The Traveler's Dilemma

Nov. 10th, 2011 07:49 am
tex: (jf-Dawsons Creek)
[personal profile] tex
No, not that one. (I always carry Immodium with me). No, I'm talking about a yes or no on taking a flu shot before our travels next month. I never take flu shots and I haven't had the flu, the real, full-on, fever over 102 kind of flu since I was in middle school.

That, dear people, is the most pressing decision I have to make today. And I'm taking off for the Metroplex to see my darling Louisiana girls. There will be food. There will be movies. There will be trash talking.

Have a good weekend, buddies.

PS. I'm not sure this actually qualifies as a post. More of an informative nuisance. Or a sober drunk post. Maybe I should go now. ; )
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Date: 2011-11-10 01:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com
I think it would be smart! The shot is dead virus, so it can't make you ill, but it would suck to be traveling and get horribly sick - especially since you're going to a place that has allllll new germs :D

Date: 2011-11-10 01:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] piplover.livejournal.com
I wouldn't. The flu shot always makes me sick, and without it I'm just fine. I think if you take Airborne or Emergen-C, or something else to help protect your immune system, you should be fine. Because you haven't had the shot in so long, you don't know how you'll react to it, and it may make you sicker than you want to be on a trip.

Date: 2011-11-10 03:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com
I say go for the flu shot. I had the flu last year for the first time in twelve years and it was no fun at all. And the thing is, if you haven't had the flu in a long time, it will hit you harder if you do get it because your body isn't prepared for it.

I am SO getting my shot this year. Tomorrow, I think.

Date: 2011-11-10 04:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] singletailwhip.livejournal.com
So with you on the shots - I get one cold every year but I've had precisely one flu in my life, and that was because I was about to have a surgery that required 4 days in the hospital, and the docs didn't want to take the chance of me catching Swine flu there. Otherwise I've had maybe 3 or 4 flus in my life - not worth the shots to me. My doc gets mildly concerned about that, but he can't really argue with my not being sick ever, so he rolls with it. :-)

Date: 2011-11-10 06:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] berryann.livejournal.com
It takes at least 6 weeks for your immune system after a Flu shot to REALLY gain some immunity. If you still have at least that much time before your travel - then go for it. If not, it wouldn't make much sense then.

As for getting ill after a flu shot....hehehe it is IMPOSSIBLE. The vaccines are made of dead and cut into pieces viruses that cannot give you any form of flu. Some people claim they got sick after such a vaccine - just a coincidence - they must have already been running some infection (they had no idea about) and it developed after the shot was taken. As I said - coincidence in time. :)

I'd say that doctors, generally speaking, don't think too well about such shots - it's pure statistics - the vaccines are a mixture of only a few of the most commonly present at a given area viruses. But there are thousands more of other viruses responsible for flu-like symptoms. You can't get shots for all of them.... :) Still pharmaceutical companies seem to LOVE their vaccines VERY much....

Happy and safe travelling!
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