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are you getting or not i am up in arms about this i get teh flu shot and the pneominia shot one every 5 years and boy does that shot hurt like heck i'm asking becuase my daughters college is making it mandatory for them to get and like i said i am not to sure about this vaccine so what are your thoughts have you gotten or will you get
god bless
surviving heart disease one day at a time
with trigger 04/08
for 10 years
nanamo
Pneumonia Asthma Heart disease Pain Meningitis Heart attack Hepatitis Fever
Hi nanamo,
I am adamantly in favor of flu shots....especially h1n1. Most flu viruses kill the elderly, those w heart disease and infants. THIS one targets young adults. That is the age group that has been suffering the highest rates of mortality at this point. College kids living in dorms are open to wildfire virus spreads so they need to be immunized against flu, pneumonia and meningitis.
I would have my kids vaccinated so fast it would make their heads spin....What are a few days of sore arm and low grade achy fever versus possible death? The flu vaccines are made from KILLED VIRUSES by the way. There is NO LIVE VIRUS in them.....our immune system is able to recognize even this 'killed' virus as 'other' and make anti-bodies for them. That is what the few days of soreness and ache are about....when the immune system recognizes an 'enemy' it gets all fired up and into super agressive attack mode throughout the body until it is convinced it has suppressed this 'enemy' and backs off. While uncomfortable, this is our body FIGHTING for US.
ALL heart patients of any age need an annual flu vaccine. (ask your doctor when is the best time for your area). It takes about 2 weeks for the full antibody effect to build up, so one can still catch the flu during that time but every day adds more internal flu resistance and the experience becomes survivable.
Kids today have pneumacoccal vaccine built into their vaccine regimen but few Baby Boomers and older generations even know about this one. Get a pneumonia vaccine as soon as possible. This is critical for heart patients...especially those with CHF. It is pneumonia that takes out many people with chronic illnesses.
Anywhere there are large groups of kids living close together, there will be transfer of viruses. When my daughter went off to college, her doctor recommended every shot, :)....... I think there was one for hepatitis, too. I read that the swine flu is more dangerous for kids under 25, pregnant women, and then the elderly. I will get the 2 doses if there is enough stock to go around plus the regular flu shot. UGH! Joyce
Yes, yes, yes. I come from the hospital system where flu shots are mandatory for all staff because of the very fragile health of our patients who would be critically endangered if we get sick.
I agree with Jaynie - who cares about a sore arm and some transient discomfort?!??!?!?? And thanks for that pneumonia vaccine reminder....
XOXOXOX
http://www.myheartsisters.org
I get the flu shot each year and so does my daughter with asthma. I get frustrated with husband and sons because they prefer not to. I force the issue with my sons by reminding them that their sister and I are in danger if they bring the flu into the house. My husband is a tougher sell because he has gotten sick(not the flu) from a flu shot in the past. I think he was especially run down and got it at the wrong time, but still what are the odds? I feel it is worth it. I need all the help I can get fighting of illness these days. If the H1N1 is available to me I will be the first in line.
Good luck!
Martie
A big YES! I have informed my whole family they will be getting both flu shots this year. Mandatory at my hospital, but I agree with the rest of you ladies. Much rather have the sore arm versus being a patient at my own hospital!
Lisa
Definitely yes!!! College dorms? College classrooms? Libraries with thousands handling the same books & computers? Minimal hygiene? (Not your daughter but there are always some.) Preventable? Definitely!!
I force everyone to get the flu shot yearly & will make them get the N1H1 too. 2 normal healthy kids in my kids' school district died this spring from complications from N1H1. It was horrible. If it's preventable, why take the risk. They might not get a severe case but the person they pass it on to could die from it... YOU!!!
On the other hand, I had a severe reaction to the pneumonia vaccine & won't get it again. Almost died from the reaction. I wouldn't get the flu shot for years because of it but my doc talked me into it a few years ago & it was fine so I do it yearly now.
Good Luck to your daughter at college!!!!!!!
Amy
Dear Nanamo,
Well--two months after the fact it's recently been determined (last week) that I have probably just survived swine flu. Believe you me--you don't want it! (I evidently caught it from a pre-schooler when I took over my daughter's nanny job for a day.) It leads to an actual infection in your system that can attack any vulnerable organ, not to mention it leaves you feeling extremely run down and it takes forever to get over it. My advice: get the friggin' shot!
Yes, the pneumonia shot hurts. It's nothing going in, but leaves your arm pretty sore for about a week. But with heart disease, in particular, I find it essential to get it. Who needs chest pain? For any reason.
May the Blessings Be!
Sherrie
For the last 10 years, I've been faithful about getting the pneumonia shot after a bout with it.....believe me the arm discomfort is nothing compared to pnumonia.
Now with heart disease....I WILL continue.....
Been getting flu shot since son was in school.....never a problemo....and soooo worth it.
H1N1 virus shot....our Health Dept expecting it soon....and its targeted for certain groups....chronic condition such as heart disease qualifies. I believe theres another flu shot out this year as well.....
Am requesting immediate family get the shot also.
The Swine Vaccine is being tested now at UTMB in Galveston. They are looking for side effects so they can list this. They hope to have this ready in late October but it takes a series of 2 shots and spread out to 2 weeks apart. Our groceries stores and drug stores are starting the Flu Vaccine in early Septmeber. I have signed up for the 7th. of Sept. I have put the fear of God in my adult kids that they will get all their shots this year and the grandkids will also.
They are school teachers and exposed to Kids of all ages and I will not be taking care of any of them should they get sick. Pneumonia vaccine I was told, by an Infectious disease doctor, is only 2 in a lifetime. The last one is right around the 65th Birthday, I was told. My first one was almost 10 years ago. I will get one more. But, check with your own physician on this.
Since I lost my sternum to a virual infection, there is no way on the face of this earth I would skip any of my flu shots or the pnumonia shot. And yes my adult children get them as well.
You can be very sure that as soon as the H1N1 is available up here, I will be very close to the head of the line to get it. I'll take the sore arm any day over losing another part of me to infection and die.
Sherrie,
Goodness....so glad you are still with us! I never paid any attention to getting a flu shot until I got slammed with the flu from a house full of stepkids. Getting through that was almost as hard as HA recovery, maybe because I was only a few years out from that massive heart attack. It took 12 weeks to get back to anywhere close to 'new normal', all during winter weather and long commutes to full time job.
Get the shots ladies!!! I didn't grasp how critical flu protection is for heart girls until that awful flu winter. Many of us have to be around small and school age children and that means exposure to pretty ferocious quickly evolving viruses that are difficult for immuno compromised people like heart patients to brush off. I had a constant series of colds and sinus infections from the kids for years on end.....I'm sure you can all relate.
take care all,
Jaynie
Our HMO offers weekend flu shots to the whole family when it includes kids in child care. It is free. We used to go first, then have pancakes afterward, but our car got towed from the restaurant lot (said we were not customers??!!) in 2007, have not been back.
Now the kids demand Chuck E Cheese!
Have not yet heard how they will "ration" the H1N1 shots, but have to figure I'll get dibs on one, hope that my kids can get it too. There was at least one case of H1N1 at son's day camp this summer, so we know it is here.
I'd rather have the shot - and listen to my kids whine about a shot - than be sick or have to care for a sick kid. Plus I have not figured out what happens when you are tossing up everything but you have to take 8 kinds of pills every day???
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