Flu shots?

[Voxx66]

My oncologist said I should get the flu shot and that I could get one anywhere or they offer them there but the shipment isn't in yet. I think I'll wait and get one from the clinic as that way they can't complain I got the wrong one.

[BrownBagger]

Got mine the other day after my chemo infusion. One-stop shopping.

[SoConfused]

I was encouraged to get the flu shot by my onc and her staff ... both last and this year. Both years, I got sick following the shot. An abbreviated, milder form of flu ... I got mine on Monday and have been contending with a sore throat, achy body, terrible headache and extreme fatigue ever since.

Of course, people laugh at me when I tell them the flu shot gives me the flu ... because technically, there is no live virus in the shot. But I am not reading books or theories here, I am living the flu that was caused by the flu shot.

Has anyone else had this experience? did you get sick following a flu shot?

[kellywin]

I was encouraged to get the flu shot by my onc and her staff ... both last and this year. Both years, I got sick following the shot. An abbreviated, milder form of flu ... I got mine on Monday and have been contending with a sore throat, achy body, terrible headache and extreme fatigue ever since.

Of course, people laugh at me when I tell them the flu shot gives me the flu ... because technically, there is no live virus in the shot. But I am not reading books or theories here, I am living the flu that was caused by the flu shot.

Has anyone else had this experience? did you get sick following a flu shot?

SoConfused, I had the same experience. I have never actually had the flu (I rarely get sick). When I was pregnant, they pretty much forced me into getting a flu shot. So I got one. I was so sick with cold symptoms for 2 months, it was awful. Maybe it was conincidental, but you'd have to hold me down and forcibly give it to me, I won't volunteer for that again. My Oncologist said it would be a good idea to get one, but I didn't.

[Voxx66]

In the past I have gotten some sort of reaction from a flu shot so I stopped getting them. And memories of my parents getting those swine flu shots and getting sick are still bouncing around my head. But I will be getting one this year once my treatment center gets the vaccine in.

[FightMode]

Hi Everybody,
I have been watching this post (and recall one similar to it from last flu season) carefully. The issue of influenza and flu vaccines coupled with cancer and its treatment is very personal to me. My day job is in public health, specifically in influenza. So I work on flu all day everyday. I was a bit reluctant to post here because I work at a large Agency mentioned earlier in this thread, and since I don't use my full name here and this is isn't a traditional form of communication for us was considering just keeping quiet. But I get worried when I see misinformation being spread that could stand in the way of somebody in a high risk group i care about SO MUCH getting a lifesaving vaccine. I understand people have strong feelings about vaccines of any type and may react strongly to me posting my thoughts, but I'm gonna do it anyway. I will share a few resources with you and give you my individual views on some of the matters raised. If you or your docs have individual questions you can PM me and I can hook you up with people and resources to get them answered.

2) Personal notes: Those with chronic underlying conditions and those taking drugs (like chemo) that supress the immune system are in some of the highest priority groups to recieve vaccine. We lose people every year who are heroically fighting diseases like cancer to flu. I bug my dad about getting his vaccine even more than I did before because how much would it SUCK to do all of this crazy treatment to be taken out by seasonal influenza?? No way is that happening in my family!! Also, if you're going to be hospitalized you will be around sick people who may have the flu, putting you in a position to get it at the worst possible time (when your body is already going through treatment, surgery and fighting other things and your risk of getting life threating flu complications go up). Unfortunately age and immunosupression can make it harder to respond to flu vaccine, so the rest of my family takes care to get vaccinated to create a wall of protection around him. I feel strongly that if there is a complication we can prevent in the midst of all this mess, lets prevent it!

1) Getting the flu from the flu vaccine: You can't get influenza from the inactivated influenza vaccine; it does not contain live virus. However it isn't surprising that many people think you can as this is a commonly held misconception. There are a variety of reasons for this. Chief among them is sometimes people get side effects for a couple days that mimic the flu -- but trust me, you would much rather have these side effects than the actual flu. We do not lose people from the side effects of the vaccine, but we lose thousdands each year to the flu. Further, when you get the flu vaccine, it may take up to two weeks to get a protective effect from it, meaning you can get the flu during that 2 week time (then people blame this infection on the vaccine in error). Also, people normally get their vaccines when cold season has begun, so they'll get a rhinovirus and think it is from the flu vaccine when it isn't. Kellywin, I'm sorry you felt so crappy those two months you were pregnant!! But the influenza vaccine wouldn't cause two months of illness (the actual virus however hits pregnant women very hard and can sadly lead to death in the mother and/or fetus). Here is a link with information about side effects as well as information about the robust vaccine safety monitoring system CDC uses to ensure that the vaccine is safe: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/general.htm

3) Type of vaccine to get: jeanette47 brought up a great point -- what type of flu shot to get??? It is great your onc is following the recs closely enough to even know there is a quadrivalent vaccine available this year -- many providers are not aware of all the options. But the laundry list of options has created confusion and this is very understandable (intramuscular? intradermal? high dose? trivalent? quadrivalent? live attneuated? inactivated? eeek!!!). Only your doctor knows what is the best for you and that's whose opinion matters most, but I was a bit worried to see a doc reccommending only QIV (quadrivalent) when the majority of supply for this year is still TIV (trivalent). The TIV vaccine contains two influenza A strains and one Influenza B, whereas the QIV contains 2 A's and 2 B's. Jeanette47, it may be hard to track down QIV because of limited supply, and if that is the case you may want to circle back with your Onc and see if you shouldn't just get TIV. Next week I'm getting my flu vaccine, and here at work they're giving us TIV so that is what I am going to have. For more information on the types of vaccines available and updates on supply please see:
- http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/vaccinesupply.htm- http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaxsupply.htm-http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/preventingflu.htm
I hope this information is helpful -- you all have helped me so very much on the information front I thought I'd share what I can.
-Fightmode

[Voxx66]

That is good information. Flu shots in the past have given me a reaction but not a serious one. I'm hoping my treatment center has their supply in this Tuesday so I can get mine and stop worrying about it.

[FightMode]

Me too Voxx66! I'm thrilled that this discussion is happening though on this board showing that everybody is at least thinking about protecting themselves. Though no cause for major alarm if oncs and other docs don't have vax supply in just yet, flu season hasn't "kicked off" just yet. But good to get vaccinated when it is available. For those of you interested in watching flu season week-by-week (in case you feel the need to have MORE worries ) you can get very current info here:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

[jeanette57]

Thanks again

I think or know that my Onc doc is more concerned with cancer patients with lung mets. The quad last strain is something to do with the respiratory part of the flu??? I collect water in my lungs to easy so we are doing the quad flu shot. It is ordered via the cancer center and hope to get it soon. I do get really sick from it but not the virus, it is the broth (is that the right word) that they put the stains in that get me. I am not allergic to eggs and the chemicals in that broth/spendsions stuff is not right for my body, but I have no way to avoid it.

Thanks about the 2 weeks issue, I will be careful - I don't want the flu my grandmother died from it and I don't want to repeat history. please if you know, by survivalist friend said they put the flu strains out in the general public to see what and where it spreads, she and hubby are right about chemtrails and radiation from Japan in CA foods. I would hate to think I am a guenne pig for flu studies?

[FightMode]

Hi Jeanette,
Makes total sense that the onc wants to take advantage of the QIV's extra protection against flu B for patients with lung mets and others who may be especially prone to complications from flu (the respiratory effects he's hoping to help you avoid can come from any form of seasonal influenza -- dependent on age and other health characteristics one may be more or less prone to catching and having complications from a particular strain). If your onc is getting in QIV for broader coverage, I think that is just great!

For what it is worth, feel free to ignore what your survivalist friend says at least about this issue I'll risk going off on a flu tangent AGAIN to debunk what she's saying. This is not HOW flu studies are conducted or how flu vaccine decisions are made. I wouldn't want to live in that crazy world! The reverse is true in that actually "they" conduct virologic surveillance from patients all throughout the world (CDC with state and local health departments and private providers in the US, WHO and ministries of health in other countries) to understand what strains are already circulating. That information informs how the vaccine changes from year to year -- it changes to BETTER protect people since circulating strains often change. So twice each year, once for the northern hemisphere and once for the southern hemisphere, experts from CDC and other nations meet at the WHO to use these data to come up with a set of recommendations for what the seasonal flu vaccine should contain and gives those to the vaccine manufacturers. Regarding theories about using the vaccine to conduct flu studies, set that worry aside too! When a new strain that scientists have not seen before emerges, they use mice and sometimes ferrets in HIGHLY controlled laboratory conditions to see how well it circulates in mammals. So the mice/ferrets are the guinea pigs if you will, not you! The last thing the public health community wants to see is new or different flu strains circulating in humans. There is enough trouble contending the ones that are already out there.

Again, I hope this information is of some use and doesn't get folks worked up about vaccine conspiracies. Like I said I work on all of this for a living, and I am one of the first in line to get my vaccine. And I'm not guinea pig

[Voxx66]

Then there is the other issue of the HD vaccine for people over 65 years of age. That doesn't affect me but it might some others here. My mother got the normal one for example though she is 83. I'm unsure how the recommendations for that go.

[FightMode]

Another good point Voxx66!!! There isn't an official rec yet from the ACIP (the independent recommendation making body for all vaccines) for high dose vaccines for older adults, but in my personal opinion the evidence base is building and I wouldn't be shocked if they do make that preferential rec in the not to distant future as I'm sure they're carefully going through the data. In the meantime for people 65+ it is up to their health care provider to recommend what vaccine is best for them.

[Nellie]

I chose not to get a flu shot last year, maybe the luck of the drawer but i didnt get sick all winter. This year I think I might just change my mind! Thanks for all the good info FlightMode