8 Questions to Ask Before You Get the Flu Shot

Wednesday, 06 Nov 2013 08:29 AM

By Lynn Allison

Despite what you may have heard, the flu vaccine is not for everyone.

Under assault from a massive public relations campaign from drug store chains, big pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies, people who don’t get the flu shot are often accused of being uneducated, or even worse, socially irresponsible.

But many experts say this type of flu shot fanaticism is misguided.

“Vaccinations have become very profitable, with medical recommendations sometimes being driven more by profit rather than science or sanity,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of the best-selling book “Real Cause, Real Cure.”

Alert: Flu Epidemic Hits US — What You Need to Know About Flu Shots

Barbara Loe Fisher, president of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) a non-profit charity, notes that more people get compensation for injuries suffered from the flu vaccine than for any vaccination other than the DPT shot.

“The influenza vaccine, like other vaccines, is not without its share of risks,’ she tells Newsmax Health.

Vaccine reactions can include redness, swelling, heat or hardness at the injection site, body hives or rashes, high fever, twitching or jerking of the head, weakness or paralysis of any part of the body, muscle weakness, joint pain, and breathing difficulties.

Fisher says anybody considering the flu shot should first answer these eight questions:

Am I sick right now? It’s better to postpone the shot until the immune system is at full strength.
Have I had a bad reaction to a vaccination before?
Do I have a personal or family history of vaccine reactions, neurological disorders, severe allergies, or immune system problems?
Am I fully aware of the risks of both the flu and the vaccine?
Do I have full information about the vaccine’s side effects?
Do I know how to identify and report a vaccine reaction?
Do I have for my records the vaccine manufacturer’s name and the lot number for the vaccine I am getting
Do I know that I have a right to refuse a flu shot?

If you do decide to get the vaccine, it’s far from a sure bet that you won’t get the flu. The flu vaccine was estimated by the Centers for Disease Control to be only up to 56 percent effective last season.

Alert: Flu Epidemic Hits US — What You Need to Know About Flu Shots

This year’s flu season is so far looking like a mild one.

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