Saturday, October 24, 2009

Flu Shot

Many, many, many years ago I got my first and only flu shot. My company was giving them out, so I decided to give it a shot. I got the shot on Friday and on Saturday I was sick, sick for a week.

Ever since then I have avoided getting the shot and also avoided the flu. This year, since I was sick at the beginning of the year with "flu like symptoms" and again a few months ago with the same symptoms, I decided not to push my luck any more. Our activities director had arranged for the Visiting Nurse Service to come in and give flu shots. I signed up.

Then I started hearing stories about adverse reactions and I had second thoughts. Last Monday was the day for the shots and - I forgot all about it. I never got the shot, and it's a good thing too. On Tuesday, I woke up with a nasty cold - coughing, sore throat, etc. I know it's just a cold, I checked and compared the symptoms of cold vs. flu, but if I had taken the shot, I would have blamed my cold on the flu shot.

Now I have a problem. When my cold is gone, do I get my flu shot or do I just go my merry way and press my luck. How about you, have you gotten your flu shot yet?

4 comments:

BetteJo said...

I'm 50 years old and never had a flu shot. I can get a free flu shot through my work too, and H1N1 when it's available, but I have no plans to do it. It's rare that I get colds or upper respiratory stuff - and now that I think about it I realized just this moment - I haven't had anything like that since I quit smoking something like 7 years ago. Hmm. But anyway, if I get the flu - I get the flu. I'll deal with it. Very very few people actually die from it - I guess I'll just take my chances.

Judy said...

Thanks for stopping by my place. Come back anytime. I have been getting the flu shot for years. I seldom get sick during the winter with even a cold. I will probably take the H1N1 when it becomes available here but think it is up to the individual.

ms/sss said...

I get the flu shot every year. I believe that if you get sick after the shot, it has nothing to do with the immunization. You were going to get sick anyway. I will get the H1N1 shot, when it's available. I believe these are all relatively safe, and a good thing for my personal health and for the safety of others.
If I'm wrong, then the epitaph on my tombstone should read:
RIP
She should have chosen the flu
ms/sss

Snooty Primadona said...

I'm a flu shot gal...