Me too. I got the shot twice over a span of four years and got the flu within 2-3 days of each shot. I was told each time, “It is absolutely impossible for you to get flu from this shot”.
Mmm hmmmm. I have had the flu only once since then and it was the Asian flu, which the shot wouldn’t have helped anyway.
I would refuse the shot as well. You just never know where it is being manufactured (China anyone?) or what they are putting in it. The people pushing it will freely say that it is a crapshoot as to what type flu it will cover.
This year's vaccine has two B strains and one A strain, IIRC.
Don't have this season's info yet but last year, 2011-2012 season, there were six contracted manufacturers who provided U.S. vaccines. None in China.
The manufacturers licensed to produce the nation’s 2012-2013 flu vaccines and the brand names of the vaccines for the upcoming flu season are: Afluria, manufactured by CSL Limited;
Fluarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals;
FluLaval, manufactured by ID Biomedical Corporation;
FluMist, manufactured by MedImmune Vaccines Inc.;
Fluvirin, manufactured by Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited;
and Fluzone, Fluzone High-Dose and Fluzone Intradermal, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.
OK, seems to be the same ones this year. And a correction: it is two A strains and one B.
Mmm hmmmm. I have had the flu only once since then and it was the Asian flu, which the shot wouldn’t have helped anyway.
I would refuse the shot as well. You just never know where it is being manufactured (China anyone?) or what they are putting in it. The people pushing it will freely say that it is a crapshoot as to what type flu it will cover.
It *is* impossible to get the flu from a flu shot, since all of the viruses in the shot are dead. If you got the flu a few days after getting the shot, it was because you were already exposed, or you encountered a flu that wasn't in the shot. It takes about 2 weeks for the flu shot to "kick in" and start protecting you.
The flu shots we receive are NOT being made in China. They are made in the US, Canada, or Europe. You can look it up yourself at the FDA website.
The reason that formulating the flu vaccine is a "crapshoot" is because it is impossible to know, 6 months ahead of time, which of the many flu viruses will be epidemic in the upcoming flu season. Scientists have to look at quite a bit of data and make their best predictions. It's like predicting the weather--sometimes, they are wrong. Still, the vaccine saves millions from getting sick each year.