Post-flu shot illness

I went to the VA clinic three days ago for annual labs and took advantage of the free flu shots while I was there. At 67 I got the senior dose which is the first flu shot I've had since my mid twenties in the service. That tech was good. I felt nothing receiving the shot and never had injection site pain. I did feel a bit wonky that evening but nothing I could specifically point a finger at. All fine the next day.
 
Feeling better

The fun part came last night when the chills set in. I warmed up in the wee hours, and felt too hot, yet better. Today I've been feeling tired and ill, but I had a good nap and now I'm feeling almost over it.


If I have this strong a reaction this year, are future flu shots likely to be as dramatic?
 
Agapostemon said:
The fun part came last night when the chills set in. I warmed up in the wee hours, and felt too hot, yet better. Today I've been feeling tired and ill, but I had a good nap and now I'm feeling almost over it.


If I have this strong a reaction this year, are future flu shots likely to be as dramatic?
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I have always wondered --if you run a fever after a flu shot does that mean that your body is building better immunity to the flu?
 
harllee said:
I have always wondered --if you run a fever after a flu shot does that mean that your body is building better immunity to the flu?
Click to expand...

Best SWAG: Since YMMV, if you ask 10 doctors this question - you'll get 12 answers.:facepalm:
 
I'm not getting more than one vaccine at a time.

I got the Shingrex vaccine at the end of September, and was going to get the flu shot next. Then I recalled that I came down with pneumonia (and an unidentified virus that wasn't the flu) about three weeks after I got the flu vaccine in February. So, I decided that my next vaccine would be the pneumonia vaccine.
 
Maybe contact where you got the shot and have them test the batch? Maybe others who got it have symptoms similar. My wife and I have been getting flu shots for decades without any problems. Sorry to hear about yours. Hope all is well soon
 
In my 30+ years of getting a flu shot I have never had a reaction to it. Sore arm maybe. Got a pneumonia booster shot yesterday and last night had a very sore arm. Could barely lift it. Same this morning when I woke up but is loosening up now.
 
The only reaction I have ever had is a bit of soreness. With the second Shingrix, I did get some swelling and redness, but nothing I am worried about.
I take 800 mg of Ibuprofen after I get any vaccine to help with muscle soreness. Seems to help me.
I would always rather have a minor reaction and sore arm than any disease there is a vaccine for.
 
I take every vaccine available. I figure, R/W, that the more antibodies I develop for whatever, the better protection I have for the next new thing that comes along.
 
Dawg52 said:
In my 30+ years of getting a flu shot I have never had a reaction to it. Sore arm maybe. Got a pneumonia booster shot yesterday and last night had a very sore arm. Could barely lift it. Same this morning when I woke up but is loosening up now.
Click to expand...
I'm curious, which "pneumonia booster shot" did you get, Prevnar 13 or Pneumovax 23? From your sig, I deduce that your first pneumonia shot was before age 65. Which one was that shot, and wondering why you had one way early, unless you have underlying conditions?
 
I had the Zostavax vaccine in 2013. Now I am not sure about the Shingrix. I sure don't want the Shingles but because I had a reaction from the Zostavax I just don't know.
I never take the Flu shot and have never had the Flu. I am age 73 so maybe I got a good immune system. Who knows. I feel good and don't want to get sick from a shot.
 
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harllee said:
I have always wondered --if you run a fever after a flu shot does that mean that your body is building better immunity to the flu?
Click to expand...
Probably not "better", but at least it's doing something. When the body "notices" something it's never "seen" before, the innate immune system rushes in and tries to get rid of it. But it's a later step that is an attempt to make things that recognize the specific bit of "non-you" that says if it worked well. Those bits, if made, will jump specifically on those bits, if they ever show up again. That is the goal. Since the innate response drives the adaptive, one could argue that maybe a puffy arm is better. I don't know.
 
oldtrig said:
I had the Zostavax vaccine in 2013. Now I am not sure about the Shingrix. I sure don't want the Shingles but because I had a reaction from the Zostavax I just don't know.
I never take the Flu shot and have never had the Flu. I am age 73 so maybe I got a good immune system. Who knows. I feel good and don't want to get sick from a shot.
Click to expand...

Zostavax is only about 50% effective (I still had Shingles even after I had Zostavax). Shingrix is about 95% plus effective so if you want to avoid Shingles you need to get Shingirx. Why don't you want to get the Shingrix vaccine?
 
harllee said:
The new Shingrix shot is 97% effective which is great effectiveness for a vaccine.
My doctor told me there is a 5% chance of getting shingles a second time for most people. For people with a severe case of Shingles (like I had) there is a higher chance of getting shingles a second time--about 10%. Having had Shingles 3 times I was very grateful for the Shingrix vaccine and I would have paid almost any amount of money to get it.
Click to expand...

Agree. I had a relatively mild case of shingles at 47. Mild because I realized immediately what was happening and got treated. I still have unresolved nerve pain from the experience. Interestingly, my father had it at the same age.

I just turned 50 and immediately made an appt for the vaccine. If you’ve already had shingles, your risk of a recurrence increases. No way do I want to go through that again. That said, I’m not looking forward to the vaccine. Everyone I know has felt crappy for a few days afterwards.
 
I don’t get the flu shot. Not because I’m anti vaccine, but it’s just not that effective and it does have risks. In the chart from the CDC, the most effective it’s been in the past several years is 60% and it’s been as low as 19%. Given that I’m not working anymore I figure my risk of exposure is reduced (especially this year), that I’m in good health and given that there are risk associated with any vaccine, I’m just not feeling the benefit outweighs the risk.

If interested, the link below is to the CDC table I’m referring too.

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/effectiveness-studies.htm
 
DW and I received our flu shots at the same time, and I thought we were clear. Her arm felt sore but the next morning she felt better. Then... the evening her arm starting to swell and feel warm. More swelling by the morning, so she went back to the CVS clinic and was diagnosed with cellulitis. She is on antibiotics and the swelling is almost gone now.
 
jollystomper said:
DW and I received our flu shots at the same time, and I thought we were clear. Her arm felt sore but the next morning she felt better. Then... the evening her arm starting to swell and feel warm. More swelling by the morning, so she went back to the CVS clinic and was diagnosed with cellulitis. She is on antibiotics and the swelling is almost gone now.
Click to expand...
Would make me wonder if the person who administered it swabbed your wife's arm properly and vigorously enough. If not, then bacteria on her skin's surface could have been punched/dragged in. Other more unlikely possibilities...your DW could be especially bacteria-ey :LOL:, or proper care was not taken of the needle-end before injection (oh, I just dropped the syringe on the floor, but I picked it up well within 30 seconds! :sick: )

All the Pharmacists who have given me injections have done it very well, I think I trust them more than some of the folks at drs. offices.

Hope she continues to recover without further problems :)
 
I will report as I don't recall if I have. Flu for me. Fly/shingrix 1 for DH Monday am first thing. He had terrible chills, fever, malaise that night and next day. I had terrible headache that night. My arm recovered today but he still reports decent pain. Both shots given in same arm. He feels ok now
 
Telly said:
Would make me wonder if the person who administered it swabbed your wife's arm properly and vigorously enough. If not, then bacteria on her skin's surface could have been punched/dragged in. Other more unlikely possibilities...your DW could be especially bacteria-ey :LOL:, or proper care was not taken of the needle-end before injection (oh, I just dropped the syringe on the floor, but I picked it up well within 30 seconds! :sick: )

All the Pharmacists who have given me injections have done it very well, I think I trust them more than some of the folks at drs. offices.

Hope she continues to recover without further problems :)
Click to expand...

Thanks. She is continuing to improve, it is just a minor thing now. She was able to go bowling with me today and it did not bother her.

I was there and observed the person administering the injection and DW's injection, everything seemed fine to me. The same person administered my shot after DW's, and I have had not issues. DW is unfortunately prone to reactions after flu shots. Generally speaking she tends to get bacteria-ey :) related illnesses more than I do.
 
DH said the shot felt like an electric shock and made him jump. He thinks it was because it was very cold. Pharmacist said his reaction was unique.
 
DW and I both scheduled our flu shots at our local Walmart Pharmacy. When we got there, they did not have the senior dose. They seemed to want to give us the lighter dose. I asked if they know of any other Walmart that had the SR. dose. Well, with a bit of reluctance, they found another local Walmart that had it and could get us in immediately only a few miles away. So that's what we did. The shot itself was really not painful at all and neither of us had any side effects. I also got my first pneumonia shot too. Never had one before. No issue there either.
 
wife nausea this am

wife has bad nausea this morning,she got flu shot yesterday along with anti-biotics for uti and blood test for upcoming health care insurance changes...

I am thinking and hoping it is reaction to flu shot and not covid...she's been throwing up for an hour...gonna check with doctor in an hour or so.
 
bobbyr said:
wife has bad nausea this morning,she got flu shot yesterday along with anti-biotics for uti and blood test for upcoming health care insurance changes...

I am thinking and hoping it is reaction to flu shot and not covid...she's been throwing up for an hour...gonna check with doctor in an hour or so.
Click to expand...

she ended up being nauseous from UTI...got her Zolfran for nausea and she started anti-bio and is feeling fine now.
 
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