For what little it's worth, the only time either my father or I have ever gotten the flu is when we've gotten flu shots.

Some people it works wonders for. Others, not so much.

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For what it's worth, since I've started getting flu shots, I've sometimes gotten colds, but it's NOTHING on the time I actually had the flu where I was sick as a dog for two weeks and mildly ill for a month total.

My job depends on my voice and my voice depends on my ENT health. I get the flu shots.

And yes, it's an art, not a science. This isn't 100%, but I'll take any bonus I can get on my die roll, even if it means some side effects.

Ask about the side effects and ask about what the current track record is with this mix on the latest strains.
And perhaps also, it's possible to mitigate some of those side effects by doing or taking things that boost your resistance to the vaccine.

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If they habitually make you sick, then don't get one. There are lots of people that they work well on (I'm one of those), and then there are others for whom they're just a bad idea.

The only reason I might counsel you to get one is to see if things have changed, and if they might actually give you some benefit now. But I'd definitely start by asking a doctor if there have been any changes in the "formula" (as it were) since the last time you tried.

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I work around thousands of people. I think luck, vitamins and increased personal sanitation have been why I've not gotten it. The vitamins probably had nothing to do with it anyways.

I've never gotten a shot, and I think they still only protect against some of the strains.

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If you never get flu, then I wouldn't worry about getting flu shots.

I never used to get them, but then I had flu one year, and decided I never, ever, ever wanted to do that again. So the first time I had the option, I got a flu shot, and since they offered a pneumonia shot as well (my mother had had walking pneumonia for several months the previous year), I got that too. (They said that pneumonia shot was good for 35 years; I've seen others advertised as good for 10 years; YMMV.)

I'm one of the lucky ones who barely reacts at all to flu shots, though. One year I actually had some swelling and noticeable soreness (more than just the usual dull ache) at the site for about three days, but other than that, I've had no problems at all. So for me it's worthwhile. For you, it doesn't sound like it is.

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THey originally figured the pneumovax was good for 30+ years; unfortunately it turns out to only be really effective for about 10 years, so a booster or repeat vax is a good idea for folks at risk.

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The flu shots are no longer live vaccine, so you won't get sick from it. What *might* happen to you is there is a potential to feel a day or two of a very mild run-down/cold sort of feeling, which is not actually getting sick...it's your body's immune response and is a good thing.

Each year the shots cover the strains most likely to become a serious problem, so it is true it will not cover any type of flu at all. Experts feel there's some extra layer of protection from year to year if you have your shots consistently, but the peak effectiveness is during the flu season.

And yeah, as others have said, having the real-deal flu is a BEAST and soooo not worth messing with in my opinion.

So they're not perfect, but they're a help.

In your case I think the strongest case for it would be the fact that CR would be at an elevated risk of infection, so you protecting yourself against it helps reduce his exposure to it, too.

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I have to agree with vlynn... As a person with asthma CR is going to be more suseptable to the flu... for him it would be worse than for someone who isn't asthmatic. For him I would get it... I do get a flu shot every year because I'm exposed to it quite a bit on a college campus not to mention the girls in school (they get one too) and dptwisted also gets on annually.

Never been a problem for us... And I've found that even colds aren't as bad when I've had a flu shot as opposed to when I don't.

In the end its up to you, but if voting counts I say do it. :)

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Of course, I got the worst cold in years within a month of my shot. That mamma nature, what a kidder.

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People with lowered immune systems and/or diabetes often react badly to the flu shots.

The flu shot is a spectrum, which tries to inoculate you against what the labs think will be this year's fashionable flus. It's always a gamble, but usually they're pretty close.

A benign carrier of a flu is carrying a lot less germ load than someone who actually has a full-blown case, and plus you aren't sneezing and coughing to spread the germs. While you may need to avoid people with practically no immune system left the day you get a flu shot, you're still a lot less dangerous than if you actually have the flu.

Exposure is another thing to consider. If you work with crowds of germy public people or children or other high-risk areas, it's more likely you'll get a flu than if you work in a private office and commute in a private car and only see six people on an average day.

Something to consider also is CR's lung issues; the last thing he needs is a flu in the chest right now. (Also, ask his doc if he should get the pneumonia vaccine.)

I'm not sure how and when the formulas have changed, but they're always tinkering to try to make them easier for people. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, and see if they've got any useful info to tell you.

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get the shot. you are the caretaker of a HIGH RISK person, your son.

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also, make sure to get a shot, not the mist. the flu mist has a chance of causing the flu.

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