I did not get the flu shot. I have a compromised immune system (allergies, asthma and a just an overall tendency to be sickly year ‘round) so I stopped getting the flu shot when I noticed each year it tended to make me sick. (My doctors noticed, too..and one finally said: “Uh, maybe the flu shot is not a good idea for you.” After that, I stopped getting them.)
Even with the news of the 18 deaths in Boston, and the recent deaths of two healthy teenagers in my area, I won’t be getting the shot because it seems that my entire family (including me) all had the flu already. (It’s already peaked in our area. I was sick with it on Christmas Eve..we all got it during the 2 or so weeks around the holidays.)
Our middle daughter got the flu shot (back in the fall, during her back-to-school checkup, it was her choice) and she got just as sick (maybe even sicker?) than I did..and that’s unusual because I have asthma and often end up really sick (needing steroids, chest x-rays and lots of medical intervention to recover) from winter colds.
So, the one person in our family who had the flu shot…got sicker than me..and I have a comprised immune system. Go figure.
That said, my father (who has been an ER doctor for 40+ years) said that this year’s flu shot was considered particularly “good” as it seems to have gotten the right strain (some years they miss by a long shot… hahaha, pun intended!)..and even though they got the right strain, there are still variations/mutations..and hence, even getting the flu shot isn’t a guarantee (point proven by my healthy 11 yr. old daughter).