Are you ready for your flu shot?

Well, for what it's worth, I've already had the flu (B) this year, in September. Not an experience I'd like to repeat. It was officially diagnosed, so it wasn't just a cold. We usually get the shot in November because the flu comes late to this area, but this year it's early, they said. Fortunately, Mom didn't get it from me even though I was taking care of her before I was diagnosed. I had to let other people take over for a few days until my fever went down.

I agree with you freqflyer. You don't get the flu from a flu shot. As you said, it takes 2 weeks for immunity to build up so if a person gets sick right away, its because they were already exposed, or were exposed during that two weeks. The nurse specifically told me this year - be careful for the next two weeks because you are not immune yet. My sister used to claim she got the flu from the shot every year, so she stopped getting it. Then she and her husband got REALLY sick with the flu. From then on, she got the shot and doesn't get the flu any more. I figure that even if it cuts my risk by 50% its worth it. The older you are, the more chance the flu will put you in the hospital with pneumonia and that can be fatal.

Remember the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918/1919? (Well, I didn't mean that literally ;=) ... My grandmother said that everyone who wasn't sick was nursing. Fortunately my g'mother survived. Her brother's wife didn't. So I get my flu shot every year.

ilovemom: You can get shots for pneumonia. I had one. Six months later I got it (pneumonia, that is), but my doctor said I would have had a worse case if I'd not got the shot.

Pneumonia vaccines are good for 5-10 years, too, so seems a great idea for anyone older or in bad health to get one... since pneumonia can be difficult to recover from.

Indeed, Ali, I was sick over Christmas, so no turkey, barely any decorations, we had Indian food Xmas Eve with our grands, and then both of us went to bed and slept for a week. It took several weeks after that before we were fully recovered (hubs had it too).

Has anyone got that ongoing cough? Respirtory infection? I had a cough over 2 weeks, stopped, and got it again... A friend in another state, yes I do have some friends, his office got sick, and then it went around a second time. I friend's old auntie just died of an upper respirotory infection... So, older people cannot bounce back.... If you see anyone coughing or struggling more than a week, get em to doctor and convince family member to take em..... This is nothing to cough about.....

Thanks for the remind freqflyer. I know its a must.