Did you get a flu shot? Has it worked?

[TorchTheWitch]

124. there are a high number of strains this year

From what I've read, this year's shot is about 60% effective mostly due to this high number of strains this year, and the shot doesn't cover all of them. Every year they have to make an educated guess as to which strains will be most prevalent to decide on how to develop the shot for the coming flu season. They don't always get it right. However, it IS effective in protecting against those strains for which this year's shot includes.

It can also take several weeks before the shot can build in the system to be effective enough against the various strains it was developed to prevent. Normally, it takes 10 days to two weeks to build up enough immunity after getting the shot, but everyone is different.

I didn't get the shot this year - lack of funds and got busy with other things so I just forgot all about it. I got the most evil hell of a flu strain three weeks ago, and I'm STILL sick. This asshole of a virus very nearly killed me. I've never even HEARD of a normally healthy average aged person like myself getting this sick from the flu. Now I'm in terror of catching another strain after my immune system is shot to hell after fighting off this evil virus, and I'm physically wiped out after suffering from it. Had I known it would be anything close to this bad I would have spent my last dime to get a flu shot 3 times a day for a month and 4 times on Sundays. It's THAT bad.

Though I still feel like a bag of shit and have this lingering beast of a cough that I'll probably have until spring, I talked to a pharmacist yesterday that said as long as it's been over two weeks since I first came down with the flu and I no longer have a fever I can get a flu shot to protect against the other strains. Glory hallelujah - I'll take a dozen.

Do NOT fuck around with the virus from hell - get the damn shot.

Incidentally, though hand washing is always a good idea to avoid various viruses and bacteria, flu viruses are almost always caught through airborne transmission. Personally, I've always been paranoid about germs and am practically OCD about hand washing. But when it comes to the flu, fat load of good it does since it's almost always caught by airborne transmission.

I'll never understand why people bug out over getting a flu shot. What, it's somehow BETTER to risk spending the next three weeks in bed roasting with fever, coughing so hard you break a rib (been there, done that), and dragging your ass around like a 90 year old for the next month? Pfffftttt. Getting a flu shot is a no-brainer, and I'll be kicking my own ass for forgetting about it this year and worrying over the rather insignificant cost in comparison to my lost month.