Flu Shots

[crokett]

Do you guys get one every year? Work has them for free on campus else I probably wouldn't do it. I haven't gotten the flu since I started getting shots, so they must be good at guessing which strain is gonna be the bad one.

[andrew.r.w]

Every year. If it saves you a quarter hour of illness it pays for itself. Given the likelihood it'll save you a few days, it's kinda silly not to.

[maxparot]

I'm of the mindset that if you are in good general health and don't have any medical problems that would make you a high risk for death from the flu, then the shot is just another imunization that isn't needed and in most cases the only reason why they push the shot is to protect those at risk from catching the flu from you. The reason why business' sponsor free shots is to keep the workplace humming along without the lose of the percentage of people that would otherwise call in sick.

[John Hunter]

Yes, the wife and I get them every year.

[eccentrictinkerer]

I asked my doctor, who is 3 years older than me (I'm 61), if he was getting a flu shot. He said no, that there are many, many flu strains and the shots protect against just a few.

He said if you're generally healthy you don't need the shot. "Nuff said, far as I'm concerned.

BTW, he's an avid wood worker and car restorer! This summer he road his bike (pedal) to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada from Minneapolis.

Last year he road his bike to Nova Scotia and the year before that he pedaled to Seattle and climbed (hiked?) Mount Ranier.

Hope I can do that when I'm 64.

[TB Roye]

Being 65 and an x smoker, I get one every year. Same for LOML, who is and few years younger but has COPD. My Dr almost instists on me getting one. The last 5 years I have been getting them I have not had the flu, had a 1 minor cold a year. I feel they are worth it. They may no completly prevent the flu, depending on which strain shows up, but the could reduce the severity of the flu.

Tom

[cabinetman]

For more "stuff" on the flu shot, Ed had a thread (sounds like a start to a poem). a few weeks ago with a different slant.
.

[Iansaws]

I work in a hospital with respiratory patients young and old, therefore I am at high risk for being exposed to the flu. Yes, I get the shot every year. The hopsital supplies it free for employees working in high risk areas. The vaccine protects against 3 different strains of flu. They determine which strains to include in the vaccine by seeing what strains show up earlier in the year in the East or Asia. These are the strains that usually affect the West. Certainly some strains will slip through, but the they are a very small minority. The odds of getting one of these strains is about like winning the lottery...you just won't have as many friends. Hope this helps.

[Uncle Cracker]

Every year... flu and pneumonia...

[lrogers]

Yep, every year. Just got mine at work last Friday.

[jking]

I get the flu shot every year. My father-in-law is a doctor & he usually checks at Thanksgiving to make sure everyone has had the shot.

[skipwill]

Yep, get one every year...didn't one year a while back and got the flu. I vowed then that I would get the shot from then on.

Skip

www.ShopFileR.com

[cgallery]

I work in a retail environment and am asstonished by the # of people that call in sick to work but then come to my shop for a part or service for their computer.

So I do get the shot.

My old method for dealing w/ sick customers: When someone would call telling me they've taken a sick day but they're coming in for a new [hard drive, stick of RAM, copy of Windows, etc.], I tell them NO. That, I don't want to be exposed and if they're too sick to work, they need to stay home.

Most customers acted surprised and were even dismissive of their illness ("I'm not that sick," or "I'm no longer contageous.") But when I explain that three to four of them (sick guys off work) try to visit our shop during the week, the reality sinks in.

Many of them made the trip anyhow and completely disregarded my request. In fact, I had one customer with a new hacking cough come in (after being asked not to) five days before I was leaving for vacation and was coughing w/o covering his face.

So my new policy is, I won't sell you anything, and I'll ask you to leave. If you call during the day and I know you have a day job, I won't have anything in stock you're looking for, and explain my policy again.

And I wash my hands, the phones, the door handles, etc., constantly.

And I don't let anyone use my desk.

I know it sounds insane, but even w/ the flu shot I still get the flu from time to time. The last time was about seven years ago. I called my wife and told her I thought I had the flu, then went upstairs to go to bed, but fell halfway down the stairs. I was able to climb back up but fell asleep on the floor before getting to my bed. My wife was able to wake me long enough to get fluids for three days, and was about to call 911 when my fever started to subside and I started waking up.

[Ed62]

We get them every year. If I'm not mistaken, they are not meant to prevent what is commonly known as "stomach flu", but the much more serious respiratory problem.

Ed

[radhak]

Interesting - majority (of the responses at least) seem to get it.

We have never got the flu shot, neither for us nor for our kids (5 and 8 now). And I don't remember if they ever had the flu. They don't go to after-care now, so hopefully they stand an even better chance of not getting it, as I consider Public Schools cleaner than pre-schools or after-care.

What is the 'flu' season? And are we exposing the kids to a high risk if we don't get them the shots?

My kids are generally very healthy (knock wood) - play outside daily, totally healthy diet, no air-conditioning at home (so lotsa 'open air' ). In fact other than the dentist, we have not visited the doc for illness since 2005. So is that factor in considering the flu-shot? (And yes, they have got all the other mandated shots at the appropriate time).