I've never had a flu shot and I've never gotten the flu (knock on wood).

How does someone not believe in the flu shot? Its not the tooth fairy! I mean, I understand that it only protects against a particular form of the flu but it isn't a maybe its real, maybe its not thing!

of course now I've jinxed myself q:

I have never gotten a flu shot and I've never had the flu...yet I know plenty of people that have gotten the flu shot and still have had the flu that season. I believe in a healthy, balanced diet and vitamins to get through flu season.

I'm one of the non-believers...but before I found out that I was allergic to gluten, everything made me sick all the time, flu shot included. Perhaps my newly strengthened immune system could handle the shot now without weeks of achy fatigue, but I'll still be taking my chances this year since I'm not part of a high risk population segment.

I too don't believe in the flu shot - not for a healthy young person such as myself.

I don't believe in it for myself. I think exercise, a healthy diet and vitamins are more effective at preventing illness than a shot that may or may not work and can have unpleasant side effects.

Yes! My employer offers them for just a few dollars. I need to call and find out when they're doing them this year.

I didn't get mine alst year and paid the price...I was sick SO MUCH compared to other years.
So this year my boyfriend AND me are both getting it!

Nope. I have an egg allergy. Boo.

We get them free at work which is awesome, I've been getting them for 3 years and I haven't had the flu in that long- it's defi worth it.

PS I've never had any side effects from the flu shot other than a sore arm for a few hours if even that long.

I get them for free at work also and have only had a sore arm. I think it's just downright idiotic NOT to get the shot. It's like saying, "Hey flu, come and get me!" I certainly can't take that chance with a little one at home.

I don't want to get one. It's just not for me. I'm young and healthy, the people who are at higher risk should get them, not me.

I wish I could get it but I also have an egg allergy so my doctor says no.

We get them for free at work, and the worst side effect I've had is a sore arm for a couple of hours. I am planning on getting pregnant in the next year, and my doctor recommended getting the flu shot now (before I get pregnant, obviously) so I decrease the risk of getting the flu while pregnant.

Have never had one, never had the flu. I figure there are people out there who need it more than me. Knock on wood.

I don't bother rushing to get one because I hate needles and it makes no different whether I get one or not, since in general I rarely get sick at all and I think I might have had the flu maybe once in my entire life. And I don't appreciate being called idiotic because I don't rush to get something I have no reason to when I never get what the shot is supposed to prevent. Why would I waste it on myself when it could used for someone who needs it more?

I haven't had a flu shot since college. But I don't really ever get sick so I'm not getting one (knock on wood).

nope...

I used to get them for free at the health center when I was in college, but the past few years I haven't gotten them. I wouldn't mind getting the flu actually. It's a great way to drop a few pounds!

I get them for free at work, so I am currently scheduled for one in a few weeks.

Didn't do me much good last year. I got the flu anyway. >_<</p> 22

i was going to get a flu shot a couple yrs ago right before taking an exam. freinds and family said the possible reaction would affect my score so i didnt get one since then i realized it is not necessary i would rather just take care of myself and AVOID germs.

I'm just not in a high risk category. So I skip it and let some one else have that vaccine.

this week at work, i am getting the flu shot for the first time ever--and it's FREEEE.

Total waste of time!

I don't get sick a lot, and the flu shot usually gives me flu-like symptoms for a few days, so I just don't get it.

I'm all for the shot, but I've never really considered getting it since I'm not a baby and not elderly or living with a suppressed immune system. But I always get a really terrible winter cold that eventually leads to bronchitis, but I never really considered that it might be caused by the influenza virus. I always just figured it was caused by a bad cold. Does anyone know more about that?

I've never had the flu shot because I don't see a point in getting one for myself. I understand that seniors and younger children should get them since their immune system is probably weaker but I've had the flu before and rest and otc meds have kicked to the curb.

I have only had a flu two times. Last January I had it for second time. It's nothing compared to normal cold.

But I'm not getting flu shot. They don't work always and I believe people should build their immune system stronger other ways. Of course elderly people are another case, but even kids should stay away from them IMO.

I wash hands all the time and eat lots of fruits etc.

The 2 times I got the shot I got the Flu BAD. The rest of the time, I only got the flu once and it wasn't as bad.

Get mine through work for free...so why pass it up?

I have asthma, so I have to get a flu shot, or risk getting really ill. Plus, its free through work!

I got mine last week! I've gotten one every year since college and haven't had the flu. But this year my arm hurt a lot and still hurts a little.

I don't feel the need for it since I'm young and healthy. People here are only offered it are the elderly, infants and those at high risk eg. cancer sufferers.

I used to avoid the flu shot, but last year the entire family got them and we did well. My hubbie got the flu, but it was over in two days as opposed to the 7 days our friends suffered through, who didn't get the flu shot.

I've never gotten one, but I think I'm going to as I've already gotten bronchitis this fall, and have gotten the flu the last couple years, and its sooooo awful. I don't get the controversy.

No thanks. I've never gotten one and I've never gotten the flu. It doesn't seem to be too effective anyway. A good diet and a strong immune system are better defenses.

First off, the flu shot doesn't protect against all variances of influenza. Therefore, if you got the shot and then got the flu, it still probably worked- just not against the type you caught. I have gotten the flu shot for the last 6 years. I've gotten the flu once since then and it was a much milder version. I only had to miss 3 days of work as opposed to the normal 8-9 days it would normally take. I get the flu shot because my body reacts to sickness with extreme fatigue. Therefore, if I can prevent any of it, I will.

No- I cannot get the flu shot because I am allergic to the suspicion medium they use for the virus and to the base virus.

I had Swine Flu as a child and I was always told by the military doctors and my pediatrician when I was little that I can never get any of the flu vaccines.

A couple of years back my primary care doctor convinced me to try it. She thought enough time had passed plus she was like there's no way you had Swine Flu as a child. Since my mom and dad had long since died I couldn't confirm it with them so she talked me into it. And the funny thing is my sister, who's a RN, does the Flu Shot Clinics and so our family would get the shot first and free (now it's free through my insurance). She would never allow me to have the shot and didn't even want me to help her at the clinic because she didn't want me exposed at all.

So I got the flu shot and within 15 minutes I was flushed and shaking. My doctor was like "oh you're nervous". So she finished my appointment and by the end my body was swelling up, I was having serious respiratory arrest and the spot where they gave me the shot was swollen and oozing.

After a few days in the hospital everything was good then a week later - no joke -I caught the flu. Since then even Blue Shield knows - no flu shot for me and indeed she did have Swine Flu as a child as well as other allergies that most of the population doesn't have.

I work at a hospital, so they pretty much MAKE us get a flu shot because we're around it all the time during respiratory season. So I'll have to get one, but I've never had one in the past and I've never gotten the flu. The biggest factor that affects whether or not you'll get the flu is how healthy your immune system is. If you get plenty of sleep and eat lots of nutritious whole foods, you should be able to fight it off pretty well.

I've never had a flu shot.

i don't get a flu shot and am not planning on getting one either.

Never had the shot and doing just fine.

Nope. I got one once and got pretty sick afterward. I've only had the flu once (when I was 7) in over 20 years so I think I'll just take my chances.

I'm really thinking about it

tngirly, it's not our fault the author chose this combination of words. i do belive the flu shots work, but it's like playing dice, you never know which flu will surface. so i'd say "no, i don't want to put in money and my immune system into something that might or might not work"

Last winter I got a terribly severe case of bacterial pneumonia that put me in the hospital for a week. I am only 25 and normally very healthy. Although my doctors told me that getting a flu shot would not have prevented the pnuemonia, it would have lessened its severity. I wish I had gotten one last year.

I am definitely getting one this year because now I am at greater risk for respiratory illnesses, thanks to the pneumonia.

Sometimes being young and generally healthy is not enough. If everyone around you has the flu, vigilance alone is probably insufficient. Do yourself a favor and get a flu shot.