To Flu shot... or NOT to flu shot. « Back to Group Discussions

[ericaf]

Sooooo... My DH thinks he has the flu. I called my Dr and she wants me to get the flu shot asap (as well as have him go to his Dr to confirm the flu, and find out what "type" it is and what antiviral meds his Dr would prescribe). Not happy about this. I've never had one in my life. What do you guys think? Anyone get one? Nervous to get one.

[judybean]

If your dh does indeed have the flu, you'd already have been exposed, so it seems kind of ridiculous (and a moot point) to get the flu shot. If he does get tested to find the strain, then if you DO get it, you can always act accordingly with whatever route of antiviral meds or whatever that you choose. I never get flu shots. It's flu roulette. The shot is for *one* strain of the flu.

I, personally, wouldn't get it. Never have, never will.  But I can't make the choice for you. Here's healthy vibes to you!

[ericaf]

Thanks for the response! I'm kinda of second guessing it now... I knew I hadn't had one in a long, long time (I believe the last time I had the ACTUAL flu was about 7-8 years ago, and before that... in 4th grade) but when I asked my Mom she said "I NEVER gave you the flu shot. I don't get it either. I don't like them." so now I'm thinking mmmm. Enh. And DH def kissed me goodbye this morning, sooooooooooooo. Great. Lets just hope I don't get the damn flu. I feel like everyone who gets the flu shot, gets the flu. Makes no sense to me?? As for the antiviral, that's exactly what my Dr said. Which I'm also hesitant about. Medication and shots irk me.

[judybean]

Here's a mothering.com article on it: http://www.mothering.com/pregnancy-birth/what-doctor-isn%25E2%2580%2599t-telling-you-about-pregnancy-and-flu-vaccine

[judybean]

I tend to be a "ride it out" kind of person anyway. Colds happen. The flu happens. Just do your best to make yourself comfortable, try to keep your immune system in top shape an djust rest if you do get sick. Most medications just mask symptoms without actually *healing* your body, which actually makes you sicker for longer since you will do too much while thinking you're feeling better!

[ArtificialRed]

I got the flu shot in early October, before I was even trying. I figured at that point if I did get sick, well, I got sick. But if it protected me from getting sick from at least one strand of the flu when I was pregnant, that would be worth it. I'm not sure I'd ever consider getting it once already pregnant.

[Kat_shoshin]

Hi there, 

I vax my kid and would never consider getting the flu shot while pregnant.  Before, yes, but all that stuff they took out of childhood vaccines?  It is still in the flu shot.  

Last time I vax'd my DH - but not myself.

[mole]

I never get the flu shot, and never will. It contains eggs and causes a lot of problems for many people. I just had the flu, and my doctor told me simple infections like the flu don't harm fetuses. A friend recently had the flu in her first trimester also, and her doctor said she had never heard of a case of the flu harming a fetus. It's only serious infections that are dangerous to the fetus. In my country they don't prescribe medicine for the viral flu, you just suffer through it. My sweetheart got to take some opiate cough syrup to help through the nights of the worst part of the flu. But due to the pregnancy, I just had to deal with it. I went straight from flu to morning sickness, so I feel like I've been sick forever. I hope you don't get sick.

[norskelove]

I did get the flu shot during my first pregnancy because I considered myself high risk (I worked in health care, seeing 30-40 patients a day).  I also got the flu shot every year (preservative free version) because it was "mandatory" (although I would have opted to get it anyway because of all the exposure to sick people and I also didn't want to pass the flu on to the elderly or to babies).  I have never had a problem with the shot, and I have never gotten the flu during those years despite getting exposed to it a lot (I have had the flu once in my life, a year I did not get a shot).   In addition to that, my cousin lost her baby at 14 weeks pregnant a year prior to my pregnancy -- and she is convinced it is because of the flu.  You can't really prove something like that, but the baby died after she had days of high fever that they could not get down.  She was hospitalized and everything, but she was very sick.  When they were getting ready to discharge her, they discovered there was no heartbeat.   

All that said, I did not get the flu shot this year because I am no longer working and feel my risk is pretty low.  Getting the flu shot does not offer FULL protection, anyway.  It just depends on your level of comfort....I think you will find that most people on here do not get the shot. ;->  If you do get the shot, there are preservative free versions available if you are concerned about the thimerosal.  But I also agree that you likely have already been exposed, so I am not sure the extent of the benefit you would get by getting it right now.    

I hope you stay well!