I worked 2 6 day weeks in a row and it took it's toll on me... I called in sick today and the receptionist actually fought me on going in sick. I feel like crap and would prefer to keep my germs to myself. I actually would prefer to keep my nasal drippage and coughing to myself.

I wish I could get the flu shot. I've had flu two times in my life where I was flat on my back for many weeks. The worst pain I've ever felt. But I have fibromyalgia and CFS and if I get a vaccine that could possibly make a healthy person feel bad for 24 hours, it would make me feel bad for a week. I'm just too scared to get the vaccine. I don't want the pain and I can't be out sick from work for a week. So no shot for me. I know that doesn't make sense, because I could get much more sick than a week of no work, but whatev, can't bring myself to purposely get sick from the shot.

LlamaLlamaDuck wrote:

I'm making the choice not to put that crap in my body and kill my immune system.

I don't know why but I've never seen the point of certain vaccinations.

On this one I chose to be selfish...I just don't trust it.

To each their own I won't knock anyone for getting it... I just chose not to do it myself.

I simply say, I chose not to get it, but do your research.

I feel like crap and would prefer to keep my germs to myself.

I just took those from each of your posts, Llama. No one has challenged or attacked you. You're not getting the flu shot, and neither is your daughter, because you reacted to it last time and you don't trust it. That's fine. We understand, really. Please just stop saying it and saying it and saying it. We. Get. It.

/hijack

I think that people need to look into BOTH sides of things before blindly getting a vaccination done. Plain and simple. I know in many cases people just say well the doctor says it's good so I'll get it and this isn't so in all cases.

I did my research, and especially with young children all that I could pull up was that it really made little to no difference.

^^ Haven't you already said that?

yep, but it still amazes me how many people do things without doing research from both sides.

...and now I'm laughing out loud.

^^Oh my goddd, Llama, we know. You have said that about fifty times now. Just in case anyone hasn't read it yet (unlikely, given that you've said it fifty times now): DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GET VACCINATED.

There. Happy?

I have never had the flu. I've only gotten the vaccine for the H1N1 whenever that was (it was free at my school and since I was living in a dorm I decided to do it). I am not opposed to getting vaccinated. I just don't have the money to do it.

Just out of curiousity those that do have to pay how much is it? I remember in Ontario before it was free it was $10.

LlamaLlamaDuck wrote:

Just out of curiousity those that do have to pay how much is it? I remember in Ontario before it was free it was $10.

I think it's $30 (USD). I'm not sure.

According to MinuteClinic at CVS it's $30 www.minuteclinic.com . . .

I always get sick after any type of vaccine. Not like a flu/cold sick but more like a bit of a fever and chills. My arm got super sore after my recent MMR too.

That being said, I am still going to get it because I feel that 24 hours of a slight fever is totally better then getting the flu.

It's $30 at most places around here. Luckily my work paid half of it so that was very nice. I get them every year and haven't had a problem yet.

Free with my insurance. $25 at the local pharmacy.

kk~

We don't get the flu shot either. Husband got it one year, and that was the year that he caught the flu and was laid up in bed for two weeks. The risk of me catching the flu is quite low anyway, so I weighed it all up and decided against it. Totally understand why people in the health profession etc would get it - if you're around sick people all day, you're more likely to catch something nasty.

Helen

Mendel wrote:

I'm really curious about this- does your department routinely test for influenza, or is the diagnosis based on clinical symptoms? I thought that RT-PCR or immunofluorescence-based assays were too costly to use on a routine basis, and that the presence of the virus was not typically demonstrated in most diagnoses of influenza. (RT-PCR and immunofluorescence are very cheap to use for research, so I'm always surprised by how expensive they become when used for diagnostic purposes). Or are there other, cheaper tests for the flu virus around?

I work in respiratory medicine and we get all the sickies with 'undiagnosed' infection including CF patients. Usually screened with nose and groin swabs, sputum samples, pee samples and bloods. Usually all sent for MC&S with additional MRSA screen, legionelle screen and pseudomonas.

Theresa wrote:

^Jim had it last year. When you've got it, you know.

Oh trust me....I'm pretty certain I had it in Oct/Nov. I had high fever, cold like symtoms and aches. Didn't stop coughing for weeks afterwards. Yup pretty sure that was the flu.