Is it selfish to get a flu shot if you're not high risk?

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justLaura

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With the new recommendations out that healthy people age 2-60 refrain from getting the flu shot because of the small supply available, is it selfish to get the flu shot as a healthy adult?
 
I am supposed to get a flu shot because I have severe asthma, which worsens everytime I get a respiratory infection. the last three years the vaccine has not been available until after Christmas, and by then I have already had the flu. I started looking for it in September, two places that promised flu shots to the public have posted signs cancelling since they cannot get enough vaccine.
 
At the risk of sounding not very nice, yeah, I do think it’s kinda selfish if you’re not high risk. I won’t get one for that reason: I’m 26, in excellent health, and can (and have) fight off the flu in three or four days. I’d much rather spare a dose for a baby, an elderly person, or someone with a compromised immune system. I don’t need it.
 
Although you might not be high risk, do you care for or visit and elderly person? Do you have or will you visit a baby? Etc. I would take that into consideration.
 
In answer to your question—yes- that would be selfish.

On a side note, some research about the flu vaccine might make you want to re-think it anyway 😉 .

My family will not be getting it- and I have an 8 month old at home.
 
I must agree that you should refrain from taking a flu shot, that is at least until they can work out a solution to the critical shortage. There is another option to the shot, they have a nasal spray form of the flu vaccine that is a good option for people in “good health”. Check with your health care provider or local board of health is see if it’s availible in your area.

Linda H.
 
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jess7396:
On a side note, some research about the flu vaccine might make you want to re-think it anyway.
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Could you elaborate on that?

I normally get a flu shot every year, but I probably won’t get one this year since I think other people need it more.
 
jess is correct and I hope she elaborates. As far as I understand, flu vaccines are usually a case of the generals fighting the last war so their protection against this year’s strains (whatever they may be, they can only make calculated guesses) is limited. Moreover, each time you get a flu shot you degrade your own immunity and become increasingly dependent of the shot. This is amateur knowledge, would be happy to be corrected or clarified.

Chris C.
 
Chris C.:
… Moreover, each time you get a flu shot you degrade your own immunity and become increasingly dependent of the shot. This is amateur knowledge, would be happy to be corrected or clarified.

Chris C.
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To counter with my own amateur knowledge: I think that the shot stimulates the body’s defenses and causes it to produce antibodies. Whether repeated shots improve the body’s responsiveness I am not sure, but see no reason to believe that it harms its responsiveness.
 
I’m back :D.

Well- there is so much to this issue, questioning vaccines really takes a LOT of research, and it is a good idea IMO to thoroughly research vaccines before ever using any for anything. You CANNOT count on your Dr. to tell you all that you should know on this issue. I used to totally trust Dr.s blindly with regard to this, until I learned that certain vaccines are made from aborted fetal tissue, that knowledge opened up a whole can of worms for me, and I was forced to REALLY look into each and every vaccine on my own and make my determinations, on which were safe and which are not.

Good, well-educated people will differ on this issue, I happen to come down on the side that the Flu vaccine is not worth the risks.

Please do research on any vaccine you plan to get or have given to your child.

Here is an article on avoiding the flu without the flu shot, and the author touches on the issue of the flu shot at the end of the article.
mercola.com/2003/oct/29/flu_shot.htm

~Patty

PS- Just FYI- the Flu vaccine is NOT made from aborted fetal tissue.
PPS- Here is a website to learn about which vaccines are made from aborted fetal tissue:
cogforlife.org/
 
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jess7396:
Here is an article on avoiding the flu without the flu shot, and the author touches on the issue of the flu shot at the end of the article.
mercola.com/2003/oct/29/flu_shot.htm
Click to expand...
The authors describe six ways of avoiding the flu:


  1. *]Avoid sugar
    *]Get enough rest
    *]Eat garlic
    *]Don’t let stress become overwhelming
    *]Exercise
    *]Wash your hands

    I would be interested in seeing evidence for #1 and #3. Obviously too much sugar is a bad thing (lots of Calories, rots your teeth, etc.). I happen to like garlic, but I am a bit skeptical about some of the claims. There was a time when people were promoting garlic to lower cholesterol, but those claims have largely been de-bunked.

    They also make some dubious claims about the harmfulness of anti-bacterial soap.
 
Yeah, the author’s recommendations were a little weird to me. Blueberries in my hamburgers? No thanks.

I have never gotten the flu shot, and don’t really see myself ever getting one. I’ve had bad colds, but nothing that ever fits the symptoms of the flu, ever. Not that I know of. So until I start to get the flu regularly, I doubt I’d bother with the flu shot. I’m too afraid right now that it’ll start giving me the flu!

I think it would be a bit selfish to get the flu shot if you’re healthy, and you won’t be around high-risk individuals. If you’re healthy, but work around a high-risk group (in a nursing home, for instance), I’d think it would be better to get a shot. If you want to get the shot because your company is offering them for free so that they don’t have to give out sick days, I’d skip it and encourage the company to give the shots to a high risk group instead.
 
If you are working with small children or elders, the only breadwinner no…

…I should be getting the flu shot because of my asthsma and becasue I live in a dorm (on a small campus, in a town where people stay inside during the winter months), plus they give out lots of flu shots here because of the proxmity to Toronto (so they can immeditly indentify between flu and sars)…putting me at all sorts of risk, but I hate shots with a vengence so I am not…

…probably selfish for me not to get it…

garlic is good becasue it helps the liver…idunno thats what I have always heard.
 
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justLaura:
With the new recommendations out that healthy people age 2-60 refrain from getting the flu shot because of the small supply available, is it selfish to get the flu shot as a healthy adult?
Click to expand...
Yea, safe the supply for the ones that are in the “high risk” category.

Theodora
 
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Benedictus:
The authors describe six ways of avoiding the flu:


  1. *]Avoid sugar
    *]Get enough rest
    *]Eat garlic
    *]Don’t let stress become overwhelming
    *]Exercise
    *]Wash your hands

    I would be interested in seeing evidence for #1 and #3. Obviously too much sugar is a bad thing (lots of Calories, rots your teeth, etc.). I happen to like garlic, but I am a bit skeptical about some of the claims. There was a time when people were promoting garlic to lower cholesterol, but those claims have largely been de-bunked.

    They also make some dubious claims about the harmfulness of anti-bacterial soap.
Click to expand...

  1. If you eat enough garlic, no one will get close enough to give you any germs. 😃

    It also keeps vampires away - possibly for the same reason.
 
There’s an article in the Wall Steet Journal about the sudden decertification of that vaccine factory in the UK. Apparently the culprit was a particular kind of bacterium in the production system. It’s the same bacterium that causes that pinkish stain in your bathroom shower if you don’t clean it enough. Ewwwwwwww. You gotta take a long hard think about putting stuff like that in your body. When injected, this bacterium can cause blood infections. Serious stuff. It made me understand a bit better why the vaccine manufacturers use mercury in the preparations – mercury kills bacteria. Does other nasty stuff, too, if there’s enough of it, but that’s another thread.

Anyway, go find a copy of the WSJ and read that article.

God bless,
Karen

P.S. My answer to Laura’s original question: yes.
 
I think it is, yes. I’m young, and very healthy, but my mom says I should get the shot anyway since we have a baby in the house. I don’t like vaccines, or shots, but I guess for the health of the baby, I’ll be getting one.
 
Yes, if you are in good health. Why would you want to get a shot anyway? 😉 Poke!
 
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