I’ve never had any ill effects from flu shots beyond a slight rise in fever and some tiredness.
Other than that, they seem to work for me. I’ve gotten the flu when I haven’t taken them, and not gotten it if I do.
A doctor friend tells me that they are absolutely ineffective if taken after the flu season breaks out, that odds are you’ve been exposed in one way or another, so taking them late is a waste of time and money.
Me too-— never had too much of an issue taking the flu shot.
Remember that the flu shot is a crap shoot-—its only effective against the strains of flu they predict will hit that season. If another strain is not included and it strikes the person then the flu shot is ineffective. Since I travel in planes constantly I need all the protection I can get.
Ive never had any ill effects from flu shots either, not even a slight fever or fatigue; the worst was a little soreness at the injection site and I didnt even get that with this years shot.
Flu shots do not give people the flu. However the later in the flu season that someone gets a flu shot, the more likely they are to get the flu before the vaccine takes full effect.
People need to understand that the flu shot takes about two weeks to confer immunity so it is possible to catch the flu during that time and even then it only protects against the most prevalent strains of flu that season (thats why there is a new flu shot formulation every year). And in some years the virus match is better than in others, but even with a less than perfect match to the prevalent strains, one is still better protected against a severe case of flu with a shot than without.
Also the flu shot does not protect against the common cold, which having many symptoms similar to and in common with the flu, is often mistaken for the flu. Generally the flu comes on very suddenly, tends to last longer, is often accompanied by very bad body aches and a high fever, sometimes nausea and vomiting, deep chest congestion, a dry cough and fatigue lasting for a week or more whereas the common cold often starts with nasal congestion and a sore throat, tends to come on a bit more gradually and tends not to last as long. The most important difference is that the flu is much more likely to result in pneumonia or secondary bacterial infections which can be life threatening, especially in the very young, the very old in people with underlying health problems.
I will also add that I suffer from allergies this time of year (late fall through winter). At least once a year Ill get an allergy attack so severe that it very much feels like a cold or flu the sudden onslaught of uncontrollable sneezing, runny nose accompanied by deep body aches, fever, chills and fatigue. I feel like Ive been hit by a freight train and probably look like it. The last time this happened my boss told me (pleaded with me) to go home. The only way I know that its not a cold or the flu is that the symptoms completely disappear the next day.
That's not quite true. It's best to get the shot before flu season hits, but it's still worthwhile to get one even during flu season. The chance of getting exposed during the time between getting the shot and becoming immune is, of course, higher if you wait until flu season to get the shot.
I've never, to my knowledge, had the flu. I do get a shot every year. People who have had the flu tell me it's miserable.