For my 2000th post, I have to go get a flu shot. Do you believe in them?

[AlFrankenFan]

There are always many theories floating around that they don't work or they control minds or something. Hopefully they have some pro-Kerry stuff in 'em this year :P

[JohnKleeb]

I dunno but I dont believe in poo shots

[whistle]

1. Yes, nuff said....

[kikiek]

2. Geez sounds early for the flu shot. We aren't even talking about

them up here yet.

[AlFrankenFan]

14. I guess they decided to release them early cause of shortages last year...

and besides, my mom's a "freak" about getting them early. But this is a month earlier than last year's.

[kikiek]

26. I don't think there is a real risk from them unless you're allergic to egg

then you can't get it. There is a very remote chance of Guillain-Barre syndrome from the attenuated virus. But I get them unless I put it off too long! I will get it this year.

[Shoeempress]

3. Better than getting the flu and risk cooking your brain with a hi temp.

Think about it, you could come out of the flu with brain damage and end up a Repuke

[JohnKleeb]

4. ya know not all stupid people are republicans

Ahem :), yes I am calling myself stupid.

[Shoeempress]

29. Being stupid does not mean you are republican, but being republican

does mean you are stupid

[AlFrankenFan]

15. lol true...weird though, my temperature was 96.8 instead of 98.6

:shrug:

[stray cat]

5. They have to guess about the flu strain in advance....

The flu strains change each year so they have to guess in advance which strains are most serious each year and the liklihood that it will spread in the US. If they guess right and they often do - then the vaccine is effective.

[Senior citizen]

6. I do NOT believe in flu shots.

But I get one every year anyway. They give them free at my senior center and at the senior clinic around the corner. They do seem to work, but I just find it difficult to believe in things.

:bounce: :hi: :bounce:

[curse10]

7. I get one every year

I still get the flu anyway. But if I don't get it I get the flu and it lasts twice as long. :shrug:

[fdr_hst_fan]

8. I went and got a flu shot once,

and it worked-I got the flu!

[AlFrankenFan]

16. happened to me last year...first time i'd ever gotten it too

damned california flu shots *shakes fist*

[Pithlet]

23. Same thing happened to me

A few years ago. I don't care how many times I'm told "That's impossible. It's a dead virus". I almost never get the flu, and got it when I got that damned shot. I was the sickest I'd ever been since I was a kid. I will never get another flu shot.

[tishaLA]

9. Yes I do

I have congestive heart failure and my doctor insists on me having one.

[PoiBoy]

10. I get one every year...

..they work pretty well for me..! :hi:

[tilsammans]

11. I've been getting flu shots . . .

. . . every year since 1985. Only had the flu once since then. So it must be working.

[LynzM]

12. I'm diabetic, so I always get one

Hubby gets to get one now, too :) I've never gotten the flu (knock on wood), so it seems so far they work for me...

[blondeatlast]

13. I'm in 3, count 'em 3, risk groups! I get mine faithfully every year. nt

[peacefreak]

17. I get one every year.

I work with the public & after being sneezed at, coughed on & slimed on I'll take it. Some protection is better than none.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

18. The voices in my head say they work great!

I was the kind of person who got hit HARD when the flu made its rounds. I'd be sleeping with a wastebasket handy for DAYS. Then I got my first flu shot-- I didn't get sick once that year. I tried it again next time-- no flu.

I haven't had the flu in over fifteen years now, thanks to those once a year miracles. Go for it. Just never mind the voices... :evilgrin:

[Ilsa]

19. I get them most of the time.

My parents always used to get the flu and pneumonia shots every Fall. They never had those illnesses.

Last year I got the nasal spray flu vax. Now that one really gave me a 24 hour case of very mild flu: headache, body aches, mild temp.

[Darranar]

20. I believe in their existence, sure...

I don't know enough to discuss their effectiveness.

[Kellanved]

21. yup

Got my one this week too. It is free after all and has the potential of saving me three weeks of time.

However it is quite interesting to find out which strains are included and which turn out to be the most frequent in subsequent years. Even with the shot two or three years old one has a good chance of being protected.

[AlFrankenFan]

22. free...dang we had to pay 10$ each for 'em

guess we could've waited a week for the church to get them...wonder if they'd give 'em to Jews :P

[Kellanved]

24. FWIW: I had to pay €20 + what the Doctor will demand

So it'll be probbaly around €30 total.

I'll get the money back some time in the future - I'm not part of the public health system.

[2Design]

25. no

[VOX]

27. Yes. But I get mine in late November-early December...

It seems that flu shots give one an immunity that lasts about 3 months. Since my pattern is to catch the flu in late January-early February, I'm then covered.

I believe that individuals who are allergic to eggs may have a potential problem with the shots.

Flu shots work very well for me, and the worst I ever get from them is a slightly sore arm.

[Jade Fox]

28. These days they are able to use sophisticated computer tracking to....

isolate which flu strains are likely to be most troublesome, so the sucess
rate of flu shots is considerably better than it used to be.

Flu strains are getting more deadly. The Flu Epidemic of 1918 is still the
worst world-wide epidemic ever.

Last time I got the flu I thought I was gonna DIE! I get one every year now.

[faithnotgreed]

30. i would never get a flu shot. if you do please ask if

they have mercury in them. yes, mercury is sometimes used as a preservative. only the govt would use a known toxic material as a preservative - wholly unecessary!

if youre interested, for more information on that there are news stories of soldiers getting sick from vaccinations etc

my mom, a conservative who faithfully got her flu shots, got her last one 3 years ago. then, after getting a flu shot, promptly got sick and was sick all winter. then she started looking into the whole thing.
hasnt had one since. but thats just my take.

i truly dont say this to scare at all but were on du and i know that people here are well aware of the secrets we are not told and that very much includes public health, fda etc

im an alternative medicine person and dont trust traditional drs for anything unless of course its something urgent or threatening in any way. i dont want to disparage doctors. each traditional doctor has their role certainly in performing some important roles for our health.

best wishes

[freeplessinseattle]

31. haven't had one in more than 6 years

and haven't had the flu in that time either. who knows if that's correlated, or going veg helped, but that was only a couple years ago. I do know someone who gota shot last year and was one of the rare people who react by getting a bad flu right away, and his whole arm hurt on the side where he got the shot. he had a bad flu for about 4 days after geting the shot, and his arm hurt and was stiff the whole time, but he didn't get another flu that winter!