Anyone get a flu shot but still got the flu?

Flu shot? Sure, I got one in October. Everyone in the office did. Then our lead architect called in sick yesterday, and I could hardly move out of bed this morning. I couldn't believe the chills and aches hit so fast. 101.2 oral temp, reported my husband a few minutes ago. It was 100.8 this AM. I'm not feeling like baring my bottom for a rectal temp--too many chills! (Me and my posts about TLC! Lol!) I just want to stay under the covers with a hot water bottle. Enema? Feeling too sick to go through that! Anyone else going (or already went) through this?

I did.... I had my mandatory flu shot in early October.... Started to get sick last week.. thought that it was just a cold, runny nose, sneezing and then on Friday all h**l broke loose.... fever.... chills... congestion... nausea.... spent a sleepless night.... didn't really get out of bed all weekend... started to feel a little better by Tuesday.... still have the remnants....

Not uncommon to get the flu after a flu shot. Need to get swabbed to be sure it's real influenza but the symptoms sure sound suggestive. Even so, studies seem to confirm getting the flu vaccine significantly mitigates any subsequent influenza. I always get one....what's the harm. Gotta play the odds.

I always get one....what's the harm. Gotta play the odds.

The odds ARE NOT very good for the flu shot.

The problem with the Flu shot is that the flu virus mutates rapidly, and at best, the likely variants for each flu season are a lucky guess since the decision about what variants to put into the vaccine must be made months before flu season. Some years it works well, and some years it does not. The odds are certainly better with a flu shot than without, but as Susie suggests, the efficacy of the vaccine isn't great because the actual flu virus circulating often does not match up well to the variants the vaccine was designed for.

Got it, and got something, not quite the knock down flu. But more than a cold. Not fun.

Two sides to every coin ...

It was 1992 and I had not had a flu shot; that year I got the flu. Yes, I had dodged it in previous years. But, '92, and I was sick, very sick for 7 days. All I wanted to do was sleep because I hurt so bad, even my hair and teeth hurt.

Next year I came down with the flu again; however, I had had a flu shot and my illness was 1/5 as bad as the year before.

Fast forward to 2016, 23 years later, and I have had the vaccine every year, and not a hint of the flu. It is my thought that the flu shot is a no brainer.

My best wishes to all of you in 2017!

I received the quad shot this year, Supposed to be good for 4 strains of the flu, but as already said, they mutate. My dr advices on not getting the shot too early. He claims you're good for 12 to 16 weeks. So getting it in Sept or October it will wear off before flu season is over. I do not get my shot until the beginning to the middle of November. I understand this year there is like 7 strains of the flu. I'm told, my wife works for a medical device manufacturing company, that you should get the flue shot and even if you get the flu it should lessen the the severity and the length of time your down. I figure "what the hell" for a quick jab in the arm, and our insurance covers the shot, so why not! better to err on the side of caution!

No flu shots here. Never have done them. Yes, we have been unlucky enough to get the flu. Three of our four member household caught the norvo virus (spelling is probably wrong) one year. Thought they were going to die, but just got very sick for a couple days(others at the same event almost did die from it).

We just do our best to live well and stay away from people and sickness when we can (when do your really know someone is ill?). As of today all four of us have the "sniffles" from some generous person from the holiday gathering. Fortunately it isn't a flu. But the next time who knows.

My husband and I ride the NYC subway system 1-2 round trips a month.

Daughter #1 who is at Columbia rides it several times a week.

It's the best immune system booster there is.

I haven't had a flu shot since I was a teenager, and always refuse one when offered.

I can't nor will answer for anybody else, but I've always been a firm believer in letting my body do what its supposed to do naturally, I have a strong immune system because of it, when I do get sick, I let it run its course, and I don't get sick that often.

And I'm 64 next month.

Agree with mtnbkr01201 100%. The last damn flu shot I had was when I was too young to be able to say "NO, I'm not letting them inject that crap into my body". I haven't had the flu since, and I'm 70 now. I know it's just my opinion, but frankly I believe they are dangerous.

Not this season, but yes about 16 years ago. Worst decision ever made. I was so sick for weeks had to go to my primary doctor, who told me it was useless to get it. He said it only covered one of about a million variations of the flu virus, sure I was gonna get immune to one virus but would end up getting the next one. He advice me not to get immunized, since then haven't gotten the vaccine or gotten sick from the flu.

It's the best immune system booster there is.

I've been getting flu shots for as long as I can remember, certainly as an adult and after my cancer operation. And I can't say I've ever had any of the influenza strains that are warned about every year.

Last year however, in 2015 we were still in Spain and due to one thing or the other, we forgot about getting a flu shot. And who knows how, since the area is certainly not densely populated, but I caught something flu-like that turned into something much worse after a week and my wife had it even worse with very bad results as she was already suffering from other immune (Myelodysplastic) deficiencies.

I never asked afterwards if it had anything to do with the lack of a flu-shot that year, as our regular (Belgian) doctor wasn't on hand to examine blood work and symptoms when my wife was hospitalized. And my Spanish wasn't that good enough to discuss it with the hospital doctors there, had I even thought of doing so at the time. But I am certain the lack of a shot did not help either of us at all either. Things might have possibly turned out very differently.

This year I made 100% absolutely certain to get one and so far so good.

Flu shots ARE NOT 100% effective, nor do they represent themselves as being so. Because of the way the vaccines are created and the lead time to develop and distribute them, there is an educated guess as to which dominant flu types will emerge during flu season. We cannot be certain just which bird or which pig will create the dominant mutant flu strain in the next flu season.

Last year's flu vaccine was relatively ineffective because the vaccine "cocktail" missed several of the flu strains that emerged. This year there is a virus that has many flu like symptoms, but doesn't have the influenza genetic markers. BTW, if you come down with that virus, you might as well plan on several months of respiratory issues. If you didn't get vaccinated for the flu before catching this other virus, you have to wait a significant amount of time before you can get a flu shot because of the residual effects of this other virus.

Personally, I have taken flu shots each year for the last 20 or so years, and more sporadically before that. Even if it isn't 100% effective, it may give some effect in reducing the severity of symptoms.

Not this season, but yes about 16 years ago. Worst decision ever made. I was so sick for weeks had to go to my primary doctor, who told me it was useless to get it. He said it only covered one of about a million variations of the flu viru, sure I was gonna get immune to one virus but would end up getting the next one. He advice me not to get immunized, since then haven't gotten the vaccine or gotten sick from the flu.

THAT definitely is NOT TRUE.

There are SEVERAL flu virus strains each year, NOT a million.

My husband talked with our family doctor's nurse late yesterday. She said a few of their patients who got shots have come down with flu, but the vaccine has at least helped reduce some of the symptoms and duration. She hasn't seen anyone yet who got the shot and have full blown flu with all the trimmings, as she called them.

I could have argued that yesterday morning. I felt like having lots of "trimmings." However, by this morning I'm not too bad. Hubby had me on Advil for the body aches, and now they're pretty much gone. Temp is 99.0 and a head cold but no respiratory issues, which with my history concerns me if I ever get serious flu.

Interesting posts by everyone. No fantasies!! Real responses. Thanks!!

My other half got a flu shot for the first time in over ten years and got a respiratory infection the next day. It lasted 14 days, with 10 days on Cipro, 500 mg. Everyone in her office has it. Thank God, I have avoided it. I could make some lame-ass statement about colon irrigation strengthening my immune system, but we all realistically know that's B.S.

(Then why did my pediatrician always tell my mom, "It can't hurt him, so give him an enema")?

My chiropractor told me that flu shots shut down your immune system for 2 weeks! He recommends not even getting a flu shot but if you do, get it early. The worst thing you can do is get a flu shot during flu season!

^^^^ Those remarks are typical for chiropractors

Chiropractors believe in an alternative medicine which is at odds with conventional medical science. It's not been proven to be so.

My chiropractor told me that flu shots shut down your immune system for 2 weeks!

Forgive my limited medical knowledge which comes mostly through my wife and basic high school science classes: but essentially, I thought that vaccines do not shut down the immune system, but do just the opposite. They are meant to stimulate it into making antibodies for a specific disease or illness.

Why would a flu shot work any differently from other vaccines?

I don't get a flu shot. I am allergic to the preservatives in most of the recent vaccines. Never had a problem when I was a kid but starting about 37 years ago they started putting preservatives in most of the vaccines, so I can't get the flu shot. Side note I have not had the flu in the last 40 years.

Last year 2015-2016 Flu season, the Centre for Disease Control actually misjudged some of the data. They thought a flu strain was going to go active that never did, at the same time there was another strain that WENT ACTIVE that they didn't expect to, catching them by surprise. As a result last ear's flu vaccine missed its mark. There was an active flu strain that it was ineffective against!

The CDC has spent the money and the time to improve it's data collection and analysis for this season. While it's never impossible, I think they took enough of a black eye last year that it won't happen again in at least a decade.

THAT definitely is NOT TRUE.

There are SEVERAL flu virus strains each year, NOT a million.

not talking about ONE SINGLE FLU strain in a year I'm talking about the VARIATIONS OF THE VIRUS IT SELF.

I'm only going by the words you used. I can't read your mind for what you meant.

Bottom line: They missed a major stain.

It was a situation where the cuddashuddawudda covered it and didn't have the QUALITY of data they should have had.

As a result, something that is normally quite rare happened. People who got flu shots also got the flu!!

This is an amusing thread. It certainly is a "hot button" issue for many. For me personally, I won't take the damn things (flu shots) as I feel they are dangerous, and I have witnessed first hand evidence the potential effects of these things. But "Hey....if you think they're great......be my guest". Whether or not you take flu shots has zero effect on me.

Yes I got the flu shot as I do every year. This is the first year I can recall that I got the flu. Seems to be a relatively mild case though.

As with other inoculations, flu shots don't completely immunise; they just minimise the risk of a serious attack. I have contracted both cholera and yellow fever (not simultaneously, thank heavens!) after being inoculated against them but both were such mild cases that I didn't even require further treatment.