Get the Flu shot?

But is it the flu? There are many different sources of winter time respiratory infections. The only way to know is to get tested. Many urgent care and other doctors offices can easily run a quick test, a Respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) which looks for multiple sources of infection using one simple swab. These sources of infection include the flu, Covid and RSV.

They say that this years shot doesn't protect against the dominate strain of this year's virus but still recommend getting it to prevent other worse strains.

I did get a shot, but I was still sick as hell from Christmas through New Years. Coughing uncontrollably for days until so much pain I thought I had cracked ribs. Sneezing and blowing nose constantly. Finally new year eve I slept from 9PM until 10:30 in the morning. Felt like hit by a truck the next day, but started getting better. Almost back to normal, but cough and stuffed nose are still lingering a bit. Strangely through all of it, never had a fever.

I didn't get the shot. I have in the past, and it does too little if anything. I had the flu just before Christmas, so I stayed home to avoid getting anyone sick during their Christmas and New Year's. That would be shitty. Anyway, I was sneezing so much the second day, that every breath was pain on the third day - much worse when I sneezed or coughed with the sore ribs.

Any given year's flu shot is their "best guess" as to what strain(s) of flu will be prevalent that year, but they have to do it so far in advance, that they are often wrong. Usually, even if the shot doesn't target the exact flu going around, it's still somewhat effective in mitigating the symptoms of other varieties.

That said, I didn't get the shot this year (nor the COVID one), and I only got a mild flu just before Christmas. It only lasted about a week, so it might just have been a bad cold, since by the time I bothered to take a test, I was negative for both flue and COVID.

Keep in mind the vaccine is unique each year and they will always focus on multiple strains. While the dominant strain this year may not be included, that 2025/26 dominant strain may well have been part of last year or another prior year’s vaccination. That’s why regardless of how “on target” they are with the strains included in a specific year’s vaccine it is crucial to take the flu vaccine product EVERY year! That way your immune system “collects” immune efficacy against many different strains of the flu over the many years of flu shots.

I honestly cannot remember the last time I had the flu. Long, long time.

Last but not least, if you are 65 or older you should request the senior version of that year’s flu shot and NOT the regular version. The senior version of the flu vaccine has approximately three times the amount of active ingredients and/or immune data for your immune system to “incorporate”.