Flu Shots 2020

DH and I get the high dose version every year at Walgreens. Will do so again this year. We'll choose a slow time and get in and out quickly. I called this week to see if the high dose was in stock yet and it was not. Also tried a CVS. Same story. I think waiting until late September is wise though. I've been told that it takes 3 weeks after inoculation for the shot to provide protection.
 
I went in for my second pneumovax and the flu shot had just arrived (yesterday). Two sore shoulders!

Fortunately, I live I n Vermont. The incidence of Covid is so low here, and precautions followed quite well, that there is very little risk in a quick trip to the pharmacy.
 
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DW and I will get the high dose as soon as it's available. We will definitely wear masks to protect others and ourselves. We read everything we can about this and are motivated by the science, not the politics.
 
We'll get our flu shots in Sept/Oct. I asked my primary care doc if I could get the pneumonia shot and he said I'd have to wait until 65. Already had the shingles shots.

Waiting anxiously for the covid shot! I'll get it as soon as it's available for me.
 
I'm hoping for a drive-by flu shot event. The only commercial indoor places I've been since March 11 are Ace Hardware for Propane; Brewery for beer take out; and PCP office. It would be great if the Brewery had a flu shot clinic in their parking lot :LOL:

NPR had an article on flu shots: "Pharmacies and doctors' offices are trying to be as creative as possible to allay the fears some people have expressed that they could catch the coronavirus while waiting in line for a flu shot. Chris Krese, spokesman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, says proposed plans by member pharmacies in his association include the following:

Off-site vaccination clinics (i.e., away from the pharmacy). Some of these may be held in smaller venues such as community centers, senior centers or libraries — or in larger venues such as sports arenas and parking-lot drive-up clinics. (Watch for details on locations near you in the next few weeks.)
Extra levels of protection inside stores, such as requiring that masks be worn by those giving the shots and their patients.
Encouraging patients to schedule vaccination appointments, then check in for those appointments digitally and wait outside the store or physician's office to be called in for the immunization.
Spectrum Health, a health system serving hundreds of thousands of people in the Midwest, will be encouraging its patients to make an appointment this fall to have a health provider meet them curbside for the vaccination, or just drop by and call the clinic on arrival for a flu immunization outside; staff will be standing by.

Kaiser Permanente in Northern California is planning drive-through flu clinics for all days of the week, at least through late fall, that will permit patients to stick one arm out the car window for an immunizing jab. Meanwhile, patients coming inside the Kaiser clinics for any health reason will be offered a vaccination too.

And because outdoors is safer than indoors during this year of COVID-19, physicians who run One Medical, a nationwide primary care practice, say they hope to set up a number of outdoor flu clinics in addition to inside options."

https://www.npr.org/sections/health...u-shot-strategy-get-yours-early-in-the-season
 
Yes, I will be getting a flu vaccine this year. Not yet 65, so unable to get the high dose one.
I get my vaccine usually end of September or in October, need a good 4-6 weeks to build up immunity so I get it before Influenza hits in November.
 
Aerides said:
That was my Mom, until about 60 she got the flu which then turned into pneumonia. She spent 2 weeks in bed and still complains about it whenever the topic comes up.

Flu shots ever since for her. I started them about 5 years ago after a run-of-the-mill flu that ruined a week in my first months of ER. Figured I didn't spend all that effort saving for ER to waste it being avoidably-sick, so I'll take the shot every year.
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We're not anti-vax at all. it's just that DW and I rarely get sick, and if we have to get a shot, we might have to go where there are sick people who might infect us. We don't fix what isn't broken.
 
timo2 said:
Does anyone ever get the Fluzone High-Dose flu vaccine or the adjuvanted flu vaccine?
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https://www.familiesfightingflu.org/types-of-flu-vaccines/

Emphasis added....

Flu Vaccines for Seniors
As our body ages, so does our immune system. That is why there are specially formulated vaccines available for individuals who are 65 years and older.

These vaccines are designed to induce a greater immune response so that the body produces enough antibodies to protect the recipient. One type of flu vaccine specifically designed for seniors is the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, which prompts the body with four times the number of viral particles contained in other vaccines. The other vaccine specifically designed for seniors, Fluad, contains a compound called an adjuvant, which induces the immune system to react more forcefully to the injection. Both of these vaccines can be used in adults age 65 years and older.

One study on the high-dose flu vaccine found that adults age 65 years and older had 24 percent fewer influenza infections as compared to those who received a standard flu vaccine. One study on the adjuvanted flu vaccine found it was 63 percent more effective than regular dose unadjuvanted flu shots. While the increased amount of protection may vary, experts agree that individuals 65 years of age and older should consider getting a flu vaccine specifically designed for seniors each season. Talk to your trusted healthcare professional about which one may be right for you.
Find out why it’s especially important for adults who are 65 years of age and older to get their annual flu vaccines by visiting our Seniors page.
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I found this information from our friends in Australia.

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation/Pages/flu.aspx

Influenza vaccines

Five free vaccines will be available in 2020:

Click to expand...
 
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My son chose not to get the flu shot. About 8 years ago he caught a bad case of the flu. On Christmas day had to take him to the emergency room (nothing else open) as his fever was very high.

Next year didn't get a flu shot. Damn it if he didn't catch the flu again and had to take him to the emergency room on Christmas day. WTH.

These were not cheap visits.

He finally agreed to get a flu shot every year and has not gotten the flu again.

I always get a flu shot.
 
There are two themes here:
Should I get the flu shot - specifically the high dose version if over 65
Is it safe to go into a medical clinic or pharmacy to get the shot

To the first one: yes, get the shot (high dose or low dose depending on age), if you should get the flu it has been shown to be a milder version.

To the second one: the issue is will the venue be as clean as possible. That one depends on your state or county. Currently in most of Washington state we are in a phase 2 condition where medical offices/pharmacies are open and adhering to certain protocols. Masks are required by all of the public with social distancing required within a store. Most of the medical professionals I have met are wearing a mask, and some (like dentists) add a face shield. So I feel very safe going into a pharmacy for a shot. I think they are following protocols to keep the injection room safe for patients.

Rita
 
I am over 65 and always get the flu shot. When I first turned 65 I got the high dose shot and had a pretty bad reaction--fever, swollen arm, felt awful --in the bed for a few days. My doctor advised that going forward I should get the regular dose which is what I have done and no reaction. In fact my doctors office has quit giving the high dose because of so many adverse reactions--everyone just gets the regular dose.
 
Gotadimple said:
There are two themes here:
Should I get the flu shot - specifically the high dose version if over 65
Is it safe to go into a medical clinic or pharmacy to get the shot
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To me the issue isn't "is it safe" because I don't think that is a yes or no answer - its a question of the amount of risk the activity has. I don't want to get a flu shot if I feel the risk of something bad happening is higher than the risk not getting a flu shot.

The risk calculus changes the more likely someone is to get the flu. And if people are already out in stores it might not be much more risk to be in the store a couple more minutes to get a shot.

I'm not planning on being within 10 feet of anyone not in my household or in an indoor space with anyone not in my household until there is a vaccine or no community spread of coronavirus in my area. Going into a doctors office or pharmacy seems way riskier to me at the moment than not getting a shot.
 
I'm amazed people are deciding to get/not get flu shot based on personal experiences; i.e., anecdotes. Scientific data is a much better basis: get the dang shot.
 
bobandsherry said:
There are people with covid who are asymptomatic. And not everyone who has symptoms are really sick. The media seems to only highlight those who have severe symptoms so stir up fear in folks.
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As far as the flu shot goes, I'm in. Have been getting it for many years and no flu.

I think the media is right to stir up fear so people take the threat of contracting Covid seriously. As of today, there have been 5,525,381 positive tests in the US and 172,527 have died. This ain't fake news. Too many people believe they need to do nothing and go around as they did last January and they will be fine. That's the fake news - If you want to die, feel free, I prefer not to and will take appropriate precautions.
 
beowulf said:
As far as the flu shot goes, I'm in. Have been getting it for many years and no flu.

I think the media is right to stir up fear so people take the threat of contracting Covid seriously. As of today, there have been 5,525,381 positive tests in the US and 172,527 have died. This ain't fake news. Too many people believe they need to do nothing and go around as they did last January and they will be fine. That's the fake news - If you want to die, feel free, I prefer not to and will take appropriate precautions.
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This thread is about FLU SHOTS. Please take your other comments elsewhere.
 
CardsFan- FYI, if you look carefully, I replied to someone who had posted misinformation that I wanted to correct.
 
timo2 said:
I'm hoping for a drive-by flu shot event.
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But wouldn't you have to register your insurance information with them, unless your regular pharmacy is setting up the drive-by shots?

I got mine at the pharmacy inside the supermarket.

I'm not sure if I've ever had the flu. But once about 20 years ago, I had a bought that I could not get rid of for about 2 months.

There's a theory that vaccines for other things may prime your immune system to react better against the CV.
 
I'll be getting mine at Costco again this year. Got it last year along with a free Narcan (naloxone) kit.
 
We will get the flu shot this year.
I got the flu as a child, maybe around 8 yrs old. I will never forget how sick I was. As an adult I will always get a flu shot. I never want to experience that ever again.
Husband used to never get it. Until he got the flu a few years back. Was sick for a good two weeks. Ever since he has always gotten a flu shot also.
I encourage my adult children to get the shot every year also. (I always had them get it as children.) They tell me they do.
I just think its unnecessary to suffer through the flu when its so easy to prevent.
 
Aerides said:
That was my Mom, until about 60 she got the flu which then turned into pneumonia. She spent 2 weeks in bed and still complains about it whenever the topic comes up.

Flu shots ever since for her. I started them about 5 years ago after a run-of-the-mill flu that ruined a week in my first months of ER. Figured I didn't spend all that effort saving for ER to waste it being avoidably-sick, so I'll take the shot every year.
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Winemaker said:
We're not anti-vax at all. it's just that DW and I rarely get sick, and if we have to get a shot, we might have to go where there are sick people who might infect us. We don't fix what isn't broken.
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Sorry if you thought I was remotely implying you were anti-vax at all from my response, nope! Just saying I think a bad bout with the flu is often what drives most of us into the "always get the shot from here on out" camp. Whether that's at 45, 65, or 75.

Also, I can get my shot at Publix, since I'm there for groceries anyways, and they often have a coupon with it.
 
We go to the CVS that fills our RXs ~ they have all our info on file. Have never encountered a wait.
 
I’ve been getting the flu shot for at least 25 years or more, and have never contracted the flu in all of that time. So I’ll definitely being going to get it again sometime around mid-September. Besides, being the full-time caregiver for my 93 y.o. Mom, i don’t want to take any unnecessary risks, and chancing her getting the flu. Of course, she’ll also be getting the flu shot, and with both us getting the shot, that greatly reduces the risk.

As far as the possible covid related risk of going somewhere in public to get the shot, we’ll go to our local pharmacy at an off-peak time for more reliable social distancing. That along with the fact that the pharmacy is quite proactive in requiring all customers and staff to wear masks, maintain proper distancing, and disinfecting all contact surfaces often and thoroughly, I don’t really have any qualms about going there.
 
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