[HAGrant]

Have you had the flu this year?

I haven't, knock on wood, but everybody around me seems to be croaking and coughing. My friend Barbara (who calls herself "Bubonic Barbara") just got out of the hospital. She had flu and pneumonia.

Call me paranoid, but when I walk into my office in the morning, I wipe off the doorknobs, light switches, the phone, and my desk with Clorox wipes. No, I did not get a flu shot. I've never had one. I'm afraid of them. My mother got one when I was a child and was bedridden for a couple of months.

 

[Sandpiper]

No. I get only one cold per year, if that. Not worried about the flu. I remember getting what doctor said was a virus. It was bad. Flu virus? That was August '81. That was the last time.

I don't get flu shots either.

ETA: I suppose when I had the virus in August '81, it was the flu? Out of work for a week. It started on a Friday evening. Temp got as his as 104.5. I became delirious? (Dreams were work related. ) That probably went on for a few days. For a while nothing would stay down. A sip of water would send me running to the pot. I got dehydrated. Went to hospital emergency by Sunday afternoon. At some time during that week when I was standing at my bathroom sink, I fainted. Did a neat trick. Held on to sink with my right hand. As I was falling, I was turning around and going to the right. My arm went out and hit the cold water faucet on the tub which was to right of sink. So my wrist was under cold stream of water and I immediately came to. How'd I manage to do that?

 

[KindleGirl]

Nope and hope to keep avoiding it! I keep preaching to the kids to wash, wash, wash their hands throughout the day and especially when they get home from school. They've had some colds but that's it so far. Hubby and I even avoided those somehow, so I hope the luck keeps rolling.

 

[GreenThumb]

I have not had the flu this year, but have had it twice in the past.  Holy cow, that baby does not mess around.  It's no wonder people die from it.  I always get my flu shot, in an effort to add every weapon to my arsenal in avoiding the dreaded influenza.  I also wash my hands as soon as I get home from anywhere.  Who knows WHAT I'm touching at the store, or worse, work.  *shudder*

My hubby and I both work in a hospital, him in the ER.  I asked him if we have had a lot of flu cases, and he said yes, and they are increasing.  I asked him if they had received a flu shot, and most of them had.  Crap.  Is that the case everywhere?  Did this year's vaccine miss the correct strain?

 

[The Hooded Claw]

No flu yet, but I had a nasty spell of allergies that prompted me to minutes ago get the flu shot I missed last Fall.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Sean Sweeney]

Haven't had it, and don't plan to have it. I'll be breaking out the hand sanitizer before I go to my game tonight.

 

[mlewis78]

I got my flu shot in October.  Had the flu in 2001 and thought I was going to die.  The fevers were awful and I had them three nights in a row.  Didn't get a flu shot THAT year.  I always get a shot except for the times when I've had a cold when they were giving the shots at work.

 

[JumpingShip]

No flu yet and I did get a shot. They are mandatory for me at work, but I've been getting them the last six years anyway, even though they weren't mandatory until last year. Six years ago, I got my first flu shot. That year, my husband and daughter, who was about five at the time, both got the flu at the same time. My brother (who works with dh) also had it. Dh barely moved from the couch for four days. My brother ended up in the ER, and my daughter was draped all over me the entire time. I didn't get so much as a sniffle despite such close proximity. That sold me on the flu shot. Well, that and the fact that as a respiratory therapist, I'm on the frontlines when it comes to seeing flu patients.

I'm not sure if I've ever had the flu, although I remember being very sick with something that was probably flu back in the early 80s.

 

[Hadou]

I thought I was coming down with something...but have yet to get hit with the flu-hammer.

Everyone I work with has been dropping like flies.  So, either I'll be able to get out of this flu season scot free...or it's going to absolutely destroy me after everyone else has had it.

 

[NogDog]

Had a flu shot in Nov. Had a fairly bad cold in early Dec., and am now recovering from another one I caught last week. I don't think it was the flu -- didn't have much of a temperature and no real body aches -- but otherwise it was pretty nasty.

 

[Seamonkey]

I had my flu shot when they first came out.. do that every year, since I really do not want flu (I had the Hong Kong flu in 68-9) and it was a terrible pandemic and a terrible flu..  anyway I drive immune compromised patients so I really don't want to harbor anything that would hurt them.

I asked my doctor if they were experiencing what I had heard about.. a recent rush to get the shots after a couple of deaths .. oh yes indeed!  Apparently CVS ran out, too.  (My doctor is not a fan of pharmacists giving flu shots.. he says he doesn't fill prescriptions and feels that for some patients getting them to come in for a yearly flu shot gives him a shot at checking them for other conditions and often enough there is something serious to treat in older patients.  If they go to a pharmacy, they may never come in to the doctor until it is too late.

I did have a mild cold over Christmas.. 

 

[Andrea Pearson]

Haven't had the flu yet - fingers crossed! - but I did get Swine flu a couple years ago and that was AWFUL!

And in frustrating news, my cousin came by to see my newborn baby... and I found out AFTER she left that her little girl has RSV. SOOOO not cool to come visit a newborn with that sort of thing hanging on you!

 

[JRTomlin]

I should get flu shots but don't. I have a diagnosed history of breathing problems that justifies it, but I ... just don't. I had a really bad cold this year, but so far no flu. *crosses fingers*

 

[Shayne Parkinson]

Last winter I went to the doctor's (just for a minor check-up) just as flu season was starting, and just as I was researching the 1918 pandemic. I got quite spooked at the sight of people wearing surgical masks in the waiting room. Ended up having a fascinating chat about NZ medical history with my GP, though.

I had flu once, many years ago, when I was at university. It's one of only two times I've been wretchedly ill (the other time was with hepatitis), and the memory is very evil. I had another bout, not nearly so bad, about 15 years ago, but I've managed to avoid it since.

We're likely to get the virulent strain you're currently enduring in a few months time, though it's thought that the nasty strain Christchurch (South Island of New Zealand) had last year was closely related to this one.

 

[CandyTX]

My son (6th grade) popped positive on a flu test at the pediatrician's office on Wednesday. He started to feel bad Monday and Tuesday he was home sick with a fever. Didn't get better so I took him in. It was the flu. We all get flu shots. My husband is a teacher, I have one in 6th and one in 4th and I have had most of my stomach removed. When I get sick, it's pretty bad, so I have to be careful. Plus I had the flu ONCE twelve years ago and was so miserable, I don't want to take a chance.

Because we brought him in so early, they were able to dose him with Tamiflu and he was feeling MUCH better within 24 hours (although still had a slight fever). He seems to be better today, lingering cough, but that's normal. They also gave us a preventative course of Tamiflu since the strain of flu he got obviously was vaccine resistant. And again, I can NOT get sick. My insurance covered part but because it's not one of their recommended drugs, it was still $50 per pop, so $200 later... but hey, that FSA money won't spend itself, right?

Honestly, worth it to me. The respiratory flu stuff SUCKS and I've had two employees come down with it and be out, one got so bad it turned into pneumonia. I'm REALLY glad I employ folks virtually so they aren't bringing their germs into an office. It's bad enough with the kids bringing it home!

 

[Dawn McCullough White]

No, not yet anyhow.  At Christmas my husband had the flu and my son had a really bad cold but I didn't catch either one, and I haven't had a flu shot. 

So... there's that.


Dawn

 

[mom2karen]

I've read this years vaccine is only about 60% effective.  I didn't get the vaccine and so far haven't gotten sick, but it hasn't spread as much where I live yet.

 

[J.R. Thomson]

I think I have it right now... and it sucks!

Flu activity in the US is "intense" right now..

http://www.google.org/flutrends/us/#US

 

[Amy Corwin]

I had the flu over the holidays - it was awful. And I got the vaccine, so I guess it's either not that effective or we have a different strain around here. Yuch.

I hope everyone is recovering swiftly.
Take care!

 

[JimC1946]

Had the flu shot last September, no flu. Knock on wood!