Flu Season and a Poll

[Lulu54]

The news tells us the Flu Season is upon us with a vengeance this year and is going strong in all 50 states.  Whether to get the flu vaccine or not has been debated here every time flu 'season' rolls around and if you are interested in reading more of the varied perspectives, I will find an old thread to bring to the first page and give the link here.

In the meantime, I really am curious as to what you decided this year about getting the vaccine and would like to know - please feel free to add comments for more insight because a simple poll usually doesn't tell the whole story.

[Lulu54]

*bump* to keep this active - there seems to be three major illnesses right now -
Influenza strain H3N2 (I think that was the number) - and the flu vaccine is targeted toward that strain and is 62% effective. They say Tamiflu does help with the symptoms and shortens the disease course if taken in the first two days.

A strain of norovirus (think cruise ship disease)  - I think that is what my husband experienced recently and he was violently ill but it only lasted one day.

A  potent rhinovirus that is responsible for laryngitis - probably what I experienced for several days and got a z-pack to knock it our just before Christmas.

[Lulu54]

If you are an SNL fan, check out Freddie Prinz Jr's monologue about the flu... pretty funny if you don't actually have the flu...

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/freddie-prinze-jr-monologue/1350241/

[sllowe]

I was not prescribed the anti-virals - didn't know I was getting the flu. Wish I had. But the Ab's did the trick for the chest or upper respitory, or whatever wretch I had.

Giving this a healthy bump. So many good responses and info regarding timing etc..

Stay well all...We are soon to hit the peak of the season in the states. Hard to believe we're not already there. What a bad year for this illness.

[mizliz13]

Dr insisted I have mine in late Sept while general patients had to wait until late October. He said anyone with a compromised immune system needed it then because of an early outbreak in that area.  Of course I'll be out of luck a month before the others.

[Guitar_grrrl]

I got my flu shot in early November.  After asking the hospital pharmacist about flu shot and Tysabri, I was told to get my flu shot "mid-cycle" (week 2-3) from my Tysabri infusion.

[Sidesteps]

I got my flu shot in early December. It tends to hit the west coast a little later but it sounds like it is already here. I have had influenza twice in my life. I never want it again and I MOST definitely don't want it with MS.