flu shot??

[nessa]

just wondering if anybody out there with weggies has received a flu shot. my primary doc is not sure if she can give me one bcuz of me being on the cellcept and the prednisone. so i couldnt receive one but i really want it bcuz i catch colds really quick. so i see my rhemo on monday and im going to see what he thinks about it anyone else having this problem?????

[chrisTIn@]

My GP sent me an invitation for the flu shot. I talked it over with the WG-specialist and descided NOT to take a flue shot. Specialist said I could become ill from the flu-shot itself, and that that could be dangerous.
Hope your rheumy will give you good advice, cause every situation is different.

[pwc51]

I was advised to have it and have done so. The proviso was that, owing to my immunosuppressed condition, it would not be as effective as it would be for a 'normal' person. I had no side effects at all. This was my third since being diagnosed.

[Dryhill]

My GP contacted my rheumy who said iut would be ok as long as it was not a live vaccine. I decided to go ahead and have the shot as I am a taxi driver sitting in an enclosed box (ie the car) with people couching and spluttering all over the place. Any protection seemed like a ghood idea.

[Sangye]

We've had 3 members on here so far who either got Wegs or got severe flares following the flu shot. Even without that, I wouldn't go near it with a 10 ft pole.

[Chris G]

My docs advised that I get it. I considered it from ALL angles, and decided to get it. That was 2 or 3 weeks ago. No adverse affects. Let's hope my body responds properly, and builds the APPROPRIATE antibodies for a change.

[Sangye]

A friend who is a molecular biologist and worked with vaccines in the military told me this:
"Even if the flu vac is safe, it's ineffective. I never get the flu shot. And I am a fan of many vaccines. Not all of them by far. I don't think they ever compile all of the negative data. Some docs don't report it. Some patients don't report. They should. And some docs don't believe their patients when they say their symptoms followed a vaccine. Another confounding problem is that rare side effects are largely ignored or covered up no matter how serious they are. I think they could be made safer (nothing is 100% safe) but they don't want to acknowledge harm or revamp recipe bec $$$$$. Furthermore, drug companies distribute an algorithm to MDs and tell them what not to report. The algorithm outlines a list of side effects that the manufacturer doesn't believe are related so they aren't reported. Talk about the fox watching the hen house. I think it's terrible to just blindly rule out anything. Can't say that a study of a couple hundred people yields all possibilities. The physician is supposed to report all adverse reactions to VAERS but industry sends guidelines that contradict that."

[nessa]

wow guys thanks for all your responses it seems some ppl can handle it more then others.. i guess ill wait and see what my rhemo says bcuz i want to be protected against getting the flu but i don't want to get sicker bcuz i got the shot hmmm i guess i got some thinking to do....

[RudiK]

On the advice of my docs I received the flu shot and the pneumonia shot about six weeks ago and suffered no problems.

[drz]

All my doctors from four different clinics including Mayo recommended I get the flu shot but they also agreed it might not help me as much due to my suppressed immune system but figure there might be some positive gain even if slight and believe the gain outweighs the risk of any adverse reaction. So I got all the shots they recommend except the shingles one since I have an allergy that contraindicates getting that vaccination. I have had no serious problems lately from the vaccinations apart from a sore arm for a few days.