Anyone else get sick after a flu shot this year?

I've been getting an annual flu shot since back when I was in college (I ended up getting two in 2010, long story) and I've never had any adverse side effects from them apart from a little arm soreness for a few hours afterwards. This year, though, I have a pretty bad cold since about 48 hours after the shot. I'm not sure if it's a reaction to the injection, or if maybe I got infected by some asshole in the doctor's waiting room. Have any GBers felt sick after getting one this season?

I remember an old Lewis Black standup routine about him saying it was intentional and happened all the time - but I always figured that was an urban legend, or at most a very rare anomaly.

I got the inhalation about a week and got really sick today but I don't know if it's related.

I dont get flu shots, they are the DLC of the pharmaceutical company

@tfsteefs said:

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

I know how vaccinations work, apparently you don't though. Most modern vaccinations, including flu related ones, aren't established to regularly cause related symptoms in otherwise healthy patients, even when they contain live viruses.

@Dagbiker said:

I dont get flu shots, they are the DLC of the pharmaceutical company

Agreed. I usually allow my body to get sick on its own and let it get better on its own (unless it's really bad).

That said, I rarely get sick. ...And I'm a dirty SOB.

Dude, there is some nasty stuff in those shots.

I never get flu shots.

@tfsteefs said:

@nemt said:

@tfsteefs said:

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

I know how vaccinations work, apparently you don't though. Most modern vaccinations, including flu related ones, aren't known to cause related symptoms frequently, even when they contain live viruses.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf

Cool story bro, except I'm not talking about the Intranasal vaccine.

@chrismafuchris said:

@Dagbiker: What is the "Game of the Year Edition"?

The one they give you in the military that combines an H1N1 vaccine with it.

EVERYONE knows flu shots were developed by the greedy needle corporations to stay above marketing sales of the syringe corporations. Greedy bastards.

I already hate needles, so..not gonna get one just to prevent from getting sick I am not 9 or 90 so ill take my chances.

@tfsteefs said:

@Fizzy said:

Dude, there is some nasty stuff in those shots.

oh boy, is it conspiracy time? what do you think is in a flu vaccination outside of a dead/mostly-dead flu virus?

The ingredients in these six US FDA approved 2011-2012 vaccines are:

Afluria from CSL Limited:

Beta-Propiolactone, Calcium Chloride, Neomycin, Ovalbumin, Polymyxin B, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Taurodeoxychoalate.

Fluvarix from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Biologicals:

Egg Albumin (Ovalbumin), Egg Protein, Formaldehyde or Formalin (to inactivate the virus), Gentamicin, Hydrocortisone, Octoxynol-10, á-Tocopheryl Hydrogen Succinate, Polysorbate 80 (an adjuvant), Sodium Deoxycholate, Sodium Phosphate, Thimerosal*

FluLaval from ID Biomedical Corporation:

Egg Albumin (Ovalbumin), Egg Protein, Formaldehyde or Formalin, Sodium Deoxycholate, Phosphate Buffers, Thimerosal

Fluvirin from Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited:

Beta-Propiolactone , Egg Protein, Neomycin, Polymyxin B, Polyoxyethylene 9-10 Nonyl Phenol (Triton N-101, Octoxynol 9), Thimerosal (in the multidose containers), Thimerosal* (much smaller amounts in the single-dose syringes)

Fluzone, Fluzone High-Dose, Fluzone Intradermal from Sanofi Pateur, Inc.:

Egg Protein, Formaldehyde or Formalin, Gelatin, Octoxinol-9 (Triton X-100), Thimerosal (only in multidose containers)

FluMist (nasal spray) from MedImmune Vaccines, Inc.:

Chick Kidney Cells, Egg Protein, Gentamicin Sulfate, Monosodium Glutamate,Sucrose Phosphate Glutamate Buffer

*Where "thimerosal" is marked with an asterisk (*) above, it indicates that the product should be considered equivalent to thimerosal-free products. This vaccine may contain trace amounts (<0.3 mcg) of mercury left after post-production thimerosal removal, but these amounts have no biological effect. JAMA 1999;282(18) and JAMA 2000;283(16)

In Europe for the 2011 - 2012 Flu Season:

UPDATE:

LONDON (Reuters Health) Jul 21 2011 - European regulators have recommended restricting the use of GlaxoSmithKline's pandemic flu vaccine Pandemrix because of a potential risk of narcolepsy in children or adolescents.

The European Medicines Agency said on Thursday that Pandemrix should only be used in people under 20 years in the absence of seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines, following its link to very rare cases of narcolepsy in young people.

Overall, the vaccine's benefit-risk balance remains positive, the watchdog added.

More than 31 million doses of Pandemrix have been given to people in 47 countries, and GSK said it had been notified of 335 cases of narcolepsy in those vaccinated as of July 6. Two-thirds of the narcolepsy cases were in Finland and Sweden.

Britain's biggest drugmaker said in a statement it had committed to conduct further research into any potential association between Pandemrix and narcolepsy.

Pandemrix was widely used during the 2009-10 outbreak of H1N1 swine flu, although it was not administered in the United States.

Several other drugmakers, including Novartis , Sanofi , CSL and Baxter also made vaccines against H1N1 flu during the pandemic, which was declared over in August last year.

Finnish and Swedish researchers were the first to raise concerns over a possible narcolepsy link to Pandemrix last August after noting cases in children recently given the GSK shot.

One research team earlier this year suggested children given Pandemrix were nine times more likely to suffer from the condition.

Researchers at Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare said the increase they found in narcolepsy was "most likely" a joint effect of Pandemrix and so

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_ingredients_in_the_swine_flu_vaccine#ixzz1aQ7H1knm

There's mercury too (Thimerosal, http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/vaccines.htm)

oh no not eggs

I never understand why people get flu shots. First, needles suck. Second. missing a day of work or school is A-OK in my books. Third, you're relying on an outside source instead of your own body's defense, which isn't actually good for you at all.

I never understand why people get flu shots. First, needles suck. Second. missing a day of work or school is A-OK in my books. Third, you're relying on an outside source instead of your own body's defense, which isn't actually good for you at all.

I haven't gotten a flu shot this year, and I don't think I'm going to. It's not because I think they're dangerous or anything (I'm sure their quite safe), but because I don't think I'm gonna need it. Every single person in my town's been getting sick lately, everyone but me. I think it's because I've actually been eating healthy for a change. I've been eating a shit-ton of fruit lately... I'm pretty sure I'm indestructible.

I haven't had a flu shot since I was a kid. I've had the flu maybe 4 times since then. My shit face drunken times (in my early 20's) caused me more illness than the flu.

Wow, clearly no one read past the first line.

@nemt said:

@tfsteefs said:

@nemt said:

@tfsteefs said:

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

I know how vaccinations work, apparently you don't though. Most modern vaccinations, including flu related ones, aren't known to cause related symptoms frequently, even when they contain live viruses.

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flulive.pdf

Cool story bro, except I'm not talking about the Intranasal vaccine.

The method of delivery isn't relevant. All disease vaccinations involve infecting the patient with a mild dose to encourage the generation of anti-bodies which in turn increases immunity against the disease. What do they teach kids in school these days?

Every time I get one - hence I try to avoid getting them. And you know what? Every year I haven't had one, I haven't had the flu. Yet everytime I get the jab, I'm ill all fucking winter. Gah.

I haven't done that for years.

Formaldehyde or Formalin (to inactivate the virus), Gentamicin, Hydrocortisone, Octoxynol-10, á-Tocopheryl Hydrogen Succinate, Polysorbate 80 (an adjuvant), Sodium Deoxycholate, Sodium Phosphate, Thimerosal, Neomycin, Polymyxin B, Polyoxyethylene 9-10 Nonyl Phenol (Triton N-101, Octoxynol 9). That's what gets injected into your body every time you get a flu shot.

Formalin is capable of destroying all microbic life even when diluted. This includes potentially helpful microbes.

Gentamicin Injection is potentially nephrotoxic(Potentially destructive to your kidneys). The risk of nephrotoxicity is greater in patients with impaired renal function and in those who receive high dosage or prolonged therapy using Gentamicin. Serum concentrations of aminoglycosides should be monitored when feasible to assure adequate levels and to avoid potentially toxic levels.

Octoxynol 9 (or 10) typically contain traces of the toxins ethylene oxide, dioxane, C9 phenols, or glycol ether.

α-Tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) is a selective inducer of apoptosis (Cellular suicide) in cancer cells, which involves the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The molecular target of α-TOS has not been identified.

Vaccines contain Polysorbate 80 as an emulsifier. This highly toxic agent can seriously lower the immune system and cause anaphylactic shock which can kill. Polysorbate 80 may cause reproductive effects, cancer, and may be a mutagenic, (change the genetics), in animals. According to PubMed.Gov, neonatal rats that were injected with small doses of Polysorbate 80 had serious damage to their reproductive organs, often resulting in infertility.

There is growing evidence that flu shots cause Alzheimer's disease due to the aluminum and formaldehyde combined with mercury since they are even more toxic together than they are alone. Some research suggests that people who received the flu vaccine each year for 3 to 5 years had 10 times greater chance of developing Alzheimer's disease than people who did not have any flu shots.

It is unclear what the side effects of Sodium Deoxycholate are, and it is not reviewed by the CIR or EWG.

Do you want sources for all of this? I can keep going with the other potentially harmful drugs injected into you annually.

i don't get flu shots. i rarely get sick so yeah.

@nemt said:

@tfsteefs said:

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

I know how vaccinations work, apparently you don't though. Most modern vaccinations, including flu related ones, aren't established to regularly cause related symptoms in otherwise healthy patients, even when they contain live viruses.

If you read the pamphlet they give you it states that flu like symptoms may occur after the injection. And if you're positive this can't be the case as you seem to be defending throughout this thread don't forget 'correlation does not imply causation'.

@DerekDanahy said:

@nemt said:

@tfsteefs said:

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

I know how vaccinations work, apparently you don't though. Most modern vaccinations, including flu related ones, aren't established to regularly cause related symptoms in otherwise healthy patients, even when they contain live viruses.

If you read the pamphlet they give you it states that flu like symptoms may occur after the injection. And if you're positive this can't be the case as you seem to be defending throughout this thread don't forget 'correlation does not imply causation'.

I know it happens rarely, but less and less often - especially compared to the early days of flu shots, years ago. Additionally, the intranasal vaccine (ie: the one that guy linked the pamphlet for) uses live viruses, while the shots (I think, I may be wrong here) use dead viruses. My issue with his thinly veiled trolling was his implication that it causes symptoms by design and they're a foregone conclusion of getting the vaccination - which is patently untrue. I didn't say I'm positive it can't be the case, especially since I've heard of more people this season complaining about post-vaccine symptoms (although I don't know how many had the injection vs. the intranasal spray) - but I'm skeptical of it based on my past experiences. Did you even read the original post?

I'm trying to discern whether there's something notably different about this year's vaccine, apart from the viruses themselves, that may be causing more people than usual to have flu like symptoms, or if it's coincidental. I'm not terribly interested in arguing with high school kids (or anyone else, for that matter).

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I rarely get sick.

@PeasantAbuse said:

@TheHumanDove said:

I never understand why people get flu shots. First, needles suck. Second. missing a day of work or school is A-OK in my books. Third, you're relying on an outside source instead of your own body's defense, which isn't actually good for you at all.

This is basically how I feel. I rarely get sick, but when I do I tend to just let it run it's course.

and this.

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

@nemt: Except I haven't gotten sick. Those things are a waste.

@Afroman269 said:

@nemt: Except I haven't gotten sick. Those things are a waste.

You've never gotten sick in your life? You should let your internist run some tests on you to see what makes you different from everyone else in the world.

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

@nemt: I'm more likely to get sick by getting one of those silly shots. No thanks. Ever since I started exercising and eating right I haven't been sick in over two years.

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

@nemt said:

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

I'm 20. Don't make assumptions guy.

@nemt said:

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

And no one gives a fuck if you get sick, you're young and healthy, but you could easily transmit the disease to someone who isn't. If you have the means to get a flu shot without any major inconvenience, you should. I can get one for about 20 bucks at my local pharmacy, I have young children in my family, and elderly relatives, i'd rather get a shot now and maybe get sick, than find out I have the flu when everyone comes over for Christmas Dinner.

I also live in a cold climate where the flu is very common, in warmer places I doubt it's much of a threat,

Never had a Flu shot... Never had the Flu. 
 
I plan to sell my DNA to the government when I'm 21.

I don't give a flying shit about needles, so I'm going to take it since I can get it for free with my insurance.

Flu shots are like the Madden series. They keep making a new one every year and it isn't really needed, but hell tons of people buy it.

@Afroman269 said:

@nemt said:

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

I'm 20. Don't make assumptions guy.

My mistake, I must've been confused by your level of eloquence, tact and knowledge. The differences between some college student on his parents' dole and a high school student are staggering where you're from, I'm sure.

Now can we please get back on topic?

Anyone else get sick after a flu shot this year?

conjecture about the efficacy of flu shots, personal reasons for avoiding them, comments about how often people get sick and so on are not valid responses

@Mikemcn said:

@nemt said:

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

And no one gives a fuck if you get sick, you're young and healthy, but you could easily transmit the disease to someone who isn't. If you have the means to get a flu shot without any major inconvenience, you should. I can get one for about 20 bucks at my local pharmacy, I have young children in my family, and elderly relatives, i'd rather get a shot now and maybe get sick, than find out I have the flu when everyone comes over for Christmas Dinner.

I also live in a cold climate where the flu is very common, in warmer places I doubt it's much of a threat,

I live in western maryland where it's common to have several feet of snow. I feel the winter cold coming, haven't gotten sick once in the winter since I moved here 7 years ago.

@nemt: How pathetic, more assumptions. Keep em coming.

@Afroman269 said:

@Mikemcn said:

@nemt said:

@Mcfart said:

@nemt said:

@Afroman269 said:

I never get flu shots. I find them to be pointless cuz I barely ever get sick.

In my experience almost everyone makes claims similar to this one - especially when they finally get sick.

And if you do get sick - so what? The Flu isn't dangerous to young adults. He'll be back on his feet in 2 days. And probably happy to get a day off work/school. Better then paying to get a shot that prevents something you might not even get.

As he's a minor, he wouldn't be paying for it anyway, his parents would. Furthermore, even really shitty medical insurance policies tend to fully cover vaccinations.

And no one gives a fuck if you get sick, you're young and healthy, but you could easily transmit the disease to someone who isn't. If you have the means to get a flu shot without any major inconvenience, you should. I can get one for about 20 bucks at my local pharmacy, I have young children in my family, and elderly relatives, i'd rather get a shot now and maybe get sick, than find out I have the flu when everyone comes over for Christmas Dinner.

I also live in a cold climate where the flu is very common, in warmer places I doubt it's much of a threat,

I live in western maryland where it's common to have several feet of snow. I feel the winter cold coming, haven't gotten sick once in the winter since I moved here 7 years ago.

Then when you superman esque immunity fails you, please have the decency to cough in your sleeve.

D..do you not know how vaccinations work

Woah, where am I? When did good health become something that people look down upon? Hold on guys, I'll come back into this thread after swimming in 30 degree weather.