I’m thinking of getting the influenza vaccine this year, even though I typically don’t (and I don’t want to sidetrack into the reasoning for that in this thread), so I am curious about people’s recent experiences:
Did you get the nasal spray (live attenuated virus)?
Did you get the shot?
What symptoms did you have and how severe?
If you got an injection, do you know which one?
Last year I got the shot, sore muscle in my arm for 3 days. No other issues.
Yes
None other than 1/2 day or soreness at the injection spot.
It changes year over year. Last year the tetravalent one was recommended and that’s what I got.
p.s. You should have an additional question: “Did you get the flu in the months following your shot?”
The Air Force had us get one every year, first the shot, and then in the last 5 years the spray.
As other said, sore arm with the shot. I would always get a sore throat for a day or so with the spray. Nothing bad, but like it was an early symptom of a cold coming, but never really developed. I preferred the spay just because I hate needles.
There’s also recombinant vaccines, cell-culture-based, egg-based, etc. but I suspect most people won’t know that info
Well, unless you know what strain of flu you had, that information would be difficult to make use of.
Shot, egg-based, I never have issues.
I get the shot every year…I have no idea which one. It’s whatever the VA gives out.
Usually no symptoms, but last year I felt achy and tired for 24 hours or so afterwards, but it could’ve easily been psychosomatic.
I work at a hospital, we get shots every year, it’s not a big deal. Little soreness in your arm for a day or two - just get the shot in your off-hand side.
I’ve gotten the shot ever year for the past 30+. In that time I’ve had a reaction exactly once, perhaps 20 years go, that involved running a fever and some chills for a couple of hours, then it passed.
There is, in short, no reason not to be getting the shot every year unless you have some specific medical reason not to. Even in cases where it fails to prevent the flu it generally reduces the severity, and aids overall herd immunity. There’s also a mounting body of evidence that it’s good for long-term cardiovascular health because the flu is such a damaging strain on that system.
Got my shot the last 4 years starting when the baby was on the way. No issues besides a tiny bit sore arm and once light symptoms like an onset of the flu for a few days but never going anywhere and being fine.
Again, I’d rather avoid that discussion here, but while there is some evidence supporting that, particularly with respect to severe illness in older populations, this is not known with any certainty.
I get a sore muscle where the shot is given.
Then I complain bitterly to my wife, looking for sympathy and attention. Sadly, she usually sees right through me and tells me to just use the muscle, since that will make the soreness go away faster.
And then my kids jump on me. That has nothing to do with the shot, they just like jumping on me.
I’m normally pretty good about getting it, because several people in my life are immunocompromised and I’m not an inconsiderate asshole, except last year I was an inconsiderate asshole and didn’t do it cuz I just kept putting it off in lieu of other things.
Apart from that, most years, I get the injection and am usually sore for a day or two at the injection site. Two or three years back I got some chills/aches for a few hours the night after the injection, but as others noted, that coulda been psychosomatic or related to one of the myriad ways I mistreat my body :)
I’m going to be the dissenter here, I guess.
I’ve always doubted the efficacy, so I’ve never got a flu shot. I’ve also managed to avoid catching the flu. I can really only remember one time in my adult life when I was laid up pretty bad with what was probably flu.
I know I should get it – herd immunity and all – but it seems like such a crap shoot (did we guess the right strain this year?), that I figure I’ll take my chances. I’m not even scared of needles, and I can get it from pretty much 5 or 6 places within a 5 minute walk from my house!
It is. However, I believe this year it would be wise to do so for a variety of reasons.
Last year I got the shot, no symptoms afterwards. No idea which one.
I also got the flu in January, bad for a few days. I think it would have been a lot worse if I hadn’t gotten the vaccine though.
Always get the shot, always get a sore arm. I can’t say if it’s helped with avoiding the flu, but we get it anyways since it increases the chances. The sore arm is a small price to pay for that, and the shot itself I don’t even notice.
Seriously, past two times the needle has been so small I didn’t even realize it was done till they told me. Not a fan of needles, so I don’t say that lightly.
Also, there are some studies that show that regular vaccination have a cumulative effective.
Yeah, I guess a useful additional data point to share would be that, after a really bad experience passing out while selling plasma to make ends meet a few years ago, I’ve developed a surprisingly intense phobia of needles/shots. Still do the thing, cuz, you know, it’s the right thing to do, but ugh, I really don’t like it.
This thread’s the first I’ve actually heard of a non-shot-based flu vaccine. I’ll definitely look into that with my physician this year.