FLU SHOT 2018


Doctors are predicting an early flu season for 2018 so Diane got her flu shot last week. Diane complained her arm hurt for a couple days afterward. I’m getting my flu shot today. Like Diane, I’m getting the “high-dose” flu vaccine for those 65 and older. The CDC reports that 80 to 90 percent of all flu-related deaths are among those over 65. Last year 80,000 Americans died of the flu so this is Serious Stuff for folks in our age group.

Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

20 thoughts on “FLU SHOT 2018

    1. george Post author

      Steve, my doctor told me that if he gave me my flu shot (or his nurse) my medical insurance would charge me a co-pay. If I get my flu shot at a drug store, the fee is waived. Go figure.

      Reply
  1. Prashant C. Trikannad

    George, Indians get flu and other associated viral fevers all year round, not counting malaria and dengue during the monsoon, and still no one really bothers with flu shots. I have never ever taken one. We usually go to a local doctor, pop a few tablets, if necessary, take rest at home, get back on our feet and go back to work.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Prashant, I had the flu just about every year when I was teaching. I suspect my sick students had something to do with that. But the College finally offered free flu shots so I started getting them each year and I haven’t had the flu since.

      Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    No. We usually get it late, like December. When we got the first of the new Shingles Vaccine shots last month, they told us (we got them at Costco this year) to come back in two months for the second shot. They said we could get the flu shot at the same time, which will be mid-November, probably when we get back from New Orleans.

    Let’s hope this year’s vaccine is closer to the actual flu than last year, right?

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, Diane and I have been trying to get the new Shingles Vaccine shots for weeks, but everyone around here is out. But, they do have flu shots so I’ll be getting mine today. Like you, I usually wait until November to get my flu shot, but the warnings of an early flu season changed my plans.

      Reply
      1. Jeff Meyerson

        When we went to Costco to renew our prescriptions, Jackie asked them about the new Shingles shot, because even though we had the old ones she is still paranoid from those commercials. My arm was a little sore for a couple of days, especially sleeping on the left side (but since I usually sleep on my right side, not really a problem), but no big deal.

      2. george Post author

        Jeff, Diane and I are freaked out by those Shingles commercials, too. Diane has a friend who has had shingles THREE TIMES! One of the guys at the Tonawanda Aquatic Center told me he got Shingles and it spread close to his right eye. He almost went blind! Scary stuff!

  3. Rick Robinson

    Went to Walgreen’s for the shots and they were out of the high-dose. They said get them in October and this was Oct. 2nd.They said come back in a couple of weeks, so we will.

    Reply
  4. Beth Fedyn

    I’m getting my shot after I get back from New Orleans. I usually just get it from my GP when I have my annual check-up.

    Reply
  5. maggie Mason

    When I went to get my flu shot they were out of the high dosage one, and said it was all over. I went ahead and got the regular one as I have a couple of trips coming up and wanted to get them before that.

    I also got the new shingles vaccine Like Jeff, I had problems with the first shot, but not with the second.

    All of my shots were free with my Kaiser plan, but a friend paid $600 for the first vaccine and a total of $130 for the new one.

    I also didn’t have to pay for my colonoscopy that I FINALLY had done yesterday (No polyps)

    Reply
      1. maggie Mason

        I decided to spend the night at a nearby hotel the night before my 9am appt. I’m glad I did. My driver had to come from east county and would have had to leave early in the morning, and of course the “results” of the preparation were messy. It was a very easy 15 minute drive instead of an hour at least just from my house. Waiting for results of biopsies they took, but am SO GLAD it’s over

  6. wolf

    I’m in Germany right now and the first thing I did was to go to our family doc (Hausarzt) to get my medicine and the new flu shot with 4 varieties of viruses …
    And it was free of course – just some extra €s for those pills I need for my heart ….
    I read with astonishment that in Europe too every winter so many people die from the flu or a following infection of the lungs!

    I don’t want to brag but had to visit three specialists in addition for special tests and screenings: Skin, urology and the cardiologist …
    Well, at least I’m stillalive – and healthy as long as I take my 7 (!) pills every day. 🙂

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Wolf, my motto is “Better Living Through Chemistry.” I don’t take as many pills as you do, but I’m sure I’ll get there in time. The flu weakens the immune system allowing secondary infections like pneumonia to kill patients.

      Reply

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