GET THE SHINGLES SHOT! Shingles is extremely painful and miserably lasts forever!

In my case it was deliberately "too soon" because I will be in hospital for several days within the next 4 weeks.....hospitals make you sick!!! If I have to get another one, so be it.

Today my arm is fine, no itchiness, extrememly slight redness (pink, really) and not much more tender to the touch than a slight bruise. I'm glad I did it the needle-less way. :-)

By the way, the needleless injector is virtually idiot proof as the pharmacist showed me and thoroughly explained. In fact, in his training class, they injected each other with water with no problems; the air is only a propellant. When he withdrew the apparatus there was a tiny drop of blood which we bandaged as he had prepared for. I swear the needle-less is less painful and quicker than a syringe!

So glad so many of you are gettiing the vaccine; I didn't for years and years for the same reasons some of you seem to use. But I was deathly ill in 1999, and then again in 2009 in Colorado when visiting my DD who is a pediatrician, and of course, brings "everything" home from her patients, LOL! This year failing to get it (I did last year for the first time) was not an option with me due to that upcoming surgery. It just makes sense to go to the hospital and inpatient rehab as prepared as possible. I'm a pro-active kinda gal.

Thank you for your many votes of encouragement on the event! I really can't wait to be out of pain! We have the other side to replace next year. :? :-)

Jan in VA

The woman at my Dr's office is the queen of shots! She can do it and I never feel it. Never a mark from giving blood and only slightly sore from the flu shot! Don't think I want to mess with success!

We did this kind of vaccination with the swine flu vaccine in the 80's. I'm sure they have perfected it since, but the air injection isn't what usually causes the skin irritation, but the vaccine substance they are injecting. The molecules are bigger than the pores of the skin and some of the vaccine stays on the outside of the skin to give the irritation when exposed to the air.

I try and hold off till mid to late Oct. I believe they only cover you for about 6 mos. Is that still true? I don't think that I would like the air shot. I get hives around a regular pin prick.
Yes, I get my shot every year. I had a horrid case of flu 33 years ago and will never go thru that again. It settled in my heart. That got better along with the rest of it. But, only one mild case about 10 years ago with a flu shot.
Flu shots do not give you flu!

You cannot put a price on avoiding the pain of shingles.

Sorry you got a reaction from the flu shot (air blast). Our Randall's Grocers in Texas will give a discount of 10% off a grocery shopping visit if you get your shot there. I plan to get mine pretty soon. Seems like they offer it earlier and earlier each year.

I got my flu shot yest. & based on previous discussions on here about a stronger dose & the resulting illness, I asked her about it. She said they don't use it but had heard of it being used by people 65 & older. They only use the original vaccine. She said it might be regional or what strains of flu may hit certain parts of the country. She also said if the orig. vaccine works, why mess with it. I had no desire to try something new since this one has worked for me.

Flu shot I got is good for a year. Got it at Walgreens Sept 7th.
Not sure why your doctor thinks that they are only good for 3 months.

As a public health nurse, I have given thousands of vaccines to adults as well as children. Very few have any reaction to the vaccines. Most reactions are very mild and can be taken care of by ice to the area. Most nurses who give "shots" are well trained and know how and where to vaccinate you to cause minimal pain and discomfort.
I get my flu shot yearly and am amazed at the number of people who say that they get the flu from the flu shot. The flu vaccine is dead. The inhaled vaccine is live.
The military has used the air shots for a real long time. This is not new technology. I know I will hear from all sorts of people who will contradict what I said about the dead vaccine, but the facts are the facts.
We quilters need to stay healthy so we can keep on quilting!