Flu shots [PLEASE READ FIRST POST!]

Hey everyone... We actually had this exact same debate about a year ago. To save you some time, I'll just give you my take on why getting a flu shot is basically pointless and actually does more harm than good:
1) These shots are packed with stuff like formaldehyde—which is a known carcinogen—plus mercury, which is one of the most toxic things out there, and who knows what other nasty chemicals they're hiding in there
2) Because of all those toxins mentioned above, the vaccine can actually tank your immune system, making you even more vulnerable to catching the flu in the first place
3) Let's be real, the flu shot doesn't even stop you from getting sick; it just supposedly makes the symptoms a little less intense if you do catch it
4) If you really want to protect yourself, the best way is just to build up your natural immunity. Eat tons of raw veggies—and fruit too, though veggies are definitely better—and stay away from sugar and stress... that's where the real strength comes from.

Look, getting the flu shot actually stops you from catching the damn thing—I’m telling you, I know because I’ve lived it...

The thing is, healthy young people don't really need to bother with it, you know? It should just be for the seniors and folks dealing with chronic health issues...

rustymoose54 said:Healthy young people don't need the shot—it should just be for seniors and those with chronic conditions.

🙂 I might not be exactly young anymore, 😁 but I'm healthy.
A couple of years back, I caught the flu... and man, let me tell you, it was a total nightmare. 🙂 Since then, I've made sure to get vaccinated every single year.

Jonathan Reed4 said:🙂 Look, I might not be exactly twenty-something anymore... 😁 but I'm healthy as a horse.

well, then you pretty much fall right into that group that needs the shots. I specifically wrote "seniors and folks with chronic conditions"

Oh, come on—don't act like you don't fit the "senior citizen" description just a little bit... 😁

dustycanyon6 said:Look, folks... we already had this exact debate about a year ago. Long story short: getting a flu shot is a waste of time and bad for you because:
...

Are you kidding me? 🙄

rustymoose54 said:Come on, it's not like you actually count as one of the "older crowd" 😁

Look, if we're being honest, I AM older than you...😉 😁 😁

Anyway, dustycanyon6, let's not start getting paranoid here. 👎

Jonathan Reed4 said:Look, I AM older than you...😉 😁 😁

I mean, seriously—if I hadn't specifically said "older than me," we'd be looking at some massive shortage. There wouldn't even be enough doses left for the elderly folks who actually need them, right? 😎

Anyway, back to the point... the last time I caught the flu was back in January 2000, and man, I almost ended up in the ER. Luckily, I didn't have anyone to drive me

during those tiny windows when I felt slightly less like death—I would've been sitting there thinking about funeral flowers. My own, probably...

It was pretty grim, honestly, but I pulled through. And by the next flu season, I made sure I was already vaccinated. 👍

rustymoose54 said:The last time I had the flu was back in January 2000, and I almost ended up in the ER. Luckily, I had someone to drive me there.

In those brief moments when I felt slightly better, I actually found myself thinking about what flowers I'd want at my funeral. My own, I mean.

It was pretty grim, honestly, but I pulled through. And by the next season, I made sure to get my flu shot.👍

Same here! 😢
If that hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't believe it either!

I’ve gone through the vaccination process twice now. Both times, about ten days later, I was sidelined by the absolute worst flu imaginable. Now, look, I’m no stranger to catching the flu—it happens—but these two instances were on a completely different level of misery. It was brutal. So, that's it for me. I'm done with shots.

Michael Cox40 said:I’ve had two shots total. Both times, about ten days later, I ended up catching the worst flu imaginable.

The shot is usually given two months before flu season hits, so the virus isn't even around yet. Is it possible you just caught something else?😕

I got my shot last year, but I honestly can't say the same for this season.
I probably couldn't even function properly for nearly two months because of how rough it hit me.

If I had just caught the actual flu, I would have been sidelined for a week or two, but what happened to me was just a whole different level of miserable.

The folks over at my office are organizing another round of shots, and they handed out some flyers—I haven't really looked through them yet, though I could probably tell you what they say once I get a chance to check them on Monday😁—and told everyone to sign up if they want one.

Yeah, not a chance. 😬

Roger Hall15 said:I got my shot last year, so I'm probably skipping this one.
I honestly felt terrible for nearly two months after. It was rough.

Are you pretty sure the vaccine was what caused you to feel that way?

Dead Carrot said:Are you kidding me? 🙄

I am being dead serious. The details are right here. Roger Hall15 shared a really great example from her own life recently... I have a feeling more people are going to chime in with similar stories soon.

Jonathan Reed4 said:Are you absolutely certain it was actually the vaccine that caused everything to go south?

No, obviously not, though I did chalk the whole thing up to that, even if the symptoms were, you know, relatively mild—just a slight headache, a bit of a fever, some general aches and pains, feeling totally wiped out, all that stuff. It honestly drove me a little crazy.😲
It all kicked off right after the shot.

Then again, maybe I was already coming down with something and just didn't give it enough thought at the time.

Jonathan Reed4 said:The shot goes in about two months before flu season even kicks off, so the virus isn't even floating around yet. There’s just no way you actually caught the flu.😕

In my office, I saw a few people deal with some pretty rough symptoms—though it didn't last nearly as long as actual flu would—where they were legitimately wiped out for a bit.
Sure, some folks felt absolutely nothing, but it seems like a good number of people had some kind of reaction to that vaccine, one way or another.

That’s why you shouldn't get vaccinated if you're dealing with an acute illness, running a fever, or just feeling under the weather.

Just a heads-up, it's pretty common to experience some flu-like symptoms after the shot—things like a fever, muscle aches, or a headache. Usually, though, these are pretty mild and tend to clear up within a day or two.

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly how it works sometimes. Whenever I’m running on empty and completely burnt out, my body starts throwing those classic cold symptoms at me for a day or two, and then once I actually catch up on sleep and give myself some downtime, everything just clears right up.
😲
The same thing goes for my central nervous system, honestly. It’s just one of those things. Anyway, I won't go on whining about it indefinitely. 😁😁

Sheky said:Gotta jump in here with a few more questions: Can I actually get the shot if I’m feeling kinda flu-ish? Like, maybe it isn't even the flu, just a runny nose and my throat acting up... it's not really "pain," more like this weird tightening sensation, sometimes more, sometimes less, I don't even know how to describe it... and lastly, I don't think I have a fever, but I haven't checked and I don't feel hot, so who knows...
Advice please.😕

Nah.

Jonathan Reed4 said:The shot happens two months before flu season hits, so the virus isn't even floating around yet. Are you sure you didn't just catch the flu?😕

It’s definitely possible. And honestly, I don't think I'm the only one this has happened to.

Just to clarify, I was perfectly healthy both times. The first time, I wondered if there was any connection to the vaccine at all; the second time, I was convinced there was. The worst part is that I’ve never had such a brutal bout of the flu, neither before nor after. It wasn't just a couple of days of feeling off, either—it dragged on for weeks.

Nope, and I’m definitely not planning on getting vaccinated.

The thing is, I’ve honestly never even had the flu before, and if it came down to it, I’d much rather deal with a week of feeling miserable from the flu than deal with an injection.

I just stick to taking some Echinacea once the flu season starts rolling in...