8 years ago
2
Will the flu shot work this year?
As temperatures drop and germ-sharing season kicks into top gear, the talk turns to flu season and the effectiveness of the flu shot. For just a few dollars and a quick stop at the doctor's office or the grocery store, you can ward off days of bed-bound utter misery — sometimes. Last year's flu shot was a bit of a bust. How well the flu vaccine works can vary significantly from flu season to flu season. Each season, researchers create the flu vaccine designed to protect against the...
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How many of you guys go get an annual flu shot? My wife works for a hospital system, so it's a requirement for employment (even though she works from home, is never near any patients, and isn't around anyone who would be).
Personally, I don't get one. Strains mutate so fast that it's basically a waste of effort (not to mention a sore arm) for the slight sliver of a possibility it may or may not lesson the worst of the symptoms. And, I work from home as well. Other than going to 5K's during winter, I'm typically holed up in the house during the worst of the season.
My University sets up a booth in the main building for basically a "walk through" flu shot. Takes about 5-10 minutes to fill out the paperwork and get the shot then go on with my day. A sore arm isn't a big deal for me as I regularly get shots and blood tests every few months so I'm used to it, and given that I'm in a pretty high-risk setting, doing everything possible no matter how seemingly insignificant to keep my health (and my grade!) up is a necessity.