<p>I’d like to hear from people all over the country–especially those over 55 (like me) who have had the HINI flu (which I haven’t). Is it worth it for me to get the shot? What about my college age son?</p>
<p>I’m in healthcare (laboratory), 50ish, in NJ. Got both the seasonal and H1N1 voluntarily.
Advised college son in Conn to obtain shots but doubt he did.
Vaccinated younger D at home.
Husband is needle phobic and gets neither.</p>
<p>NONE of us so far (fingers crossed), have gotten any flu. Lucky I guess.
Unless your Doc recommends against in your specific case, I’d encourage you to get flu shots.</p>
<p>Do you have medical concerns that make you hesitate to get vaccinated?</p>
<p>No, just not wishing to get an unnecessary shot–a small dose of the flu and mercury?
Thanks for your replies.</p>
<p>My entire family got the H1N1 flu shot/mist. I stood in line for nearly 5 hours in late October with my 10 yr old to get her the FluMist (Free). Once I got her the vaccine I was able to sleep at night as I wasn’t worrying - it was well worth the 5 hour wait. They had 3500 dosages available and they had to ‘close’ the waiting line at 10:30 AM.
My Freshman D got her FluMist at school (Free). The university had a posted weekly updates on the Flu shot/FluMist availability and I told her to get it ASAP. She received it early November. Just before Thanksgiving break, the university sent out an email message to parents encouraging them to get their kids into the campus health center before leaving for the break. They sent out a similiar message just before the Christmas/Winter break. I was very impressed by the school’s health center. </p>
<p>Finally, H and I got our Flu shots just after Christmas as soon as it became available to healthy adults. We went to the neighborhood pharmacy where we were charged $15 each - the shot was ‘free’ but the pharmacies are allowed to charge for their services.</p>
<p>No one in our family had any type of reaction. No one I know who has received either the shot or FluMist has had a reaction. I worry that there might be a third wave of the H1N1 flu later this winter or early spring. Having had the vaccine gives me some peace of mind.</p>
<p>College age D got a seasonal flu shot while she was home for Christmas. They offered the H1N1 vaccine, but she had already experienced the real flu that at college, thank you. Took care of getting her own antibodies up.</p>
<p>DS got both flu immunizations. His grandparents (3 MD’s) have insisted that he get immunize against everything. They remember the needless deaths among children in the old country.</p>
<p>DS is doing very well and whatever mercury he received, seemed to improved his IQ.</p>
<p>Over the years, the flu shots have given me horrible cases of the flu. A couple of years ago I got the flu inspite of having had the shot. I got the standard flu shot last Fall and had an allergic reaction. No more flu shots for me.</p>
<p>I’m getting the H1N1 flu shot today – had the seasonal flu shot much earlier. I’m the last in my family to get the H1N1 vaccine. Although I may be immune, I figure why take chances if there is a third wave. While those over 55 were less likely to get the H1N1 flu than younger folks, they had a higher rate of serious complications/death if they DID get infected. Since it’s now readily available and side effects are minimal (and you CAN’T get the flu from killed vaccine), I figure, why not?</p>
<p>DH had a confirmed case of H1N1 last spring. He’s someone who never gets sick or at least never admits to feeling sick, this brought him to his knees. Took him three weeks to fully recuperate and stop coughing through the night.
I suspect I’m immune after being exposed through him, but plan to get the vaccine as soon as my health care provider starts giving it to the 55+ crowd. (I called last week-still didn’t have any in stock and this is a very big practice.)</p>
<p>My entire family got seasonal flu shots. S and I got H1N1 shots too. D had a mild case of what we suspect was H1N1 at school and H will get the shot when his employer offers it (i got mine at work-yesterday).</p>
<p>Reason? We have allergies/asthma here. I suffered through a winter several years ago when I had bronchitis 3 times. After that I got a flu shot every year and haven’t gotten it since. (everyone please knock wood). The one year D did not get a flu shot she got flu twice and missed 9 days of school.</p>
<p>So I am very pro flu shots.</p>
<p>My 51 yr. old sister-in-law got H1N1 and ended up with pneumonia. That was enough to scare us. We’ve all been vaccinated, as well as almost everyone I know here in Toledo. That said, I do know one person who believes she got H1N1 from the vaccine, coming down with it two days after receiving the vaccine. I also know one teenager who got H1N1 6 weeks after getting the vaccine. His mother claims his flu was still “bad”, but I can’t help wondering how it would have been had he not gotten the vaccine.</p>
<p>The FluMist version does not contain mercury. [CDC</a> H1N1 Flu | General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety](<a href=“http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm]CDC”>CDC H1N1 Flu | General Questions and Answers on 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Safety)</p>
<p>I worry about the misconceptions out there about vaccines. First off, there are two kinds of flu vaccines. The shots are killed virus–which cannot give you the flu; the FluMist version is a weakened virus which could, in theory, cause the flu. Unlikely, however. </p>
<p>There are many people who think vaccines in and of themselves are dangerous; I suggest a little light reading about worldwide pandemics and the devastation that they cause. This one would be a good place to start: <a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Great-Influenza-deadliest-pandemic-history/dp/0143036491/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262697552&sr=1-4[/url]”>http://www.amazon.com/Great-Influenza-deadliest-pandemic-history/dp/0143036491/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262697552&sr=1-4</a></p>
<p>I’m strongly pro-vaccine, and got both shots as early as I could.</p>
<p>In my young adulthood, I used to get the flu at least every other year. Since I started getting the shots about 8 years ago, I have not gotten it once.</p>
<p>This article is an interesting look at the anti-vaccine movement… and what the media gets out of creating a controversy. [An</a> Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All | Magazine](<a href=“http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1]An”>http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1)</p>
<p>^^^ dmd77, thanks for posting the link to this story. It was a very good read - long, but good.</p>
<p>OP, in addition to my family getting the H1N1 vaccine (as I mentioned in my earlier post) we all also got the seasonal flu shot (adults) or FluMist (kid).</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>S got the H1N1 mist and seasonal shot at college. I’m very glad he did, as he’s leaving for a semester abroad this week.</p>
<p>D got the H1N1 mist and seasonal mist thru her pediatrician. She had the regular flu 2 years ago and was down for the count for 10 days, took over 6 weeks to regain the weight she lost (and she has no extra weight to lose).</p>
<p>I got the seasonal shot in October and plan to get the H1N1 shot at a clinic in town tomorrow. Never had any negative after-effects from a flu shot, and neither have my kids.</p>
<p>H works from home and has gotten no shots. We think he’s ok because he has no real contact with humans, other than us, on a regular basis 
. Actually I think he should get the vaccines but he’s not interested.</p>
<p>Agree with DMD. Excellent article about Dr. Offit. I got both, made sure DD got both. DH got both but there is no way I can convince him that he didn’t get the flu from the seasonal vaccine. As a pediatric nurse, I have found there is almost no way to convince anti-vaccine parents that their fears of things like mercury poisoning, autism and illness are caused by vaccines. Well documented, scientific studies are merely fronts for drug company profiteering. While no intervention is without risk, wholesale avoidance of vaccines is dangerous not just to that person, but to all of us. Most of today’s parents are too young to remember the devastation of the diseases we now vaccinate against. I’m old enough to remember being hospitalized with measles, “on death’s door” according to my mother! Now I see babies gasping with pertussis. Being informed is crucial and in certain cases, some vaccines should not be given, but those are few. Off the soapbox…</p>
<p>In terms of all medical treatments, with immunizations you get the most bang for your buck. The majority of people suffer very few major side effects. After that, you are immune from some horrible diseases. Vaccines are not 100% effective, but if you vaccinate enough people, it does not matter.</p>
<p>[Missed</a> vaccines weaken ‘herd immunity’ in children - USATODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-01-06-childhoodvaccines06_CV_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip]Missed”>http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-01-06-childhoodvaccines06_CV_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip)</p>
<p>A timely article on vaccinations and herd immunity. Our entire family has had their H1N1 and seasonal flu shots, which we got months ago. I have to say that I’m a little surprised that there are still people out there debating whether or not to get theirs. Are there really still areas of the U.S. where the vaccine is not available? I don’t understand that.</p>
<p>As someone in day 6 of H1N1 I urge you to get the shot. Still dealing with the over 102 temp and headache and the cough. My H gets his Flu shot every year but I don’t. I hate needles and I had the attitude of I never get sick. I am going to send H and my D out on Thursday to get the H1N1. I think H only had the seasonal flu shot so far.
Strongly pushing my asthmatic 20+ D to make the time to go get her shot.</p>