Flu Shots
 

To get or not to get? I've never gotten them in the past as I'm not a fan of unnecessary medication. It's also been at least five years since I've had the flu. So I wonder if a.) I've been lucky, b.) the shot isn't necessary for people who take reasonable care of themselves, or c.) I'm just so darn handsome the flu looks at me and says, "I couldn't". I'd like to believe it's the latter, but suspect it's one of the first two.

Any thoughts on the risks to benefit ratio of flu shots?

I wouldn't touch them and I advise my patients to avoid them.

Read "The Sanctity of Human Blood", for a good education on the actual massive lack of data on vaccine effectiveness.

John Seiler doesn't get the flu, the flu gets John Seiler.

Seriously, I'm in the option B category. No guarantee they've got the right strain anyway.

I wouldnt go new a flu shot either, but i had a trip to Thailand recently, the doc loaded me up on Hepatitus, typhoid and malaria shots, the shots were are probably loaded with lead or mercury, but i dont fancy getting one of those diseases!

Take care of yourself and you won't get it. Eat a solid Paleo diet and exercise intensely. The worst I've had in the past 3 or 4 years is waking up not feeling on top of my game, but far from sick enough to hold me back from doing things. Might've missed a day or two of exercise here and there from being a bit worn out. You'll know that how you take care of yourself matters when whatever is "going around" miraculously never comes to you.

never got one....haven't had the flu in over 4 years....

It's a total crap shoot for me. I travel so much via plane that sometimes I think it is worth the risk.

Of that 3-4 years that I haven't been sick, I spent 1.5 of them doing 100% travel, the majority of it via plane. Eat a solid diet with plenty of vegetables and meat and you'll be A-OK. Let the unhealthy get the shots.

Thanks for the replies, gents.

Scott, your experiences pretty closely mirror mine. I usually get about 2 days per winter that I feel like I'm battling something. I knock off work early, get some extra sleep, and I've been good to go a few hours later.

From the Canadian version of The Daily Show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWfCnjnShnM

It's funny cause it's true.