Flu Shot...yes or No? - Lomita,CA

I work in a hospital so I get the flu shot. My son is 6 and has gotten one annually. Neither one of us has had any negative effects from the shot. To me it is not worth the chance of seeing my son extremely ill with the flu. My husband does not get it. To me it's a no brainer. It is recommended for children under 5 by the medical community. Maybe do some research online on what pediatric medical experts recommend.

I never used to but I read an article by a mom who lost her young son to the flu and it changed my opinion. She too didn't think it was important and her son got the flu and went from feeling not well to dying in the ambulance within one day. His last words were "I love you Mom". :( The story was heartbreaking and she was beating herself up for not taking the flu seriously. Ever since then, I have my son get a flu shot every year.

I usually do get a flu shot (can't afford to be down for two weeks, which is what influenza can do) and my son will likely be getting the 'mist' vax. We haven't had side effects with it, and as he's in kindergarten, we've got a whole new season of germs coming at us.

Yes, we always get the flu shot. For those posters who talked about vomiting, the flu shot is for influenza (sore throat, cough, high fever, generally feeling like you've been "hit by a truck"), NOT for stomach viruses, vomiting, etc. My husband and older son have asthma and the flu shot is required for them by their pulmonologists. I also want to protect them, my elderly grandmother and previously my mom, who was immune-compromised. The flu can be deadly and this year is shaping up to be a bad season. Right now in my area an otherwise healthy 17-year-old athletic boy just died of complications of influenza. He did not have a flu shot. An otherwise healthy 14-year-old girl is currently hospitalized and on a vent and given a 50/50 chance of survival from influenza. I do not know if she had a flu shot. The current vaccine has about a 60% effectiveness rate, not perfect but much better than nothing in my opinion. And to clear up another misconception amongst the posters the flu shot does NOT cause the flu. It can cause mild aches and low fever, but not the full blown flu.

I would rely on the advice of your doctor and your pediatrician, but I consider the flu shot necessary for my family every year.

We opt out of that shot. I've known more people being sick after the shot rather than people not getting the flu.

We are rarely at the Dr. We eat right, heavy on drinking water, exercise, and wash our hands.

I've been teaching as a sub over 10 yrs regularly and I've never gotten sick.

All that said..... No way would someone blackmail me into doing something I chose not to do for my reasons. I suppose whomever was trying to blackmail me just would see us until spring when the flu season is over!

My kids did get the flu shot this year and usually do... what I have read is that the more people who get the flu shot (and the less incidence of flu) keeps the community as a whole in better health. You, as a healthy adult or your kids as healthy children may bounce back from the flu just fine. But elderly people, infants and people with compromised immune systems do not.

We don't get the flu shot. The one time my husband and I got a flu shot years ago, we ended up coming down with the flu. Um, come again? Wasn't/Isn't the flu shot supposed to PREVENT the flu?

Actually, no. For most people who get the flu shot, there's a very high percentage who will actually come down with the flu. Why? Because you're being injected with a live culture of the flu, and most people will be susceptible to catching the flu from that shot. And if you're around young children who get the nasalspray, then you're really at high risk of getting the flu, because the nasalmist spray allows the flu to get out into the air, first from spraying the vaccine into the kid's nostrils, then from the kid breathing and sneezing and allowing the flu particles to get into the air.

And don't forget; they guess when they put together the flu vaccine. They only use 2 strains of the flu from the year before (the two worst strains from that year)--what they think will be the big strains that will cause the flu this year. That's pure guesswork. There are 4--or more--strains that are NOT in the flu vaccine that could still catch you and make you sick. Or there could be a new strain that comes along that they didn't even know about.

Since then, I have done lots and lots and lots of fact checking and research into food, Ag corporations, the medical/military complex, pharma and the pharma houses, Big Corporations, Monsanto and the other big chemical/pesticide companies and have concluded--you're better off not putting all that toxic stuff into your body.

We prefer to get our immunity the old-fashioned way--by getting sick. My husband and I both got very sick three years ago after visiting my family for Xmas in another state. It was around the time of the H1N1-Swine flu. We were sick for 3 weeks; we figure we had and lived through the swine flu. We'll never ever have to worry about catching that one again. My daughter didn't get it; we assume she had enough exposure to whatever strain it was through school and had built up enough immunity that she didn't need to get it.

My husband brought home an influenza/flu strain (with a cold) from work right before the New Year this year; I just came down with it, although a more weakened version (my daughter and I have both been taking preventive measures). Or maybe it's the really bad cold that was on top of the influenza that I caught; I'm not anywhere near as sick as my husband was. It's too soon to tell if my daughter will or will not get it. She might get lucky--again--and not get it.

Oh, and for those of you who are going to say, if you'd gotten a flu shot, you wouldn't have gotten the flu: where my husband works, both the company and the town is a hotbed right now for this particular influenza strain he brought home. MOST of the people who are coming down with this influenza DID GET the flu shot. In my opinion, them having gotten the flu shot caused "the flu" to get out into the open air--and now everyone is getting sick. In fact, this particular influenza bug has now made it to our town/the surrounding towns, and we're about an hour away from the small town he works in.

A shot--whether vaccination or the flu--puts stuff into our body that is foreign and doesn't/shouldn't be there. If everyone detoxed and cleansed their bodies after getting one, so that they flushed out all of those toxins--maybe then it "might" be okay to get one. But most people have no idea what/how to flush out the toxins, so they remain inside the body, where they wrech havoc on the immune system and cause other issues/problems down the road.

If you take care of your body--eat organic, don't eat processed/preserved food, don't eat fast food, drink good quality water, take quality supplements/multivitamins, stay away from chemicals and pesticides (and MSG, aspartame/artificial sweeteners, dyes, artificial flavorings, preservatives), get enough sleep, don't smoke, exercise regularly--so that your body is healthy and your immune system is strong, 9 times out of 10 your body will be strong enough to fight off whatever infection/cold/flu is going around and/or you'll get a slighter version (and I am of the school that if you do catch something, it's because your body NEEDS the immunity you'll build up from catching that particular cold, flu, infection, etc.).

I don't believe in the herd mentality that if everyone gets the (flu) shot, then everyone will be covered/won't get sick. That's a programmed response that the medical community wants us to think. It makes it easier for them to keep getting us to come back in and get jabbed.

Look at the current whopping cough victims when there have been outbreaks. Almost all of the victims had received the whooping cough vaccine. In one case, EVERYONE had received the vaccine as a child. And still came down with whopping cough.

The doctors keep saying that vaccinations will help keep us safe from harm/from getting the dis-ease they're supposed to protect us from. If vaccines worked as well as they keep trying to tell us, that they help build up our immune systems and keep them healthy--then they should work from the very first jab. There should be no need for more than one jab. If whooping cough vaccine worked--then you shouldn't get whooping cough.

If the vaccine worked, then there shouldn't be any need for a revaccination/booster either.

And that goes for the flu vaccine as well. If it worked, then one jab should protect you forever. But it doesn't, for the simple reason that the flu is ever changing. You can't harness the flu, or the bugs, because they keep changing. If you keep your body healthy and strong, you'll most likely never have to worry about contacting anything. Every flu vaccine jab, though, puts toxins in your body. Year after year, those toxins build up.

How many people ever look at what is actually in the vaccine ingredients list and link their medical problems in later years with the toxins/foreign objects that were put into their bodies? Very few, I believe.

Never had a flu shot. Never will. I certainly wouldn't be blackmailed into it!!

Yes, my daughter and I are getting annual flu shots for the entire family. I'm nearly 70 and do not want to get sick if I can prevent it. My granddaughter has asthma and also needs to have the flu shot. The rest of us need to get the shot to protect all of us. I rarely get sick. My immune system must be working well but what take the chance when I have the option. The flu shot won't hurt me.

Granted, getting the flu shot does not protect us from all forms of the flu. The way I look at it is that I want to use whatever little bit of protection that is available.

Sounds like your problem with your mother in law is not the flu shot. I would focus on finding a way to get along. Family is important. You don't agree with her but you can try to understand her and be empathic for who she is.

If you feel strongly that you don't want your kids to have flu shots then don't get flu shots. What your mil decides to do is up to her. This doesn't have to be a fight. Let her make the decisions she makes. You can't change her.

Idiot is an unfortunate choice of words. You know you're not an idiot so why let your mil's comment upset you? I suggest she is using such emotionally laden words because she feels strongly about the importance of flu shots. You can look at it as blackmail or you can choose to recognize that perhaps she is truly concerned about your children's health.

I've found, over many years, that life is much more pleasant when I assume the best in the way of motives instead of choosing the worst. I work at making no assumptions at all. I take what the person says at face value without trying to determine their unsaid reasons. Nearly always, when I accept the person as they are without judgment we get along even if we're not best friends.

Later: Although I read that people claim to have negative side affects and even that one is to get the flu immediately after the shot, I've never known anyone for whom this happens. I've worked in schools and in law enforcement where many people get the shots and no one has voiced a side effect or getting sick after getting the shot.

A few have claimed, historically, long after the fact that they got the flu but I was there and they did not get sick immediately after the shot. It was a week or two or more later and could not be directly attributed to the shot. I suggest that the arguments both for and against are based on emotion and not reliable. Get the shot if you want or not. Whatever works for you.

No our family does not get the flu shot. I have always been told not to get it unless there is a reason to get it, per my Dr.

I would just tell her to contact you when she feels it's *safe* to see the grandkids.

I get an annual flu shot. My husband and kids don't. I have asthma and am taking an immune-suppressing drug for arthritis, so the risk of secondary infections or other complications overrides any potential negative reaction to the shot itself (I've never had a negative reaction, though). My husband and kids, however, have all had severe negative reactions to the shot, so it is contra-indicated for them.

If your MIL is refusing to visit because she is concerned about her own health, remind her that she will be equally well protected if she has herself immunized, so don't let her use this argument for blackmail. That being said, as someone who specializes in infectious disease, I am a strong proponent of immunizations -- including the flu shot. What most of the American public fails to understand, is that medicine is a "game" of statistics. Immunizations are basically a balance of risks vs. benefits. Is the risk of a severe reaction (especially one that causes long-term detriment) greater than or less than the risk of contracting the actual illness and complications than can arise from it? In most cases, statistical (epidemiological) studies indicate that risks from vaccination is much lower than that of risk of injury from natural infection (either from the infection itself or a secondary complication).

One responder mentioned that the annual vaccine is based on guesswork. That's true, but it is HIGHLY EDUCATED guesswork, not just some random assumption. Science has fairly intimate knowledge of how influenza viruses mutate (there are several types), and good predictive models and models for surveillance have been developed. The strains used in the annual divalent vaccine are determined through carefully epidemiological and genetic analysis, and most years the CDC and vaccine manufacturer's get it right. So far, this year (without double checking my facts and figures), over 74% of the recorded cases of flu have been caused by one of the two strains used in this year's vaccine. In other words, if those individuals had received the vaccine, the vast majority of them would not have contracted the illness.

As for those of you who have reported getting the flu after receiving the vaccine, what you experienced was a heightened immune response. Since the vaccine uses attenuated (damaged) virus, you are not infectious, meaning that you do not, technically, have the illness. The immune response to a vaccine, however, is identical to getting the disease. That is to say, the components of the immune system react the same way. The attenuated virus is recognized by the immune system as an invader. T-cells and complement are launched to "fight" the invader; this includes a variety of interleukins, which cause elevation of fever and inflammation that gives you the achy joints. The B-cell response then raises antibodies to the virus, so that if you are exposed to it again, your immune system is ready to kick into high gear and eliminate the infection before it can generate a new T-cell response.

Not every year is a "bad" flu year. Some years, a new strain will arise that is more dangerous than others, simply because very few people have ever been exposed to it, and thus do not have natural immunity. Those are the years labled "epidemic" years, and outbreaks can be quite devastating. One of the worst epidemic ever was the 1918 so-call Spanish Flu (which actually originated in the U.S.). This was the same "swine flu" strain we experienced recently. In 1918, this flu killed over 50 million people -- more than in any war, and even exceeded the number of deaths caused by bubonic plague for all of the total plague years in European and Middle Eastern history. That's pretty sobering.

The scariest thing about the 1918 flu, however, as with the recent swine flu and any potentially "new" strain, is that the people who were/are at greatest risk were/are the young and the very healthy, rather than the elderly and the already ill. This is because these individuals have the most capacity for mounting an over-exuberant immune response to the flu, leading to sepsis, pneumonia, and death. The majority of deaths from the 1918 flu were among young adults, children, and teenagers. So, just being young and very healthy is NOT an argument against getting immunized. If anything, it is a strong argument FOR getting the shot.

Lest anyone think that this is an argument against the elderly or chronically ill getting immunized, it works both ways. In a "normal" flu year, the elderly and chronically ill are at greatest risk, and anyone who is likely to be in contact with that demographic would be doing them a favor by getting immunized to help protect them (in the same way that the CDC asks that parent "cocoon" young infants from Pertussis until they are old enough to be vaccinated).

Hopefully, this discourse will give folks some better information by which they can make more informed decisions for themselves and their families. Whether you decide to get the shot or not, practicing good hand hygiene at all times will help you stay healthy. Wash your hands frequently -- especially before eating and after handling public devices, such as door knobs and light switches. Practice the "vampire" cough or sneeze -- that is, cough or sneeze into your shoulder rather than your hands, or direct your sneeze down to the ground. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as much as possible to limit the transmission of viruses and bacteria.

Sorry if there's typos -- I don't have time to go back and reread right now.

Do not give them the flu shot. The nurse even says so. She saw your children's medical charts and rightly decided the risks outweigh the benefits for your children. I live in New Jersey where it's mandatory for children to get flu shots to attend school, which is absolutely absurd. My daughter has had all her childhood immunization a, but I refuse to give her a flu shot every year just to go to school. I opted out by writing a religious objection letter. They never questIoned me. She hasn't had a flu shot and has been a lot healthier over all than most kids in her class who have had it. I would 100% call your mils bluff. Who does she think she is bullying you like that. Even if you decide to give it to them, I wouldn't give her tHe satisfaction of telling her I did. Just to see what she does. You are so NOT an idiot for deciding not to get them the shot, if that's what you decide..

I got it because I'm immune compromised. My middle daughter is also immune compromised. All three of my daughters received the flu shot and so did my husband. We all get it every year because my middle daughter and I need the protection. When I don't get the flu vaccine, I get the flu badly enough to require hospitalization.

I also get it in order to protect babies and very small children that we see regularly. My nieces and nephews are very important to me. So are my grandparents, who are well into their upper 80's.

I have a community mindset as well, rather than a me me me mindset. I'm also rather intelligent and have done extensive research so I can sort out fact from fiction. I know what's right for my own family based on our situation and I'm comfortable with knowing we're doing the best thing possible.

We do not vaccinate or do flu shots. My kids are 13 and 10 and have not thrown up since they were babies. Us either. I don't think I've had the flu in more than 20 years. We are not crazy healthy eaters but we all do take a multivitamin/mineral faithfully every day. I'm also not a great housekeeper and don't get crazy with hand sanitizer every time my kids turn around. I think we just naturally don't get sick. My 13 yo is in 7th grade and has only missed 2 days of school EVER. Now allergies, that's another story. lol Good luck in what you decide to do!

My son is almost 5, I am 39 and my husband is 41. None of us have ever received a flu shot. My mother is 62 and never received one either even though she just retired from nursing at a hospital after more than 30 years. They don't protect against all strains and Ive known a few people who had pretty bad side effects from the shot...as bad as flu.

I wasn't going to, but I just had a bout with an upper respiratory infection and was lucky it wasn't the flu. I'm going to go get the shot once I'm clear for a week. The doc suggested it, and she's not going to be giving it to me so she's not making anything off of it.

We NEVER get the flu shot in our family. My kids are rarely sick. The shot is usually for last year's strain so it might not cover this year's strain. I would rather be sick for a couple days and be immune than get a shot that contains chemicals and other flu bugs.

Think about it this way. When you choose not to vaccinate yourself, you may be a carrier of the flu and could be exposing immune compromised people with a potentially harmful virus. The flu shot is not only to protect you. It's to protect those AROUND you. We, as a society, don't know what it's like to live with polio and other rampant viruses. The reason why we don't know is because we have access to vaccinations.

We never get flu shots and we rarely get sick. DH and son did catch H1N1 but they were not sick very long.

We eat really well, don't smoke, get lots of sleep, and wash our hands a ton. We work in a service industry but like I said we wash hands a lot, disinfect doorknobs and other commonly touched surfaces daily.

Same as Bug . . . no we have never had a flu shot.

hub gets the flu shot at work free.. kids and I do not .. however.. we got the flu in 2010.. hub ended up with pneumonia.. daughter with ear infection .. me with bronchitis... my breast feeding son was spared..

we just had the flu this year.. me and my son had pneumonia.. so...

if we get the flu. it is likely to be bad.. it is a miserable week. but the shot is a "shot in the dark" the best guess at what strains will be circulating... flu shot does not cause flu.. it is heated and flltered.. NO one get real flu from the shot.. although with thousands and thousands of folks getting the shot.. it stands to reason that some folks will get sick in the days and week after the shot.. in fact some elderly people will die the day after they get the shot.. but that does not mean the shot caused anything..

I don't get them and neither do my boys or husband. My dr kind of got onto me the last time I was in cause she wanted me to get one and I told her no and why. Every time I get one I get the flu which she says in not possible. But like I said EVERY TIME, so I don't get it and my boys have bad reactions each time they get their boosters that I don't want to put something in them I don't have to. Yes they are current on all the rest of their shots. Unlike your mother in law my mother is trying to get me to stop immunizing my kids totally and threw a fit when I had my oldest get all his shots 2 years ago. There are some I don't think they should make us give our kids but the school requires them. Like chicken pox that's a crazy one to me cause so many still get it. Even being vaccinated for it!

You don't know which strain it will be which year, side effects keep me from getting it and I don't get anything not absolutely necessary. Of course, I don't want the flu either and have family members who did have it this holiday season. You never know. NO, I will not get it and don't ever get it. My husband did and does.

I never do it. The only common illness that I would totally get vaccinated for are the kind where you get queasy and throw up. Those suck. But flu symptoms don't bother me enough to try to immunize against them. And I don't mind needles at all. Its more of an inconvenience, why bother type thing.
My kids don't get em either, nor does my husband who works in hospital. They can never guarantee they get the correct strain for the year anyway. Remember that one year where the realized the flu vaccine was basically useless that year because they didn't really get it right? What a waste!
My sil is totally overboard on the healthcare of her son, and she got him his flu shot this year (in between calls from her gently urging me to get my girlsin for theirs) and he got sick from it :( my MIL is pretty sure she got sick from hers too.
I know we are barely 1/2way through flu season so far, but my family is flu free so far.
Personally, I think the flu shot is kind of a crock....

Haven't read the other responses, but I just wanted to say that this year, all 4 of us got flu shots and three of us got the flu anyway. So now I'm a bit disillusioned with flu shots!

I'm 46, up until three weeks ago I was of the "no way crowd". I am being held hostage by a very large client, not even a family member or employer!! I work for an anatomical pathology laboratory in technical sales. One of the hospital groups I am working with now (40 hospitals in CA, AZ and NV $$$) require the flu shot, the hepatitis b series, MMR and good old chickenpox vaccine. All so I can "sell" them biopsy reports. Yep, I sold out.

My family gets the flu shot every year. We have no reason not to, and we would rather not get the flu. Also, I work with young children, and I would rather not risk spreading the flu to any of them.

I get the flu shot every year, as does my husband and kids. I didn't get the flu shot growing up and caught the flu once in my early 20s. It knocked me out for the most miserable week of my life. Anything I can do to minimize the risk of having that happen to me and my kids is worth it.

No one in my family has ever had a flu shot and we never will get one. I do not believe in shooting my kids up with some pretty nasty chemicals when it is not needed. I do not vax at all. My kids are partially vaxed but I was young when I had them and had not done my research. I will not be finishing their shots. After doing my research on vaccines and talking with their pediatrician and learning the actual ingredients that are in vaccines, there is no way I would ever let them have another shot. So, that includes flu shots as well.

I have gotten really sick when I have taken it. So for me NO!

When I stopped taking the flu shot, I stopped getting the flu every year.
My daughter is 22, has never had a flu shot in her life, and has only had the flu twice.

Sorry, Christy Lee, but I'm not taking medicine when I'm not sick, in order to keep someone else from getting sick.

No flu shot. The percentage of protection against the current strain is around 35%, so not high enough in my opinion. They never know what strain will be coming for a future season. So why vaccinate your self with a virus that only has a 35% chance of working? When the vaccines start to have a higher protection rate, then I'll consider it. But for now, no thanks- Remember, there are anti-virual drugs like Tamiflu, if by chance you get the flu. I'm almost 44, and I've had the flu once that I can remember, and that was back in 2005. If I had it before then, it was much too long ago to remember. My point is, one dose of anti-viral meds vs. years of some virus being shot into my body, with not much of a guarantee that it was going to work! Lol... Some Dr's do push the vaccine a lot, and your MIL is probably just listening to what her Dr says. But different Dr's do have different opinions :)

I've never had a flu shot and have never had the flu either. I've debated like crazy over whether my kids should or shouldn't. I did not get my kids the flu shot until this past year. And that was only because I was pregnant and they were in preschool. I did do it again this year for the older too, but not for my bf 9 month old.

We have been the healthiest we've ever been for this time of the year. No colds, stomach viruses, or the flu (knock on wood)...only constant change has been my obsession with having everyone wash their hand after going out anywhere!

My extended family all came down with the flu right after we spent the holidays there and so far we have seem to have escaped it! Was it b/c of the flu shots or the hand washing--I'm really unsure, but gut says probably a little of both!

My point being unless there is someone with a compromised immune system hand washing and keeping things away from nose and eyes can go along way :)

Good luck!

For many years I haven't bothered to get it. I did get it once about 15 years ago.. and then didn't get it anymore until this year. Husband always gets it every year at work. The kids never used to get it, until our son had pneumonia about 3 years ago, and subsequently became asthmatic. Since then, he has gotten the flu shot every season. He is 14 this year. Daughter is 11 and had never had it, until this year.
I am not really sure why I decided to get it this year for me or our daughter. She didn't want it, lol. She is generally pretty well/healthy. Me, too. BUT, she goes to a public school with 800 other kids and rides a bus to school and back home, where she could more easily be exposed and end up really sick from it.
Husband always has encouraged me to get the shot because, as he likes to put it, if YOU get sick (meaning me) it is harder on the entire family, because you are so integral to everything we all do. If one of the kids gets sick, they just stay home and are sick, but if YOU get sick, the kids don't get to the bus, or get up in the morning, or have dinner or go to karate, or allergy appointments or the orthodontist, etc etc etc. Husband has weird work hours, so truly, if I get really sick, he could end up having to call in sick to work as well, in order to manage dinners or grocery shopping in my stead.

I had a sore muscle in my arm for about 24 hours after getting the shot. Same with my kids. That was it. So far, so good, as far as getting influenza this year.
I've NEVER had it. I've had some yucky colds in my life. But never influenza. I sometimes think people think a "bad cold" is the same thing. But it isn't.

DH and DS have gotten it. I will go this weekend. My parents have both gotten it. My sister has asthma and gets it each year.

Not for me, not for my family. Never would have because I think it's poison, but it led to my grandma's death two years ago. Extra vitamin d and immune system care, chiropractic, etc.

I got mine yesterday, which is later than I wanted. However, I've been sick nonstop since Halloween, so I haven't had a "healthy" window long enough to get one until now.

The reason I got one now, even though I'm not totally over this dang sinus thing:
1.) Flu season is in full swing here in TX, earlier than usual and anticipated that the strain of flu is more severe than usual
2.) The story of the 17yr old boy who just died from complications relatedto the flu (pneumonia w/flu)...healthy 17 yr old came down with flu 12/25, died 12/29.
3.) With not being able to kick this sinus thing, the last thing I need is the flu on top of it.
4.) I HATE having the flu and will do anything I can to avoid it

My daughter received the flu mist at her 5 yr well check on Nov 1st. I didn't even have to think about it. If I can do anything to help her avoid being sick with the flu or to limit how ill she becomes, I will do it. She isn't allergic to eggs or anything that would make it any kind of unusual risk for her.

No, you are not an idiot. You are actually smart and responsible because you asked a medical professional -- one who knows your children and their medical history -- for advice.

Personally, I have my kiddo get the flu shot every year. This year the nasal doses were offered, so we did those (always nice to bypass the needle at the doc's office). While my daughter is generally healthy, I have two reasons for doing this. First, verbally communicating physical pain or discomfort (outside of whining, LOL) is not something she does well. I would rather not wait until she has full-blown symptoms to find out she's sick. I also do it for the children who are allergic to or cannot get flu shots, because they have to rely upon herd mentality for protection.

I have my kids get it every year. They are both pretty tiny and can't afford to lose any weight if they came down with the flu. I know how you feel though, about not wanting to get extra shots, I feel the same way. My husband and I don't get vaccinated. I personally feel that I would rather fight off the flu and gain some immunity than get the shot. I guess I just don't want to take a chance with the kiddos. Plus, they can get the flumist, so it's not even a shot which makes it easier.

We do not get flu shots for medical reasons. My BIL almost died from it and it is known to be a possible genetic issue. So, my DH and kids never get one and I choose to not get one either. I'm am very cautious about vaccinations though, so I avoid them unless mandated by the school system. My children have all required vaccinations.

My son and I always get flu shots...he has asthma...and I'm in the school cafeteria...and this year too boot hubbie, who doesn't believe in flu shots, is going thru chemo...but it doesn't always work.....when he was 6, it was the wrong strain year and when he was 7, and in 2nd grade,that was swine flu year he did NOT get the swine flu but got the regular flu which he got the shot for.....Soooo........Good luck

My son got O. for the first 3 years if his life.
I'm 49. Never had O..
Neither has my husband.
I heard today that they actually got the strain correct this year!
But...nah....not getting them.

My husband and I both got the flu shot this year, but didn't get it for our 2 kids. Our kids came down with the flu and were both miserable for a week and a half. My husband and I did not get sick, and I felt guilty for not getting our kids vaccinated. Next year I will get the flu shot for all of us.

I have had to get the flu shot for several years because I work in a hospital, and have never had any negative side effects besides a sore arm, which is much more tolerable than a week of sickness. Last year I was the only one in our family who got the flu shot, and I was also the only one who didn't get sick with the flu.

With one kid in daycare and one in school, we're exposed to a lot, and I think it's great if we can be protected against at least a few strands of the flu virus.

Of course the flu vaccine doesn't make you healthy, but it can help prevent illness. I'm sure I would get sick less if I exercised more, got more sunlight, ate right all the time, and stressed less, but that's not my reality, so I appreciate the extra immune protection, because it has helped me over the past few years.

My kids get the flu shot, hubby gets the flu shot, sometimes I get it , most of the time I don't. My kids get it because they have asthma hubby gets it because he's military ,I don't get it most years because most years I have gotten, I get the flu. If your mother in law has a week immune system then she may be worried about getting it from them. If I saw my grandparents or if my kids saw their grandparents more often I'd get my flu shot every year. My dogs have to get flu shots if they are boarded.

ETA: 18 kids have died already this flu season from the flu, I am getting mine monday.
ETA2: it's not a live virus , unless you get the nasal spray.

More people than ever are getting flu shots and yet still we have these supposed "sweeping outbreaks" that get worse every year. So either the shots aren't working (experts say they're only 60% effective) or the outbreaks are being greatly exaggerated by the pharmaceutical companies so they can sell more vaccines.

I personally don't do it since the shot makes me sick and I rarely get the flu (or know anyone that does) so why suffer needlessly? But there's also some controversy out there about the mercury contained in the shot and it's side-effects, etc.

If it were me, I wouldn't do it simply because of your mother-in-law's ridiculous ultimatum. Once you "reward" that kind of behavior by giving in, it's pretty much all over for you as she most certainly will try to do it again.

I get them for my kids (being that they'd be more susceptible to the effects since they're only 18 months and almost 4 years) but I haven't gotten one for myself in who knows how long. It's been at least 10 years, I can tell you that much. Should I? Eh, probably, but NOW (since my husband is military) if I were to get one through my primary physician, I would have to get the nasal spray, and I can't do that. I have a mental block with that whole business. (Some sort of policy they have that unless there is a medical reason, all persons over the age of 2 gets the spray, not the shot.) At any rate, I say to each his/her own, especially as the kids get older.

Read up on it -- one book is "Vaccines, are they really Safe and Effective?" It made me think twice about vaccines, in general. While there are always two sides to every story, this book was written by a concerned father (not a vaccine-maker), and he did a lot of research because he wanted to protect his own children. After all, this is what we all want. So, don't do something just because "everyone else is doing it." (good for you, for even posing this controversial question). Do your own research. Flu shots are dicey.

My six year old daughter is also fully immunized but she hasn't had the flu shot this year. She ended up getting a doozie of a flu but got over everything in the exact timeline that the doctor said is totally normal. I waited too long to get her a shot and nature immunized her for us. It was a miserable week but we all survived. The week after the actual illness was full of boogers. Her body was just purging itself. I have chosen to forgo getting her the shot as she's already been sick and I have doubts lightning will strike her twice this season.

Shortly after my daughter recovered my mother came to visit and she was very worried about ME, telling me about all the news she read and how this is the worst flu season ever etc etc. She's my mom and she claims it is her job to nag and worry over me, so I humored her and let her pay to get me the flu shot. I don't have insurance so I told her if she's worried, it's her dime. I personally wasn't worried. I survived nursing my flu riddled child and got through it unscathed.

My husband never gets sick so he never bothers. He's got some divinely gifted immune system so he hardly ever suffers a sniffle. But oh boy. When he DOES get a rare cold, he is the BIGGEST BABY about it. Every ache is moaned and groaned about. I laugh behind my hand about it but I indulge him because he's so wonderful to me when I'm sick.

If your kids rarely get sick like you said, I'd just skip the shots and lie to your mother in law to keep the peace. What's she going to do? Ask for verification? If your kids get the flu later after being "immunized", well... that's not unheard of so no harm no foul. <3

Lucky me my son has a fall birthday. So the doctor every years convinces me to get the flu shot. Of course I can't just let one kid have it, so all my kids get the flu shot. Well I tried telling the doctor that I never got the flu shot when I was a kid, but he kept saying that doesn't mean anything. The last 4 winters we have been so sick and it all starts after the flu shot. This is the first winter I put my foot down and said no...multiple times! We haven't been sick yet! We all feel normal and I'm happy!