I got mine last week from Walgreens. Message they sent me for my prescription pick-up said they had them in. Got another message this week about them too. I hope they don't keep calling me.

I know they are telling everyone to get them early this year, but I always try to wait until the middle to end of October. It's warm here and our flu season starts late. My nurse friend says we should get one at the beginning go October and another in January. Maybe I'll do that this year knowing that insurance will only pay for the first one.

We wait until October.

Normally we wait until October, but decided to get it while it was available. Will ask my doctor about getting a second one in January or February. Will it be needed. Both DH and I have Type II Diabetes and I have COPD and asthma.

One of the questions I was asked when giving Covid plasma was if I had any recent vaccinations. I will have to see if that affects my donations.

I need to get one soon too. Last year I waited too long and had a hard time finding anyone that wasn't out. . I usually get mine at Walgreens.

I'd like to be able to get a flu jab at an outdoor clinic, like in the old days when I was a kid and the health department ran trucks out to our rural environs to give polio vaccine.

I think we'll go at the end of next month. We always get it in October but I'm thinking a month early this year.

They have cautioned about getting it too early...because the immunity won't

last long enough into the long flu season. Also read that they are once

again going to have the stronger version for people over 60.

DH and I get the ' Senior' dose, usually in mid to late October. We'll probably stick with that since we are trying to isolate as much as possible.

Maybe the incidence of flu will be less where people are masking. Some Asian countries have routinely masked in flu seasons.

I will still get the vaccine, but with sensible people wearing masks and limiting movement, I predict a very low flu season.

Will go in October when I get my second shot for the pneumonia vac. I've only been getting the flu shot for the last 5 years. Interesting since each of those years I've gotten really sick in February or March. Never had that happen before the shots. Just too concerned with not getting the flu shot.

My employer always offers flu shots free sometime in October. I'm not sure what the plan is this year with most of the office staff working from home. Usually they offer a voucher for those that aren't able to get the shot when offered in the office for just one day. You just take the voucher to Walgreens.

If needed I'll just get the vaccine at Walgreens sometime in October.

We're used to getting our flu shots as soon as the local pharmacy has them, usually about first or second week of September. Several weeks ago at our monthly IPF "zoom" meeting, the recommendation was made that for "over 65", the recommendation this year was to get the initial high dosage shot and then have a "booster" shot around the middle of January. And this came from my very respected pulmonary doctor who received the info from somewhere in her medical chain...

Have since spoken with a specialty pharmacy that I use for my one hard to get medicine and the pharmacist actually called the CDC and posed the question to them. The answer was that although there is some relatively short time lapse between when you get the flu shot and when it actually becomes effective, they saw no instance where a booster shot would be necessary even taking into account the fact that the initial vaccine shot does typically decline in effectiveness, usually in mid to late January to early February but still provides protection.

I have to pick up some meds at my regular pharmacy within the next couple of days and have visits, video and otherwise, with two of my major doctors this week so have plans to grill all three sources on the same issue (two shots vs one). In any case, the information sheet for the infusion therapy I'm on for the next five weeks and possibly thereafter says not to take ANY vaccinations until told to do so by my primary oncologist because the infusion med kicks your immunity to the curb for some time period.

Note that I'm just putting this info out there for you to do with what you think important for your own health situation and quite honestly, have ZERO interest in hearing or seeing comments from the rabid anti-vaxxers out there whose tinfoil hats have slipped down over their brain, obscuring any semblance of rational thought patterns.

Last year the flu vaccine was not released until late. Late like in December, 2020. This season's lots were released August 26, 2020. It will take a while for the new lots to be distributed so ask if what you are being given is for this coming season.

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/lot-release/influenza-vaccine-2020-2021-season.

I talked to my DDD (Dear Dr. Daughter, pediatrician) and she said the one shot should be fine. But, I see my pulmonologist/allergist in November and will double check with him.

Please read this site. https://childrenshealthdefense.org/

Children's Health Defense is an American 501c3 nonprofit advocacy organization, known for its anti-vaccine activism. Much of the material put forth by the organization involves misinformation on vaccines and anti-vaccine propaganda. (Wikipedia)

"Children's Health Defense is an American 501c3 nonprofit advocacy organization, known for its anti-vaccine activism."

Fantastic! Hopefully such foolishness will ultimately result in its exempt status being revoked, it's hardly providing educational information or contributing to public health.

Perhaps another example of Russian intervention to destroy the US, aided and abetted by the moron in chief.

I very much believe in getting children vaccinated.

Don't want the measles or whooping cough coming back.

Hmmm just went for an annual check up yesterday, and they said they would be getting the flu shot "in September"; which technically is today of course but they did say sometime this week.

I have seen signs at the pharmacy (CVS) offering Flu shots so I think I will see about it.

I am over 65, and I didn't remember a stronger flu shot. I may just email my Dr and ask her, I think I am inclined to just get the flu shot sooner than later. While I do believe it may be limited in how long it will last, I think I would rather just chance getting it early. I think I have only started getting the flu shot the last 5 or so years and have not had the flu in over 15 years. FWIW

I've seen speculation that flu will not be as much of a problem this year because of all of the Covid measures in place. Apparently, Australia had lower flu numbers. I guess we will find out.

DH received his yesterday at Walgreen's and I went today. When I saw my internist in July for my annual check-up he mentioned that I should get my flu shot as soon as they come out. We both received the over 65 - high dose version.

DD3 lives in New York City and has a deathly fear of needles. She's little and it took 4 of us to hold her down for a meningitis shot before she went to school. She's taken the FluMist once or twice, when she found it at Walgreens in the past, but says they don't have it anymore. Her doctor hasn't been helpful in the past but I hope some phone calls will find her a place to get the vaccine.

For the uninformed, Robert F Kennedy, JR, 'esteemed author' and Time Magazine 'Hero for the Planet' is the moron in chief/ Chairman of the Board of Children's Health Defense.

Yes, antivaxxers come from both ends of the political/social spectrum. The movement was originally found mainly among conservative evangelicals, but has now spread to crunchy liberal enclaves. They're all morons.

I've never been a fan of the Kennedy family or any of its members. In a way, as religious and political hypocrites with integrity ranging from flexible to absent (depending on the circumstances), they were forerunners of many of the prominent members of one of our current political parties.

Antivaxxers of whatever political persuasion have one thing in common - ignorance and stupidity to deny and suppress valid and uncontroversial advice of experts. Wait, that's also prevalent among some in political office these days too.

DH and I are getting them this month although I dread it as I always get the side effects for a couple days.

Add to my earlier comment: spoke with my pulmonologist this afternoon and she is going to conference with my oncologist about me taking the flu shot and then get back to me on yea or nay later this week. She did allow however that upon further consideration, she didn’t see why a “booster” shot might be necessary so that puts that subject to bed as it were.

On another subject, after years of trying through far less important health issues, I’m finally getting two, yes TWO of my most important physicians to speak, share and coordinate the health information that concerns ME. Not the standard “have doc A call my office and speak with my nurse” but they actually exchange full sentences with one another directly. Woo-Hoo. What a breakthrough...

About anti-vaxxers--the evil part of me would like to round them up and send them somewhere where herd immunity won't protect them. Like maybe an ebola hospital.

Ci_lantro - I believe in vaccines and have had plenty of them. However there are people that for medical reasons can't have vaccines that are egg-attenuated such as the flu shot.

Here's one for TXSkeeter !

Flu vaccines have, in recent years, come in both egg and non-egg versions:

For the 2019-2020 flu season, there are two vaccines licensed for use that are manufactured without the use of eggs and are considered egg-free:

• Flublok Quadrivalent (licensed for use in adults 18 years and older)
• Flucelvax Quadrivalent (licensed for use in people 4 years and older)

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/egg-allergies.htm

I am aware of that, Raye. Nothing is ever absolute; there are always exceptions. I was referring to the foil hat anti-vaxxer crowd.

Part of the problem is that much of the population in the developed world is removed from past epidemics like polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, measles, chicken pox, smallpox, etc. And that large segments of the population are ignorant of history. The irony w/ the anti-vaxxer tin hat crowd is that they are protected by herd immunity because masses of society have been vaccinated.

"However there are people that for medical reasons can't have vaccines that are egg-attenuated such as the flu shot."

To clarify the wording used:

Many vaccines are produced in eggs. Someone with egg sensitivity or allergy may have a reaction to residual egg cells in a vaccine. Flu vaccines are available that are not grown in eggs and so can avoid this problem.

At the same time, there are egg-produced vaccines that are not attenuated. Someone with egg sensitivity would ask "is this vaccine egg-produced", not "is this vaccine attenuated".

Of course our resident microbiologist, former member of the "medical profession" knows that and just used the wrong verbiage. We all do that from time to time.

Vaccines

OT: the ad with image that popped up directly under Elmer’s last comment says “Stop Using Toilet Paper”. LOL!

A moment of jest and levity by the sponsors I suppose. 🤗

Ad choices on most websites these days and their placement can be affeced by a user's location, the subject matter on the website, or even prior website-activity and page visits of the particular user including visits to other websites.

Maybe the AI software decided it the toilet paper notice was relevant and appropriate to be placed next to a comment of mine? Or appropriate because of your activity? I won't say which I think it may have been. We've been forewarned of what the software thinks of either or both of us.