Flu shot? Are you getting one? - Page 2

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by Skippy918

I'm on the fence about this and I'm not sure what to do. I've read that there's a high death rate among pg women who get swine flu, but also nervous that the swine flu was never tested in pg women and I'm worried about the side effects.
What is everyone else doing?

Anyone know the prevalence of swine flu this year?

Hi! I was a pregnant woman who did receive the h1n1 vaccine last year. So yes, it was tested on pregnant women, as much as anything ever is.

I was fine, I had no complications from it, and now have a very healthy, walking 10 month old baby boy.

I have had flu shots before, and have never had a bad reaction. This one was just like the other flu shot I've received.

I don't get a flu shot every year, and will probably not get one this year. But I wanted to speak up because pregnancy provides enough to worry about, a mama shouldn't have to obsess over this, too.

[Bebe's Mom]

Demeter took the words right out of my mouth..The flu would be a lot less prevalent if people took the proper precautions-washing hands, eating healthy, etc..I think the flu shot makes people feel invincible so that they do not take precautions and end up sick ..Plus there are so many strains of flu that getting a shot doesn't do any good. Almost everyone I know who gets it ends up with the flu anyway.

[carmel23]

Originally Posted by Bebe's Mom

Demeter took the words right out of my mouth..The flu would be a lot less prevalent if people took the proper precautions-washing hands, eating healthy, etc..I think the flu shot makes people feel invincible so that they do not take precautions and end up sick ..Plus there are so many strains of flu that getting a shot doesn't do any good. Almost everyone I know who gets it ends up with the flu anyway.

I don't know, I have gotten it in the past and still eat very well, exercise, have good vit D levels, and wash my hands a lot. I've never gotten the flu when I've gotten the flu shot.

[frontierpsych]

Count me as another NO! My son as well, because he has an egg allergy, so he couldn't get it if he wanted to. (Come to think of it, he is 25 months and has never had a shot...)

I have never had a flu shot, and I haven't had the flu in over a decade. There are certain people and situations who should *consider* it, but I do not fall into that category.

My husband had to get them as he was military, but he retired medically and works as a contractor, where they don't mandate it.

[goldenwillow]

No way.

Not before.

Not when pregnant.

Not never.

[mum4vr]

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~

No way! Never have, never will, whether it be bird flu, swine flu, raccoon flu, or fish flu. Never gonna happen.

We NEVER get the flu except: last year when all my students got the nasal mist and came back to my classroom sniffling and left their dripping virus-infested snot rags all over my classroom, and coughed and sneezed all over! (apparently the mist makes you feel sneezy and when it runs down your throat from your sinuses, makes you cough!) Good times! So I got swine flu and my DC got it from me. Yeah, I love how that "cocooning" worked! Oy. And we got ordinary (as opposed to swine) flu a few years before that-- we were living w extended family in close quarters, and I worked as admin at a home health-- you guessed it-- got it from our well-vaccinated nurses! Mmhm. Glad the extended fam forgave me for bringing it home to all our children since it's highly unlikely any of us would have gotten it either time if I'd not been exposed to vax shed at work.

That being said, we are all quite healthy and have excellent immune systems, so with swine flu, I missed only 1 1/2 days of work (ask me about my wonderful, anti-viral "garlic cure" concoction!), and my DC missed 2-3 days of their activities.

[japonica]

Nope, not ever. And never when pregnant. It was just not worth the risk for me. If some researchers theorize that it's the immune reaction of the mother that may lead to neurological changes in the fetus, and this immune reaction can also be generated by the flu shot (not just natural infection), then I've always wanted to error on the side of caution.

[mamadelbosque]

Not a chance. Though I could see DH coming home going 'I got a flu shot today...' He's a paramedic though, and sometimes just does stuff w/o really thinking about it...

ETA: Oh, and no, I definetly didn't get one last year w/ a newborn nor the year before while pregnant. No thanks. Not a guinnea pig for big pharma.

[nicky85]

I had the flu last year when I was 7 months pregnant. There is a possibility it was h1n1 because it was accompanied by an unusual sore throat. I stayed in bed, ate little bits of food and drank sips of water, (gradually increasing throughout the day as I started feeling better), and my baby and I were fine. I was up and going by the evening.

[Emmeline II]

Originally Posted by Skippy918

I'm on the fence about this and I'm not sure what to do. I've read that there's a high death rate among pg women who get swine flu, but also nervous that the swine flu was never tested in pg women and I'm worried about the side effects.
What is everyone else doing?

From what I read during the last flu season, the problem seemed to be that doctors were not diligent in treating pregnant women with flu symptoms and were sending them home, and those women were seriously ill when they returned.

[ShadowMoon]

Never have and most likely never will.

[nanamar]

No way!!!

[Intoit]

Adding my $0.02... I voted yes, I got my first flu shot just a couple years ago. I did it experimentally, since the consecutive 5 seasons prior to that I got a flu that always become bronchial pneumonia or worse. So far so good, even a slight reaction (fatigue and slight achiness) I experienced last year was far better than worrying about complications I may experience from getting sick with influenza. That said, had I never gotten as sick as I did those few times I would still be one who never gets an annual flu vax.

[ImaSophie]

No both kids get a daily vitamin, http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Pro...8/?ProdID=1411, and the four year old takes children's DHA it has Omega 3 & 9 http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Pro...8/?ProdID=1451 the 8 year old takes Omega 3.6.9 jr http://www.nordicnaturals.com/en/Pro...8/?ProdID=1451

I take a woman's MV, and the spouse takes a male MV we all get time in the sun, plenty of fresh orange juice, eat a healthy diet, get exercise, and we all take elderberry syrup.

I find that this along with washing my hands (and keeping them moisturized to prevent cracking) tends to keep us pretty much ok. Our youngest is asthmatic so we tend to avoid large crowds during the flu season for his benefit.

[not now]

I did.

I work step down ICU and during flu season my unit is teeming with geriatrics & immunocompromised folks who were hit hard by the flu. Think lots of pneumonia, coughing, BIPAP and ventilators. Inevitably they cough directly on me as I'm caring for them. Every time. Besides hand washing, taking my clothes off and showering as soon as I get home and being good to my body I got the flu shot in my effort to prevent spreading the flu.

[SummerLove]

Never have, never will, too

[One_Girl]

I'm not because I hate needles, they develop this years vaccine based on what happened last year so there is no guarantee of effectiveness, and I am not at the age where I need to worry about getting the flu. Besides those things, if I get the flu I will get to take paid days off and it is really hard to get vacation time at my work so I am willing to be miserably sick as long as I don't have to also go to work.

[CookAMH]

I always avoid the flu shot, but especially so when pregnant because of what you mentioned, that it is not tested on pregnant women. Also, it's a guessing game and rather ineffective and has it's own host of possible side effects. I am not willing AT ALL to risk that, but I am willing to risk getting the flu.

That said, I am very confident in what we do to stay healthy and boost our immune system, including gargling with salt water and swabbing our nose with salt water every day. That practice is what my mom mentioend last year as being recommended to aovid the swine flu...I am not at all worried about the swine flu. I actually haven't been sick PERIOD in two years. I used to always get at least 2 colds during the winter.

[Arduinna]

of course not.