Health Issues Flu vaccine

[CrazyCatLady]

As I work in a hospital in the UK I am entitled to and encouraged to have the flu vaccine each year.
In the past there has been controversy amongst staff as to whether they have it, with usually two strong camps.
The ones that have it (including myself) would like to be protected against at least one (presumed to be the most common at the time) strain of flu that year. We also know that if we get the flu we will have to have sick leave at a busy time of year leaving other members of staff working extra and patient care potentially suffering. The reason that always outweighed any reason for me not to, was that I would hate to have contracted flu and be in the early stages of it and still working, pass it on to an already very sick patient, and then...well, though there would be no way to prove it came from me I'd feel awfully guilty should anything happen to a patient I had seen!
Those who are against having it are for mainly myths...such as 'it gave me flu last time' 'it doesn't ever work' and for one girl who believes there isn't enough research on it and would rather put her own immune system to the test.

My questions are, does anyone else receive it? If so is it by choice (like I did) or are you in a high risk category so it's for your own health?

I understand that eggs are used in the making of the vaccine (not entirely sure of the details) but I was always asked if I was allergic to them. This makes me think there may be an alternative...should I ask into it?

Thanks xxx

 

[Second Summer]

I completely understand and sympathize with your stance. If I were in your shoes, I would get the vaccine as well.

The eggs are used as a medium to grow the vaccine, I believe. It's possible to use another medium (e.g. a vegan one), but eggs are found to be most cost effective.

Edit: If you think it's possible to get a more vegan-friendly version, that is of course worth investigating.

 

[GingerFoxx]

I look a course that covered this, and basically because the virus constantly mutates, they have to re-create the vaccine each year. Since there are so many different strains/mutations of the virus, they pick the 3 most virulent ones to design the vaccine. The down sides of this are that the virus is already mutating by the time the vaccine is released to the public, and there are plenty of other versions of the flu it will not protect you from. That being said, I do not choose to get the vaccine myself, as I am young and my immune system is hearty. I have a vegan veterinarian who gets the vaccine every year, despite it being made with egg proteins etc. for the simple fact that he is a doctor and many of his clients are elderly folks. He feels it's his responsibility to not risk exposing them when they bring their pets in for treatment. I think for the really young, the old and those in the medical profession, or anyone with or working with anyone with a weakened immune system it may be a good idea.

 

[Digger]

For me, the flu vaccine falls into the medically necessary category so even if it were made from calf rennet I would still get it and not have a problem calling myself vegan. It's just 'one of those things' that I have no control over, like the medication I take.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I've never had one before but I have been ill four times this year and ended up with bad sinus and chest infections and I was thinking of getting a flu jab. I had to take really strong antibiotics after the third time and then I got oral thrush from the antibiotics and had to take medication for that too so I thought maybe it would be easier to have a flu jab. I know it won't necessarily protect me from being ill again.

Those who are against having it are for mainly myths...such as 'it gave me flu last time'

I didn't know if that was a myth as a man at my husband's work had the flu jab and he fell ill afterwards and had to take time off work.

 

[ledboots]

I didn't know if that was a myth as a man at my husband's work had the flu jab and he fell ill afterwards and had to take time off work.

If someone is already infected with a virus and they get a vaccination, sometimes the immune system is focusing so much on fighting this foreign invader that has been injected, that the original infection is allowed to prosper. So people that get sick after a flu shot don't get anything from the injection, but they can't fight off their pre existing infection because their body is concentrating on the introduced flu germ.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Thank you all for your input.
I will ask if there is a vegan option. If not, I will just accept that it's my only option.
It just sucks when I see others in my profession choosing not to have it for other reasons xxx

 

[Dedalus]

Though I work in a hospital, I decline every year. I don't come into close contact with patients - and I know plenty of doctors and nurses who have also declined the vaccine for years. I don't know if the myths are actually myths or not - either way that doesn't affect my decision. It's just a personal choice of mine.

I will say my wife used to get the vaccinne and was sick every. single. time. afterwards. I find it hard to believe her immunne system was already fighting something else off every time but I guess it's possible. Another thing that discourages me is that oftentimes they aren't vaccinating for the strain of the virus that ends up making the majority of people sick. From what I understand - it's kind of a crapshoot as to if they'll get it right. Even people who are vaccinated each year can still get sick.

 

[Lord Snot]

I get the vaccine. The egg issue is the only reason not to get it that I find at all convincing, and since I would eat eggs if I needed them to survive it would be stupid of me to refuse a flu vaccine because of it. As an immunocompromised diabetic, I'm one of those people that could feasibly die from the flu.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I have gotten the flu vaccine for several years in a row.
I'm sad about the eggs, but I have severe sinus problems and asthma, which puts me in the "at risk" category as far as flu goes. I know it's not always effective, and I could still get a different strain that wasn't included in the vaccine, but I'll take what protection I can get.

In the last three years, my work has been bringing in someone to administer shots to those who wish to get it, so it's very convenient. This year the nurse was in the conference room, I just walked over from my office, got my jab, then went back to work.

 

[Danielle]

I thought about it a few times, but I never got a flu shot before or the flu.

 

[RumblePurr]

I had an adverse reaction to the flu vaccine that lasted for six months-body aches,extreme fatigue,random fevers.It was awful. I went to several doctors,and they said nothing was wrong,I should eat meat. I found a decent vegetarian naturopath(I know this sounds flakey) and I was better in a month...he had me eating loads of vegetables,and a cocktail of herbal supplements. So yeah,I'm opting out this year.

 

[Lord Snot]

I had an adverse reaction to the flu vaccine that lasted for six months-body aches,extreme fatigue,random fevers.It was awful. I went to several doctors,and they said nothing was wrong,I should eat meat. I found a decent vegetarian naturopath(I know this sounds flakey) and I was better in a month...he had me eating loads of vegetables,and a cocktail of herbal supplements. So yeah,I'm opting out this year.

Why do you attribute those symptoms to the flu vaccine?

 

[Mel]

I've never gotten the flu shot. If I were in a situation where I'd encounter a lot of high risk individuals, I'd consider it. As it is, I've gotten a flu maybe twice in my life (I'm not even sure, I'm guessing, they could have been really bad colds), once that turned into a pneumonia. I can go approximately 2 years or more without even getting a cold. Personally, I don't think I need it. When everyone was freaking over the H1N1 flu and showing up in mobs to receive their free vaccine (flu vaccines aren't generally free here), I didn't bother to go. I did get sick that year, and I know it wasn't just a cold, but I'm not convinced it was the Swine Flu.

I think if someone is at high risk, they absolutely should get vaccinated to protect themselves.

 

[RumblePurr]

Why do you attribute those symptoms to the flu vaccine?

My symptoms started after the shot,and I was healthy before that. It seems like I had a nasty autoimmune reaction to the vaccine.

 

[Lord Snot]

My symptoms started after the shot,and I was healthy before that. It seems like I had a nasty autoimmune reaction to the vaccine.

Correlation doesn't equal causation though, I'm sure there are a dozen things you did just before you got ill but you've chosen to attribute it to the flu vaccine. If eating healthy cleared it up in a month, it seems more likely to have been a problem with diet.

 

[RumblePurr]

Correlation doesn't equal causation though, I'm sure there are a dozen things you did just before you got ill but you've chosen to attribute it to the flu vaccine. If eating healthy cleared it up in a month, it seems more likely to have been a problem with diet.

I know there's a lot of factors at play when someone falls ill but the person who administered the shot said that fevers and body aches were common side effects...that's why I thought it was the vaccine. My diet seemed okay at the time-lots of fruit,nuts,tofu,etc.
I was eating more fruit then,probably 5 or 6 pieces a day,and only 3 veggies. The last doctor I saw had me eliminate fruit and that's when I started feeling better.He told me that all sugar weakens the immune system,and that my immune system was depressed from the shot.
I would definitely get the vaccine if I were in the high risk category.

 

[SuicideBlonde]

No shot for me, but I most likely should get it.