Poll: Did You Get a Flu Shot This Year?

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Every year, especially since having kids, I go back and forth about getting the flu shot. My family is generally healthy and we don't usually get much more than a routine cough and cold during the winter. My husband works in a hospital where the flu shot is mandatory, and since my daughter started preschool, I've gotten them for my children, too. But I've never gotten the flu shot, which I might live to regret some day.

This year, my daughter got pretty sick about a week after getting her flu shot. She had a fever and ended up not eating (only drinking) for almost a week. It takes about two weeks for your body to gain protection after being vaccinated, and I think she probably caught something during that time. What she had was really no worse than an average case of the flu, so I was a little frustrated that she got sick anyway. But maybe it will keep her from getting sick again this season.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend than anyone over 6 months of age get an annual flu vaccine. Thousands of people die from the flu each year, and certain groups (like the elderly and pregnant woman) are more at-risk than others. The CDC estimates that 200,000 people are hospitalized from the flu each year. For more information on the flu and how to protect yourself, check out the CDC's website.