[traditionalist]

This has been a public service announcement.

[Agnes Heep]

Great for people whose immunity isn't so good, for whatever reason, but since I'm not one of them I'll opt to take my chances with the flu.

[Tacis]

But, does a flu shot really work and protect me from getting the flu?

[dead]

I like the flu. It's like a little mini vacation from work, except that you feel like crap prior to, instead of after, getting drunk.

[blackdog]

I don't mean to sound smug here, but won't preventing over 35,000 deaths per year by getting a flu shot just increase the catagories of deaths from something else? The flu causes pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and liver/kidney problems, as well as blood sugar malaise in diabetics. These are all at risk groups of dyin from something.

I once added up all those afflicted with dreadful diseases in an issue of Parents magazine. After just five, the total exceeded the entire population figures of the united states. They were mental health problems, breast cancer, arthritis, nail fungus, and atsthma if my memory serves me.

[aristeides]

Most years I don't bother to get a flu shot, but this year I got one. If SARS comes back, the fewer other respiratory diseases there are going around, the easier the medical community will find the SARS to deal with.

[freedomcrusader]

Interesting timing - I had already planned to go get mine this evening.

Oftentimes the flu causes no more than typical cold symptoms. For me, getting the shot once per year is worth it if it prevents one cold in my lifetime.

[Xenalyte]

We had a helluva time convincing Xena's Mom that she needed a flu shot. It helped that they're injecting you with dead virus these days - XM got dog-sick from the live-virus shots of the '70s.

[wjcsux]

The only case of flu I have ever had has been the Brown Bottle Flu. Usually lasts 24 hours.

[sharktrager]

Of course, for those of us who get "flu like symptoms" in reaqction to the shot, there isn't much real benefit.

[Prime Choice]

I'll pass. Too many weird side-effects from flu shots.

Reminds me of the dreaded Swine Flu predictions from 20 years ago. When the vaccinations rolled around for that, enough people died as a result of the vaccines that I figured I'd take my own chances.

If the Good Lord sees fit to take me out of production with the flu, then so be it.

[BlessedBeGod]

I've got the flu as we speak and so am home from work today.

You really had to rub it in, didn't you?

[anniegetyourgun]

Alright, alright...you've convinced me. If I die, I'm gonna blame you though.....

[webstersII]

A co-worker got the flu shot at work last year and he bugged me to no end about going myself. I told him I'd take my chances, thank you.

The result was that he got bigtime sick, was in the hospital for several days, and got Bell's palsy so bad he was out of work for 3 months. The left half of his face was so paralyzed he just drooled out of the side of his mouth. The doctor told him that he probably got an inflamed nerve in his neck (or shoulder maybe, can't remember) from the flu shot and it turned into something really nasty, the result of which it looked like his face was about to fall off.

There are potential risks to getting the flu and potential side effects from getting the flu shot. Some people get really sick. But it might be worth considering if you are old and infirm but if you are healthy it doesn't necessarily make sense.

[avg_freeper]

Drinking Diet Coke and not stepping on cracks in the pavement immunizes me against the flu.

[phroebe]

I won't be taking it, thank you. As a person whose body over-reacts in unpredictable ways to any and all pharmaceuticals, I've given them up altogether these past 15 years, and have never been healthier.

[kidd]

I just read up on the symptoms of a cold and the flu. It seems that I've just gotten over the flu. I just thought it was an unusually severe cold. It hit me quickly and the usual Cold-Eze cough drops did nothing at all to help. I had about three real miserable days where I missed work and stayed in bed. And the recovery has been slow (its been four weeks since I contracted it and I still have a slight wheeze in my chest).

Does this immunize me for this season?

[shhrubbery!]

I'm not disputing that the flu shot is good and appropriate for some people.

But can anybody tell me why dogs and cats who get vaccinated (for their diseases) every year have a much higher risk of getting cancer?

[Palladin]

Thanks for the reminder, trad.

I'm going to get mine tomorrow.

[Cyman]

There is a lot of misunderstanding ,even in the medical community, about the role that a yearly "flu shot" plays in avoiding influenza. It is NOT a guarantee that the strain picked by a group of scientists the previous March will be the infective virus (matter of fact the odds are quite slim). Who would think that our global health policy is so greatly influenced by the virology of pig farms in central China?

[dennisw]

No way am I getting a flu shot. I've had the flu once in my life. My health is not perfect but flu is not on my radar.