Are Flu Shots Effective?

When asked, “Are flu shots effective,” I would have to say a definite “yes” from my stand point? The reason I feel so sure flu shots are very effective is because three years ago, I did not get a flu shot and I came down with three different severe bouts of the flu. It wasn’t just the run of the mill, a runny nose and a sore throat, I was so sick and feverish for several days and could not force myself to get up and out of the bed to eat as much as a hot bowl of soup. I was too weak to get up and sit for a couple hours, the only place I felt comfortable was in the bed and “no-one” bothering me.

My head was so congested, I felt like I had a twenty pound pumpkin on my head and my chest rattled and I whizzed for more than two weeks. When it first started, I would have sworn someone had taken a hot rod and stuck it down my throat. The pain was so severe I could not stand to drink water. During the course of the flu, I coughed so much it kept me awake for about a week and a half. This is what I call the “real” flu. This happened to me three time the year I didn’t get the flu shot.

You can bet one thing, I haven’t missed a flu shot since and I have not had the flu either. The flu is very contagious and it’s easily passed from one person to another. I do believe the flu shot prevents us from contacting the flu from others when they’re in the peak of getting the flu. It’s very important to wash our hands anytime we are out and come back into our home or into the workplace. The flu, if not properly taken care of, can turn into pneumonia. At the onset of a cold, a person should seek a doctor’s advice when the flu lingers. None of us like going to a doctor but when the flu lingers, we should visit our doctors for him/her to check out our breathing (lungs). A person can have pneumonia and “not” know it and many cases of flu ends up with the person getting pneumonia.

If you’ve never had a flu shot and you’re getting the flu all the time, try getting a shot and you’ll see it does protect you against this pesky sickness. There’s nothing worse than being sick with the flu. It totally drains our bodies of our energy and it zaps our appetite and many peaceful nights of sleep and we pass it on to our families, friends, and other people. It’s amazing how much extra sick leave you can acquire by not having to use your sick leave. Roll up your sleeve and go to your doctor’s office, drug store, food store, and any other places giving the flu shot and escape the illness before it put you down on your back.