting a flu shot. I can't think of a half baked idea not to get a flu shot. I feel like ripe fruit ready to be plucked. Is it my health or getting insurance re-embursements they're worried about?
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Well... I would say both.. If they provide a service.. like giving a flu shot.. they have to buy the vaccine.. and they have to pay someone to actually give the shot.. so they need to be paid. If the insurance company or Medicare didn't... the consumer would have to.. They aren't going to do this for free.
 

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