Flu shot
 

Does it matter where I should get my flu shot. Any place better

Publix gives a $10 gift card when you get a flue shot.

I don't think the place matters, it gives me the flu every time. I got the triple threat of shots, Flu, Pneumonia, Shingles. All good so far.

One piece of info - it takes up to 30 days for your body to build the antibodies to protect you from the flu. So... the sooner you get the shot the sooner your body can work to protect you.

We always get our shots as soon as the vaccines are released.

$10 coupon
 

so does winn-dixie

CVS (at least on 301 and 44) give Thermisol Free flu shots plus you get a 5 dollar coupon towards a purchase. Publix does not give Thermisol free. Thermisol is a mecury compound like preservative put in multidose vials as a preservative. That means one vial can give about 10 flu shots. The Thermisol free is one syringe for one shot. I choose Thermisol free. It actually takes 2 weeks for you to get protection from the flu shot.

Two years ago I got mine at Walgreens, and had to wait around as I didn’t plan for how busy the pharmacy was. This year i was at the dr’s anyway so got it there and no waiting.

By the way, I got the 65+ flu shot and it seems it’s a bit more viscous. I felt the vaccine going in, that’s for sure! Only uncomfortable for a minute. I appreciate it when people DO get vaccinated, as I have asthma, and don’t want to be around people who have the flu.

I was achy for several days but it could be just ...cough old age.

:laugh::laugh:
Well, my shoulder hurt for a day like someone slugged me, but that could be because I washed windows.
;-)

No flu shot for me since 25 years ago my husband got the flu shot at work, got the flu, and then passed it on to the entire family. He still has residual effects from that shot. No thanks! I'll take my chances with nature. P.S. I have not had the flu in almost 25 years, knock on wood.

...

I got my shot in Sept. from my doctor. In previous years I went to Walgreens. Like the first poster said, Publix gives out flu shots with a $10 gift card. Can't beat that!

I usually have an ache in my arm for a couple of days but no biggie.

A doctor of infectious diseases informed me that getting the flu short is a good thing. It may not totally stop the flu but the symptoms will be less severe. One year, I did get the flu but I was able to function as opposed to be incapacitated.

Some people don't believe in them but I do!!!

Just got back from Winn-Dixie. Went there with my $10 Flu shot coupon and tried to buy some Pepsi. Clerk said it was only for their brand and called the "manager" who confirmed that to be the case. However she said she would do me a favor and over ride the coupon.

Thanks Winn Dixie!

Got mine today at Colony Walgreen's - quick, easy, painless and most important - free.

Totally free? Or covered by your medical plan?

Most places it's 0 copay... so you do need some kind of medical plan or you will have to pay for it.

There is so much disinformation out there. The flu vaccine cannot cause the flu. The virus in the vaccine is dead. Dead. Not living. You might get a reaction from it that has a symptom or two, but it's not the flu. There are other side effects from the nasal spray vaccine, including runny nose and muscle aches, but it's still not the flu. Read the CDC website - lots of good information there. I wouldn't go a flu season without taking the vaccine.

Thanks Dan. We are seasonal residents from Canada. I didn't think the flu shot would be totally free for everyone.
Your response tells me that we should have a flu shot in Ontario before we leave for Florida.

No it does not matter where. The importance is that it is highly recommended for folks in our age group(s).

Statistics will show some percentage that do not get the shot experience nothing.
They would also show some percentage that get the shot still get the flu.

However the majority of us can claim we do not or did not get the flu because we did get our shot.
We get our shot every year as soon as available in early September. Typically no reaction. Maybe a little muscle soreness where they " bury" the needle that evening.

BC/BS Federal Government; that’s what made it “free”.

I always make sure I get a flu shot.
My husband is not a "believer" and very healthy.
However I make him get a flu shot also; so he won't be a carrier pigeon.

My husband won’t get a flu shot. He hardly ever gets sick. If I get my shot two weeks later than normal, I would undoubtedly end up with the flu and infecting everyone. How does that happen?????

I just had my flu shot today. My arm is a bit sensitive, but the whole thing is a piece of cake.
Much, much better than getting the flu!

Regarding people who get the flu "anyway" even though they got a flu shot:

1. you're either that unusual (but not unheard of) case that got a strain of the flu that the shot doesn't prevent
or
2. you were already infected with the flu, and were in the process of getting sick by the time you got the shot (and weren't symptomatic yet). Considering that most people get the shot during flu season, it stands to reason that most people who "get the flu anyway" were already infected and therefore the shot didn't do them any good at all.

That's why you should get it right before the flu season begins, not in the middle of it. Late August (really late, like the last week) through early-mid September is optimum, since flu season runs through October and November.

Got mine yesterday. Never even felt it. Arm a little sore today if I press on the injection site. Rather be safe than sorry.

Google tells us that the most cases are reported in February. Children and seniors are especially vulnerable.

"This time of year is called “flu season.” In the United States, flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter months. Influenza activity often begins to increase in October and November. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and February and can last as late as May."

Also, viruses live on hard surfaces like countertops, door handles, computer keyboards and phones for up to 8 hours.
So washing hands frequently helps a lot.

Washing hands with regular soap (or normal mundane liquid dish detergent like Palmolive) is good. That antibacterial stuff is not a good idea for regular use. I carry liquid soap with me to my job, because I work with the public, and with money all day, and have to wash my hands a few times during each shift. The antibacterial stuff makes my skin peel. Plus everyone I know who uses it on a regular basis has freaky allergies. If you're significantly "at risk" for sickness (someone with heart or other organ diseases or transplant patients, or someone with AIDS, for example) then old fashioned alcohol-based wet naps will be safer than antibacterial soaps. Antibacterial will not only NOT prevent the flu, it could suppress your immune system and make you even more likely to get sick.

we went to Public. They give you a $10 gift card for the store for each shot.

Good point about antibacterial soap.
I use Dawn to wash my hands because I'm a sucker for that baby duck commercial.

DITTO!
Too many, IMHO, fall for the Big Pharma agenda of having everyone on medications from cradle to grave. I could go into a lengthy diatribe on the efficacy of flu shots here but what's the use? People are going to do what they want anyway and will not be deterred from their closely held beliefs, whether politics, religion or flu shots :icon_wink: Most folks are just too lazy or clueless to do their own research. Taking an active part in one's own medical care is paramount to longevity. Anyway, the odds of a flu shot protecting one from a particular strain of the flu is [claimed to be] about 10%. AND, how do you know if you contracted a cold or genuinely had the flu? AND, how do you know (if you didn't have the flu) that it was a flu shot that protected you from contracting it? AND, if you had no shot and contracted the flu, how do you know if the shot could/would have protected you anyway? AND, on and on ad nauseum … now everone line up for his/her flu shot :a040:

Fred

I cannot tell you how much I disagree with you on this issue.. Thousands of people died last year because of an unusually virulent form of influenza. The flu shot last year was not as successful as it usually is. But I am a strong proponent of traditional medicine and believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Just as a poster said the flu shot is safe for most people unless they have an allergy to something in it, like eggs. It is so important for older people and those with a compromised immune system to be vaccinated against the flu, and both forms of pneumonia available and Herpes Zoster, (Shingles).

Companies who manufacture drugs may need their profit margins reconfigured, but they still own the gold to keep us well. And if a for profit business has something we need, it is usually expensive. As we get older we get more vulnerable and more dependent on good medical care. Fact of life.

AND FRED...……. I just read all of your other posts. I agree with you I think on all of the rest. You are a smart person with good common sense.

NOT SO … although I must confess to looking somewhat in disbelief at those who, at first blush, do not appear to do their homework - regardless of their ultimate conclusion on the issue! I am not advocating for OR against flu shots (though not for me or my wife - her choice also); I am advocating for personal responsibility and due diligence, I suppose. I have always tried, as a parent and grandparent, to do my due diligence regarding being a custodian. For example, I always draw up a signed medical power of attorney when we bring our granddaughters with us to TV for a stay. I have sent my two adult boys/men reams of info on vaccinations and countless hyperlinks to valuable articles on the subject. Then, ultimately their choice not mine (parents, today, are too busy to research much, I fear) This is just a small example of the responsibility I gladly assume for me and others under my custodianship. It certainly doesn't make me infallible but, I try my best. All I was saying, perhaps inadequately but certainly not judgmentally, is don't anyone blindly do as he/she is told; do your homework! Know everything about the issue before you even set foot in the doctor's office. A fantastic resource is merely a keyboard away :)

Fred

Call me crazy, but it sure sounds like your posts are advocating against the flu shot. Personally, I think they save a lot of lives.

Home work done....50 years in a row.
Conclusion each year thus far....getta flu shot/pneumonia shot/shingles shot.

And if it's on the internet it must be true lol

SERIOUSLY??? I won't jump to any conclusion regarding your motivation for asking this leading question but is it really any business of yours what my belief system comprises regarding anything - other than what I've overtly stated on this board? I don't know you nor have I ever heard of you.

Fred

Parents can and do consult medical doctors who are skilled in this kind of information. When I got cancer I didn't have the time to get a medical degree so I tried to find the best oncologist in our area in Ohio. Very glad I did.

It was simply a question.


Thank you. :ho: