Meadbh
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
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Concerns about effectiveness of this year's flu vaccine
- Thread starter Meadbh
- Start date
kumquat
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Ah, a Canadian source for us northerners. Glad to see it, reinforces my plan to procrastinate until spring (and then not bother).
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
I got mine last week. I absolutely HATE having the flu, and if it does anything at all to lower my chances of getting it then it is well worth the price! (It was free, at work.) 
As an aside, my perception is that I seem to have fewer colds and viruses in years when I get a flu shot. I am not aware of any scientific basis for a connection between the flu shot and bolstered immunity. Maybe my perception is a modern superstition. Could be. Anyway, all considered I would rather get a partially effective flu shot than none.
As an aside, my perception is that I seem to have fewer colds and viruses in years when I get a flu shot. I am not aware of any scientific basis for a connection between the flu shot and bolstered immunity. Maybe my perception is a modern superstition.
Could be. Anyway, all considered I would rather get a partially effective flu shot than none.
grumpy
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
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- Messages
- 1,321
Maybe Rich-in-tampa can respond on this:
I got my flu shot on Oct. 1st. I had completed a short course of prednisone (Medrol dose pack) for my back pains two weeks before. Now I have read that steroids can decrease the effectiveness of vaccines. Should I get another flu shot? Thanks.
Grumpy
I got my flu shot on Oct. 1st. I had completed a short course of prednisone (Medrol dose pack) for my back pains two weeks before. Now I have read that steroids can decrease the effectiveness of vaccines. Should I get another flu shot? Thanks.
Grumpy
Rich_by_the_Bay
Moderator Emeritus
My understanding is that you should be OK - short course of steroids completed well before immunization shouldn't have any significant effect. But it can blunt the response if you are on steroids when the immunization is given or immediately before. Call you doctor and see if he/she agrees.
Goonie
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I got mine last week. I absolutely HATE having the flu, and if it does anything at all to lower my chances of getting it then it is well worth the price! (It was free, at work.)
As an aside, my perception is that I seem to have fewer colds and viruses in years when I get a flu shot. I am not aware of any scientific basis for a connection between the flu shot and bolstered immunity. Maybe my perception is a modern superstition.
Same here. I got mine at a "senior health fair" last week. And my perception is the same as yours also. In the last 5 years since I started getting the flu shots, I've only had one cold, and no other yucky stuff. Maybe it's just a coincidence, maybe not.....who knows! But I'll offer the use of my arm as a pin cushion once a year to try to keep it that way!
