57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
As I stated,,i'm 57 and have never had the FLU shot. Well my company is now requiring that all employee's have one. MANDATORY! If I haven't had one almost my entire life,,,I wonder what will happen if I all of a sudden have one!! Will my body just freak out??? Has anyone after all these years just up and decided to get the FLU shot and it was ok!!! I've never been fond of the FLU shots anyway. Seems everyone I talk to end up getting the FLU from the shot anyway. Or at least feeling like they have it. Also is the INTRADERMAL better than the full dose shot?? Alot of questions and no answers...Hope to have some feedback. Gotta have it by Nov. 15th!!
THANKS
Re: 57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
I was vaccined for the first time at 56, and nothing happened. I did not get sick. At age 55 I got the flu for the first time, and swore I would get the flu shot for now on. But I must admit, all of the pro and cons, and different pro and con literature have me totally confused.
Re: 57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
The side effects of the flu shot are very minimal, while the benefits are extensive.
The idea behind it is if we are all immunized, if and when a terrible flu comes around, we will all be safe. We are trying to eradicate the flu, like other illnesses that we have found effective and safe vaccinations against, like polio, yellow fever, typhoid, cholera, etc.
I would not be afraid of getting the flu, after a flu shot, it is if you get the flu without getting a flu shot do you have to worry.
I got my first one after 50, and had no problems at all. Let us know how it goes...
The Following User Says Thank You to writeleft For This Useful Post: emt0820 (11-13-2012)
Re: 57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
Ever since I developed asthma at age 50 I've been getting the flu shot annually as they recommend it for people with chronic illnesses such as asthma. It is a "killed" virus and so you cannot get the flu from the shot. People who come down with the flu within days of getting the shot were obviously already exposed but had simply not presented with symptoms. Should you contract the flu after getting the shot, you typically have a much milder case.
Many business in the healthcare industry require their employees to get vacinated against the flu and other communicable illnesses due to the likelihood of their exposure during the course of the business day and so that they in then do not also infect their clients who are already ill.
Re: 57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
Titchou reminds me of the original reason I began taking the flu shot..I have health issues that put me in the higher risk group, as I am a stroke survivor and am living with end stage kidney disease as a result of them. My doctors keep my flu shot up as part of my regular ongoing care. Thankfully I have been very healthy and have not had any reaction to the flu shot.
Re: 57yrs old and never had the FLU shot! Gotta have one now!
I see that you have probably either gotten your flu shot already or chose to reject it.
But just to reiterate what others have said, the flu shot will not cause the flu. It is possible to have a few symptoms after the injection such as runny nose that may resemble the flu or a cold, and pain in the arm is also common since it is given into the muscle.
You may get the flu shot at any time and it is recommended that it be repeated every year.
The idea of getting the flu shot is to protect you against strains of influenza. Influenza is common, but for some individuals they are at a higher risk to have serious complications or even suffer from death.
I am unsure what your job is, but if you are around other individuals then it is important for you to be vaccinated against the flu. This will protect you as well as the individuals you come into contact with from getting influenza.
The idea is that if most individuals get their vaccinations then in general there may be a decrease in the number of flu cases that arise.
If you are around anyone who has a weakened immune system, is pregnant, or has other medical conditions then it is important to get your vaccination to help protect them from developing the flu.
