Flu shot is necessary?? I took my son to his new pediatrician yesterday. I loved her! Except for one thing. She said to…

My kids always get the flu shot. This past year 2 of them still got the flu and 1 didn't. My husband and I didn't get the shot. I got the flu; he didn't. Last year they said the shot protected against the wrong strain since the flu shot is just a guessing game, but my kids will still continue to get it. This is the first year any of them got the flu.

I'm pro vaxx but I never got the flu shot for my son either. I got mine but my DH refuses bc he got really sick from it years ago.

Thank you Kmacc I'm lazy today. I ♡ u!

Me and my two kids got it this past year and we still got the flu. They said it wasn't effective aginst this year's strain. So I don't believe we will be getting the flu shots anymore. Jmo

I refuse the flu shot. They can push it on me as much as they want but no! Every time someone I know gets the shot they get the flu then end up in the hospital. Every time I've had the flu I got over it in a week and don't end up in the hospital.

We vaccinate, but don't so the flu shot. Most of the time the shot doesn't even protect against the strain of flu that's going around.

Why is it not necessary Kmacc?

My husband and I argue about this, I don't believe they are necessary.

I've never had one and the first time I've had a flu was last year, he gave it to me. Typically I only get sick once a year.

My husband gets the shot every year and he's sick all the time.

Not perfect logic but it doesn't make me feel better about giving my baby a shot that may not help prevent anything.

I have been getting it every year since I had my son. He is 5 now. He has sickle cell disease and no spleen so we do not want to be sick around him. He can catch it easily.

No one in my family gets the flu shot, including my children. I get grief from my pediatrician every year, but it's a decision my husband and I stick to. If you don't want the shot, don't get it.

How exactly does the flu shot lower the immune system? Oo

Getting a flu shot lowers the your natural immune system for up to 6 month's before it goes back to normal. So then you have a sick child all time getting every cold out there.

My older son is in school and has reactive airway disease that is triggered when he gets sick, so we get the flu shot for him, but always make sure to get him the mercury free shot. I don't plan on getting the shot for our baby, though.

My pedi was the same way we tried it once and never again she reacted horribly to it.

No. And my pedi is the same way. Convinced my husband somehow, and then I gave in with my 3 year old. I said ABSOLUTELY NOT about my 6 months old. I wouldn't get it again. No negative side effects from it honestly, but I've heard way too many negative about the flu shot. It's the only vaccine we don't do. I've never had one in my life.

I would and did. And I esp would if my older child was in daycare/school. I also got it while I was pregnant to try pass on immunity to the baby. Yes, most healthy people can fight the flu just fine but one I have servere asthma and can't and won't know if my children can until the first time they get it. And newborns have no ability to fight it.

Thank you ladies. Yeah, I'm really not comfortable getting it so I'm gonna pass. I just wanted to get opinions from others. She also asked about him getting the HPV shots and I said NO.

While I agree if you don't feel comfortable doing it, it's totally your choice. With that being said I didn't get the flu shot one year and ended up giving it to my little guy. He wasn't old enough at the time to get his own shot. He ended up in the hospital for nearly a week with influenza A and pneumonia caused by the flu. I felt horrible seeing him hooked up to all those cords and an oxygen machine. Since then I've been diligent about getting everyone in our family their flu shots and thankfully have had no problems. With the most serious case of flu being a day long sniffle episode. So I guess to each their own.

Personally I find the flu shot more dangerous than the flu and would decline it.

We never get the flu shot, I don't think it's necessary. My MIL threw a fit last winter when I refused to give my DD the shot and said that her, our nephew, SIL and MILs parents all got it (like that was going to magically change my mind?...) and every single one of them got the flu and my family did not, even though we were exposed to it via our nephew.

We didn't get it last year and everyone survived. It's just not necessary, and it's hard to predict what strains that will need to be in the vaccines, many times they r wrong. It's ur choice so don't feel pressure to get it.

I always refuse the shot and I will for my son too until he's school age and then I might reconsider it.

We typically don't get flu shots either. My issue with it is that in most cases, unless immune system is compromised or you have a high exposure rate, I just don't think they are that effective. I got them when I worked at the hospital, it was mandatory that we have them, and I never had any negative effects from it. But I've never had the flu in my life, either before or after having the flu shot, so I could take it or leave it. If the pediatrician recommends it, do some research and think about it. Find information supporting your decision either way, and discuss it with your pediatrician. Most times immunizations are a good thing. They help prevent outbreaks of illness and lots of people die each year from contracting the flu. The problem is that sometimes it's hard for them to figure out which brand of the flu will present in which part of the country. If they pick the wrong strain, how effective is the shot in your area? You just have to weigh the pros and cons and make your decision with the information you have.

I wouldn't and don't plan on to. Flu shots get me deathly sick where I always end up in the hospital mostly because I get breathing problems when I'm sick I don't know why though. Don't want to put my pregnant self through that or my daughter. I opted out last year and will again this year for her two year visit.

I don't vaccinate because my kids have horrible reactions to it.

But even before that we never got the flu shot.

I've never had one and nobody in my family has either.

I feel if it was more affective I would be more willing to. But it's affectivness imo isn't high enough to bother with all the icky side effects it can have.

Your Dr can't make you do anything you don't want to do. If it makes you uncomfortable just say no. That's your right as a parent.