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To Get or Not to Get the Flu vaccine?

I am looking for advice regarding risk vs. benefit of the flu vaccine? My son has been flaring on and off for the last ten months and he is in a semi-remission right now...if there is such a thing...my doc says "yes" to vaccine but I fear it will send him in the wrong direction. Any advice? Thank you.:wink:
 
I've been wondering the same thing for a while now.. Last year I gave my son the vaccination, and it did cause some irritation and a bit of a flare up. This year, because he was doing so well at the time and I didn't want to mess with that, I chose not to get him vaccinated. And he caught the flu and that was pretty nasty and caused a flare up anyway! Seems like you can't win either way!!
I'm curious to see if anyone has any strong opinions either way on this.
 
I wanted to add that I recently decided to get the flu shot. It was my first time ever getting a flu shot and I had a lot of reservations about getting it. I experienced no adverse reactions to it. I'l probably get it as long as I'm on immune supressants.
 
From my personal experience, the symptoms I had when I got the flu were far worse than anything that happened to me from the vaccine. Basically the way my GI doctor put it is that the chance of having an adverse reaction to the vaccine is a few orders of magnitude lower than the chance of having an adverse reaction to the flu. With this in mind, always make sure to get a vaccine made from the dead virus. Live vaccines have a higher chance of bad side effects, especially if you are on any kind of immunosuppressant.
 
I asked my GI today if he thought I should have it and he agreed. Especially as I'm a teacher and work with young children
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I'm getting my flu shot on Friday. Now that I'm on Entocort, I'm supposedly more susceptible to viruses, so I definitely don't want to take any chances. I get the flu shot every year and have never had a problem or an adverse reaction. The few years I didn't get the flu shot, I got the flu instead, and it was absolutely miserable. So I'm willing to feel like I've been punched in the arm in exchange for immunity.
 
I have gotten it the past 3 yrs. My Dr recommends getting it. I havent had any side effects from it. I need to go get it soon!
 
Thanks for reminding me, I keep forgetting it's already close to November and I haven't gotten mine, or got my kids vaccinated yet either. I've been doing it probably for a few years now, no side effects that I recall.
 
If your on any immune surpressing meds which for the most part we all are then we or at least most of us should get the shot. I got both of them last year and had no issues. This year they are together on one shot.
 
When I got it, it gave me the flu. Haven't had the vaccination or the flu since, and don't plan on getting either.
 

vonfunk

Bourbon Bandito
Location
Toronto,
I got the H1N1 (or should I say H1N-Fun) vaccine last year, mainly because it was a virus targeting young people and I immunosupressed, I generally ignore the regular flu vaccine.
 
Getting the vaccine does not give you flu. The virus is dead and cannot reawaken. You are immune 7-10 days after jab against the strains of flu in the dose. The current most common strains are the ones they protect you against. If you think it did give you the flu, you either had it before the jab or caught a different strain.

Had a terrible flu a few years back, and as I was beginning to get more unwell I had one last year and now will have one every year. A sore arm for a few days is a small price :)
 
Has anyone gotten the flu vaccine while taking pred? I'm on 40mg a day and my pulmonologist wants me to get it since I have asthma and am therefore more susceptible to things. I suppose my Crohn's drugs will put me more at risk. I'm also a teacher and come into contact with sick kids and adults everyday.
 
Has anyone gotten the flu vaccine while taking pred? I'm on 40mg a day and my pulmonologist wants me to get it since I have asthma and am therefore more susceptible to things. I suppose my Crohn's drugs will put me more at risk. I'm also a teacher and come into contact with sick kids and adults everyday.
I had it when I was on 40mg, about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Also on Aza. I've had no ill effects from the flu jab, but I have picked up an unrelated chest infection.
 

Entchen

Chief Dandelion Picker
Re. the Pred + vaccine question, I'm on Prednisone and I got the flu vaccine yesterday. The nurse recommended that I receive the pneumonia vaccine at the same time (one job and you're protected for life! Although sometimes they'll give a booster), so I got that one, too.
 
Just got my flu shot at the hospital, but noticed nothing but a sore arm so far. For me if was a must, because I take public transportation downtown to school and my boyfriend is a salesman - so I will most certainly come in contact with Flu 2010-11. :p
 
I got the jab yesterday and haven't had any adverse side effects. Got the ok from my GI. I've been put back on iv pred this week.
 
I've gotten the flu shot every year for the past 5 years - never had any adverse reaction other than a sore arm for a few days - as others have already said, that's a small price to pay to avoid the flu!!!
 
I am in the minority. I do not get the flu shot. I havent in years. Neither does my family and we do not get the flu. We go into public like anyone else. My DD does playgroups, and swimming lessons. We just take vitamin C and D all through the cold and flu season and we are fine.
 
Both my GP and Gastro have stopped me from having mine so far this year whilst I'm flaring badly...hoping it's not a bad omen. The flu's the last thing I need right now on top of this!
 
Location
Canada
yes to the flu shot...

Hi All,
At my last infusion, the good folks at Remicade sent me a letter strongly urging me to get the flu shot.
Being immune suppressed makes us more vulnerable to get it, and worse for us if and when we do.
This year they have combined the regular and swine flu into a single shot.

I have gotten the shot for years with no flu, so I'm pro-shot.
No big deal, I just feel punched in the arm!
stay well,
Walt

ps sorry folks, perhaps an unfortunate coincidence...
but you CANNOT get the flu from the flu shot.
(look it up)
 
I'm a little wary of putting extra 'stuff' in my body in recent years...I used to always get the flu shot when I worked at a hospital. I haven't had the shot in the last 2 years and haven't had the flu (that I know of )...just taking lots of Vit. D and giving it to the kiddies too.
 
My GI said it was pointless for me to get the flu shot, between Methotrexate and Remicade, both drugs strip your body of the ability to build immunity from a vaccine. He said even if I did build it up, it would be broken down again in a few weeks. That's why they check you for TB and vaccinate you before you start biologicals.

A friend of mine is an RN at a large research hospital and says that the commonly stated "it's a dead virus in the injection" isn't true, and she has had many patients hospitalized from this years' H1N1/flu combo shot, so this year, I'm gonna pass.
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
We are at the end of the Flu season here and there were no issues in the adult population with the combined H1N1/fluvax. There was a warning issued in regard to febrile reactions in under 5 year olds but that was it.

Dusty. :)
 
My GI strongly urged me to get a flu vaccine. I'm personally a big proponent of it and I've tried to talk most of my family into getting one.
 
ps sorry folks, perhaps an unfortunate coincidence...
but you CANNOT get the flu from the flu shot.
(look it up)
somewhat true, but... you can get flu SYMPTOMS (body aches, fever, chills). Still sucks none-the-less!

I got mine this year since I will be in clinical nursing this year, and it is a requirement for us, so I don't have a choice :)
 
Here in the UK 10 people have died in the last 6 weeks of Swine Flu, some with immune issues and some healthy people.

Please, please seriously consider getting the seasonal vaccine which includes this strain.
 
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