flu jab

[lorash]

my husband and myself are almost at the age where we will be offered a flu jab. As we are both healthy we have decided not to have it. One or two of our older friends think this is a crazy decision but we cant see the point in having chemicals injected into our bodies for no reason. What is the general opinion on this?

[redcrx]

your body, your choice.
Ive never had the jab, even though i have asthma. But having had flu for the past 2 weeks i shall reconsider.

[Sqad]

My opinion? you have made the correct choice.

[jake-the-peg]

We'll it's not really chemicals and it's not for no reason.

It's a deactivated virus - a dead version of the flu that you might catch anyway this will give your body the ability to make antibodies so that should you get a live one you'll have the ability to kill it quick.

If you're fit and healthy you should survive the flu - this time - but it can be a killer


Frankly I do dispair with the growing anti-vaccination movement.

You're probably old enough to remember children in leg braces from having Polio - babies sometimes. An affliction that stayed with them their whole lives.

Polio is extinct in Europe now - that didn't happen because we built up an immunity - that happened because of mass vaccination.

[Sqad]

lorash......just had a thought......are you referring to swine flu or seasonal flu?

Seasonal flu......I would have the vaccine.

Swine flu.....I wouldn't.

I am over years old.

[jake-the-peg]

Er yes!

Regular flu has kills roughly 36,000 people in the US every year
http://www.cnn.com/20...egular.flu/index.html

Mostly older people.

However it seems that older people have more immunity from swine flu than younger ones.

One final thought - do you have other older friends who are perhaps not as strong and hearty as you. Would you feel bad if you got it and gave it to them?

[Sqad]

jake...to whom is this question addressed?

"One final thought - do you have other older friends who are perhaps not as strong and hearty as you. Would you feel bad if you got it and gave it to them?"

[saxy_jag]

My bloke had it a couple of years ago, for the second time. He's only 55, but is classed as 'at risk' by our GP because he suffered from pneumonia a couple of years ago and has been left with recurrent asthma. Previous to that, he never caught 'just a cold' but always an infection that manifested in his chest and laid him low for at least a fortnight. Since having the jab, he's suffered no ill effects other than a sore arm for a few hours, and he certainly hasn't been brought down with the crippling colds and flu he's suffered in the past.

In the end, it remains your decision, but do talk it over with your GP/practice nurse before deciding.

[China Doll]

I'm offered the flu jab every year because I'm asthmatic but (touch wood) I've never had the flu so I don't have the jab. Although that said, I've noticed this year I've got way more colds than I normally ever get and each one seems to be rather worse than the last. I'm not sure whether it's because I'm tired or a bit run down but it's enough to make me consider how much longer I'll go on refusing the jab. Colds are bad enough, tonsilitus was hideous... Flu I never want to know about!

[up4it]

I see your point re injecting stuff into your body however as has been stated this is a vaccine which is quite different to injecting any old drug

I have had the Flu jab for 4 out of the last 5 years (free through work), the first year I had it I didn't even get a sniffle and usually I suffer heavily from colds etc. The one year I didnt have it, due to me thinking its not such a good idea to have it every year, I did go back to the usual of suffering from colds etc. over the winter. Since then I have it when offered and I am back to a sneeze free winter.

It doesnt cover everything and you are always liable to get the odd cold/sniffle but it is 100% better than my usual winter nightmares

I would recommend this to anyone!!!

[pinkkitty]

Like China i get offered the flu jab every year because of my asthma, but always turn it down. I've had Seasonal Flu once, and Swine Flu once, and both were awful, but i got through them and i'd just rather not have toxins injected into me. I'll just take my chances. There's no point going through with having the jab if the thought of it makes you uncomfortable.

[mosesg]

I used to get the flu jab as I used to suffer badly with the flu virus, then I found the flu jab was making me worse than I was before and stopped, now I barely get flu. I take vitimans etc in winter to boost my immune system instead and feel fine