Flu Vaccination - Yes or No?

[ronandannette]

This is what we use:

https://www.amazon.com/Sambucus-Elderberry-Supplements-Vegetarian-Packaging/dp/B00MJ7VL1O/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1540083888&sr=1-4&keywords=elderberry+gummies

However, during the height of flu season, I also buy homemade elderberry syrup from a lady in our community. She makes hers w/ black elderberries & local honey. The local honey is supposed to be particularly beneficial.

I've heard that making elderberry syrup is pretty easy, & I've thought about trying to make my own. It's easier, though, to just buy it!

Thanks - I think I've seen Nature's Way products around. I'll look for elderberry. Since I don't even wash and tear my own salad greens or bake anything from scratch, I really don't see me harvesting honey and brewing my own medicine. The idea has given me a little giggle though, so thanks again.

 

[Wendy31]

Thanks - I think I've seen Nature's Way products around. I'll look for elderberry. Since I don't even wash and tear my own salad greens or bake anything from scratch, I really don't see me harvesting honey and brewing my own medicine. The idea has given me a little giggle though, so thanks again.

Right?!

I'm the same way!

Making your own elderberry syrup is pretty popular in some circles around here though... I know at least 5 people who make their own.

There was even a class offered at a local church a few weeks ago to teach people.

Meanwhile, I'm like, "Here's my money. I'll buy someone else's homemade syrup."

 

[pearlieq]

I get mine every year, with no ill effects. Not only do I do it to protect myself, my loved ones, and the seniors I work with, but why would I turn down a free Pub Sub???

 

[Lehuaann]

Great, I’m reading the issues for people with asthma.

DD got the flu last year; fever was 103+, pain all over, legs were especially hurting...it scared me to death. I rushed her to the doctor and Tamiflu helped immediately.

On Oct 1, she received her first flu shot. A few days later she was coughing, complaining of shortness of breath, and pain in her chest. By Oct 6 she was in the ER diagnosed with Asthmatic Exacerbation. The doctor didn’t seem concerned about her flu shot.

 

[Mermaid02]

If you take a daily asthma controller medication your doctor may advise against elderberry and other immune supporting remedies. I have asthma flares frequently and my doctor told me not to take elderberry.

I do, I take Advair daily. I will keep that in mind!

 

[Southernmiss]

Dd16 and I just walked into Walgreens this morning for ours.

Don't always get them, but last year's stories of healthy people dying scared me. One of our sons in college had a health scare in February which affected his lungs and some damage to his lungs will linger. His field of study (medical) now requires a flu shot this year as he'll have clinics in medical facilities. So he got his for which I am glad. Couldn't talk his brother also at college into getting his shot yet

Hope to get DH to go get his as he seems to get sick more than the rest of us.

I am also one who believes in elderberry and other natural fighters. We took elderberry last year at the sign of something coming on. It really helped.

 

[princesspiglet]

I haven't had a flu shot since 2009 when I had a bad reaction and was diagnosed with GBS after getting the shot. I also ended up getting a very bad case of the flu a few months after the shot a the same time I was fighting GBS!!!. It took me MONTHS to recover from GBS, so my doc told me not to get the shot again and I haven't. And thankfully I haven't gotten the flu either since then! My DH and DD both get it though.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

The last time I got one, I was expecting DD9. She was born during flu season, so by me getting the vaccine, I could pass on the protection to her. I generally don't feel well and have weeks of injection site pain after getting it so I normally don't; however, my kids get theirs every year since they are much more likely to be exposed with all of the kids at school and in athletics.

 

[Summer2018]

Flu Season is officially upon us here as of October 1. From now until March, everyone in the province is entitled to a flu shot, free-of-charge, provided at mobile clinics and pharmacies everywhere. There are a million doses available for a population of about 4 million; obviously not everybody gets one. Many larger companies run clinics at their sites for employee convenience. Health care workers and first-responders are required by their terms of employment to be vaccinated and maybe people in other professions too; I'm not sure. There is currently no requirement for children to be vaccinated to go to school or daycare like there is for other things such as MMR and whooping cough.

We're "those people" who have never experienced the flu in our household and don't prioritize getting the shot. We're not directly exposed to any high-risk individuals so the idea of protecting them isn't an issue. I've gotten the shot for the past two years (after having been gently-pressured into it first by my employer and last year by my pharmacist). No ill-effects and I'll probably get one again this season. My DH and DS have never, AFAIK.

Do you have access to free flu shots? Do you take it? Why or why not?

As a teacher and asthmatic, I have no choice. Human Resources holds a free flu shot clinic in October. I got mine at Target for free through my insurance and got a $5 gift card in return. I brought DD along because she is also asthmatic and had a serious bout of the flu in May 2017. She hadn’t gotten around to getting the flu shot and really suffered with it. She learned her lesson. My DH gets it for free at work.

My students are required by state law to get the flu shot or they will be excluded from school. If they have never before had a flu shot, they are required to get two. Our school nurse already started sending home notices and a handful of students got their shots. January is the deadline, and after Christmas vacation, I have to send home every child that has not been vaccinated. Last year, it was half of my class. Those absences are unexcused and add up very quickly. Last January was a sh*t show with angry parents who swear that they never got the notices and don’t recall me reminding them in person. Then the ones who have a religious excuse but refuse to get the documentation and have it notarized.

My biggest concern right now is getting my second shingles vaccine within my deadline. I had my first in the spring and was due to get it two weeks ago, but my doctor was out of it. I can’t find it anywhere.

 

[Summer2018]

At my doctor's, you can walk in anytime for a month or so and they offer flu shots for free during that time (if you don't already have an appointment). Work also offers it.

I didn't get it for the longest time, then in 2014 had pneumonia (ugh!) and since then, have gotten a flu shot every year.

Same. Two years ago I got the pneumonia shot as well.

 

[katie01]

As a teacher and asthmatic, I have no choice. Human Resources holds a free flu shot clinic in October. I got mine at Target for free through my insurance and got a $5 gift card in return. I brought DD along because she is also asthmatic and had a serious bout of the flu in May 2017. She hadn’t gotten around to getting the flu shot and really suffered with it. She learned her lesson. My DH gets it for free at work.

My students are required by state law to get the flu shot or they will be excluded from school. If they have never before had a flu shot, they are required to get two. Our school nurse already started sending home notices and a handful of students got their shots. January is the deadline, and after Christmas vacation, I have to send home every child that has not been vaccinated. Last year, it was half of my class. Those absences are unexcused and add up very quickly. Last January was a sh*t show with angry parents who swear that they never got the notices and don’t recall me reminding them in person. Then the ones who have a religious excuse but refuse to get the documentation and have it notarized.

My biggest concern right now is getting my second shingles vaccine within my deadline. I had my first in the spring and was due to get it two weeks ago, but my doctor was out of it. I can’t find it anywhere.

Does it seem to work pretty well? Requiring the whole school to be vaccinated? Do you know of students at the school who missed school for influenza after being vaccinated, or did it seem to greatly reduce the number of cases? Just curious how effective required vaccination is within a setting where you'd usually see quite a bit of flu cases

 

[Dan Murphy]

I had my first in the spring and was due to get it two weeks ago, but my doctor was out of it. I can’t find it anywhere.

I can't even find a place to get my first.

(Also, you might get whacked a bit for bypassing the filter. Just an FYI.)

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

Absolutely yes! We have had someone in our family get extremely sick from the flu ... like 8 weeks of fever, multiple antibiotic resistant rounds of pneumonia that stemmed from it. It was incredibly scary. We all get vaccinated every year. Even if it's not a particularly effective year, it's still better than not getting it. We did get flu last year - as did many people who had been vaccinated, and it was still pretty bad. I have always heard if you get flu despite being vaccinated, it will often be a more mild case ... so if what we had was mild, I definitely don't want to see non-mild! The CDC information from last years' flu season shows that 80% of pediatric deaths were in unvaccinated children.

 

[lilia78]

Question (and I haven't thought about this for years): Are routine childhood immunizations still offered at schools? I know that's where I got most of mine (in the 70's-80's in a remote, rural location). I honestly don't remember if DS had shots in school (he's 22).

We live in Canada, in the province right next to you. My kids got their first shots from 0 to 5 from the Public Health nurse, we would have to make an appointment to do that. Once they were 5 and in school the Public Health nurse came to the school to administer them. A form would be send home stating which shots your child was due for and you would have to sign to allow them or not allow them. They also started offering the chicken pox virus and Gardisal in the last number of years. My kids are between the ages of 17 and 23. This was the same for me growing up in the 80’s.

 

[Katie Dawn]

Does it seem to work pretty well? Requiring the whole school to be vaccinated? Do you know of students at the school who missed school for influenza after being vaccinated, or did it seem to greatly reduce the number of cases? Just curious how effective required vaccination is within a setting where you'd usually see quite a bit of flu cases

If half of her class isn't getting vaccinated then it's probably hard to tell. I would be interested to hear too though.