Got my high-dose "Old Geezer" flu shot today.

[Ms. Toad]

10. Personally,

it's not worth it - at least not yet. We have personal, and famial, autoimmune disorders. I intentionally muck with my immune system as little as possible - since most flu vaccines use adjuvants (adjuvants intentionally amp up the immune response, and an autoimmune disease means my immune system is already amped up). At some point, when respiratory infections pose a greater risk, I might make a different decision. But I have never had a flu vaccination, and have not had the flu since 2009 (the last year prior to that was 2003).

I don't push my choice on others - BUT I do think it is important that people make information-based choices. The "everyone must get the flu vaccine" ramp up every year - bordering on hysteria - rarely mentions that it is a rare year in which the overall benefit of a flu shot exceeds 50% (4 times in the last 14 years). The overall average is 41%, since 2004. So when I see the inevitable fall posts, which never mention one side of the information needed to make an informed choice, I am inclined to provide it.