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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Reaction to flu shot this year?

Tux watching Garfield


Well, apparently I still can't upload new pictures.  This is another old one taken a few years ago.  I'm surprised that if more people are having the problem, that blogger hasn't commented on it... either letting us know that they are working on it or possibly giving us the reason there's a glitch??

But on another note, I want to pass on something I heard the other day.  It has to do with this year's flu shot. In 1997 I had the 'real flu'... took me 4 - 6 weeks to get back on my feet and even then, it was a slow process.  So yes, I now get the flu shot each year.  This year I was late and didn't get in for it until the first week in December.  DH had his also but a few weeks earlier.  Both of us noted that the shot itself didn't hurt at all, but the arm it was given in became 'extremely sore' for the next few days. I also felt *bad*the next day.  But other than that... no prob.

Until about 2 weeks later, I noticed a rash on my back - right behind my right arm.  My first thought was "Oh no, Shingles!" They have been advertising on TV for the Shingles vaccine so much that they've about scared the life out of me.  Anyway, I did go see my doctor and she didn't think it was Shingles, and gave me a Rx for some steroid cream.

It's been about 5 weeks now and the rash is almost gone.  It didn't itch and it didn't hurt... looked a bit like poison ivy (but no itch).  However, I was talking to my daughter on the phone yesterday and when I mentioned the rash, she said, "Mom, you didn't get the flu shot, did you?" And I said yes, why? She had been talking to some friends who are nurses and they mentioned that quite a few people (adults and children) who got the flu vaccine this year have been coming down with Shingles or a rash or some sort.

Interesting, yes?  Now I'm curious to know if any others out there have had similar experiences...



13 comments:

  1. Rian, I to have not been able to upload photos but I have found a way. Please go to my blog, I've posted there how it is done right below my posting Graffiti. It works and you should be able to blog again. Good luck...Jan

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  2. Hubby and I both always get the flu shot. My arm was sore for a couple of days, but otherwise I didn't notice anything. No rashes, either. This might or might not be related. I've also had the shingles vaccine; it's not something to mess with! Get the vaccine if you haven't already.

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    1. DH and I DO get our flu shots each year. And I'm definitely not recommending anyone forgo that. The flu is awful and shouldn't be messed with. As for the Shingles vaccine, we are considering it.

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  3. I haven't heard this in our area. Wonder why -- what's in the shot this year that is causing this allergic reaction. It's actually rather scary, IMO! I'm glad the rash is going away at long last, but my goodness, five weeks with it? Wow.

    After all this, you'd better not get the flu! (I know the shot covers about 60% of the strains.)

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    1. Kim, I'm not sure the rash was an allergic reaction. It may have been something totally unrelated, but after my daughter's conversation, I've just been curious to know if anyone else has heard this...

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  4. The last time I had a flu shot, maybe 7 years ago, was also the last time I had the flu. I have had the flu four times in my life and I remember each time vividly--including that very first realization that I had IT--at ages 9, 27, 42 and 63. There is probably some kind of mathematical formula there that should inform me about something???
    When I had trouble loading pictures, it turned out to be that my wireless gadget was not strong enough. Once I got an upgraded wireless router, I no longer had a problem. I swaore at my computer and at blogger for a long tome before my BIL figured out the real problem. It did not take him that long to figure out the problem (seconds), it just took me that long to ask for his help.

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    1. You could be right. Our wireless has never been very strong. It doesn't work in certain rooms. So I WILL check this out too. It's funny though that it worked just fine until a week or so ago.

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  5. I only recently got the Picasa freeware and I don't know how to determine if its full, but since I haven't had it very long, I doubt it? However, it is the only change that I can think of. But again, my uploading pictures worked fine until about 10 days ago. What is happening is that the words (and I forget what they were... maybe "go to browser" is missing from the image screen. I can get to the image screen and the words on the left side like go to picasa, google, web, etc. are there, but not the "browser" (or whatever it was) on the top right that would take me to my computer pics.

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  6. I've never had a flu shot.. and now I definitely will not get one this year either.

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    1. Pam, please do not make this decision on my comments. I DO believe in getting the flu shot. The flu is nothing to fool around with... and apparently it is hitting hard this year. I just wondered if anyone else had heard anything. Even if my rash was a result of the shot (and it may not have been), I would still get the vaccine. My kids don't get it and it worries me, but everyone has to make their own decision.

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  7. The flu is a killer this year....I think some people do get mild reactions to them but nothing to worry about...the flu would be much worse. I think people do not understand that they can still get a flu even after the shot but not the one flu that can kill you. I have been fortunate not to get any reaction from them...and hopefully will not get the flu this year of any kind. When I had problems with my pictures last year it was because I needed to upload to Google chrome.

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  8. I agree, Dee. People need to do what they can to be cautious (whether its get the flu shot, avoid crowds, wash hands, etc.). Of course some may get the flu no matter what... but I'd prefer to think that at least I tried to be careful.

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