Flu Shot

[stevej37]

Went in for my annual flu shot this am. The cute young nurse that gave me the shot was talking and after she wiped my arm with alcohol....she put a round band-aid with a clear window on it and then stuck the needle thru the clear part. There was a line of people waiting, so I didn't ask her about it.

I just googled it and found out this....
"The bandage is circular, with an adhesive membrane. A nurse cleans the patient’s arm, applies the Barrier Bandage, and then administers the shot right through the bandage. It then acts immediately as a band-aid to catch and conceal any fluids from the broken skin."

First time I've heard of it.

[craigster59]

Sounds a little bit like Tegaderm except different....

Inject-Safe Barrier Bandages | Bandages – Standard of Care - Patient Safety

[craigster59]

I've heard the new flu shot and Covid booster can be a MF'er. I think I'm going to pass this year.

[stevej37]

I'm not doing the latest Covid Booster. The side effects that I get are awful, and I had two nurses tell me that the reason for that is that I most likely had Covid early on.
She said if you are in good health, most don't even know they had it.(Covid)

[stevej37]

Pic of the outside of the bandage...I just found it stuck to my shirt. Can barely see where the needle went through.

[jyl]

The latest Covid booster had no side effects for me, other than the briefly sore shoulder.

I didn't do the flu shot at the same time, but will go and get one soon. I have a feeling that the flu season will be tough.

[stevej37]

I normally never get a headache. The Covid shots each time gave me a day or more of terrible migraine headaches. If I so much as lightly touched the hair on my head...it was like a thousand pins sticking me at once.

[Superman]

It appears you cannot make many generalizations about how people will be affected. I assumed I would be infected eventually, and that I would not get very sick. I am in pretty good health. Never get 'sick.' I had just been immunized for a fourth time in May 2022. I came back from a festival in July...infected. The first week was nothing more than a runny nose. The second week was brutal. Fevers (up to at least 102, the only time I actually measured). Fever broke at the end of that second week and my gas tank was EMPTY. It took me two weeks to get back to 75%.

Here's another thing: I had never EVER had any reaction to any immunization until my shot in May. I felt poorly for a couple of days after that. So.....you just never know.

I am hereby suggesting that Craigster and Steve reconsider. You think the side effects from a booster are unpleasant, and you may regret passing on that bit of unpleasantness. I got a fourth Covid shot in May and then got SICK SICK in July. I shudder to think what might have happened had I not had the protection of those vaccinations. Again, I am mighty healthy. 5'8", 155. No allergies. High HDL. I won the genetics lottery. I climb mountains and stuff. Covid was no fun at all. I would have bet heavily that Covid would be a breeze for me. Also, FWIW, there was no respiratory symptom.

My Shingrix booster is this coming Monday. My Covid/Flu booster is a week from today. I am not going to gamble with my health. Covid is still killing people. If I test positive again for Covid, I will be contacting my doctor for Remdesivir and/or Paxlovid, etc. Go to PARF or Gab or Parler for health misinformation. For health care, go to your doctor.

[Superman]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I normally never get a headache. The Covid shots each time gave me a day or more of terrible migraine headaches. If I so much as lightly touched the hair on my head...it was like a thousand pins sticking me at once.

Migraines? Did you have the ocular symptom which accompanies migraines? Or is "migraine" just a synonym for "serious?"

[stevej37]

^^^ They would affect different areas of my head...very intense. Never affected my vision.

Btw...5'9" and 149 lbs here
Just about 70 years old.

[hcoles]

We (wife and I) just got our third booster. Only slightly sore arm. We also got the flue shots.
We both had COVID with minor symptoms. 70 years old.

[matthewb0051]

Now that the Army can't force me to get an annual flu shot I don't.

But I'm wondering why you guys are getting shots. At the 45 (roughly) year old mark in the Army they make you start taking the nasal mist thing. IT SUCKS. Live virus and you usually get sick from it. Since I always outranked the medics giving the shots, I would leave the room immediately and blow my nose or spit it out. It was horrible.

Is the nasal spray thing common?

[hcoles]

Very simple. I'm 70 and I don't want to get the flue. If it is anything like having the flue years ago when I was "young" I don't want it now. Too traumatic.

[stevej37]

^^^ Yeah...I had it once while in my 40's.
The worst I've ever felt......and every time I thought it was getting better.. It came back worse.

[rfuerst911sc]

My wife and I had our flu shots about 3 weeks ago and yes they used the circular band aid . Neat technology . No side affects other than typical sore arm .

[flatbutt]

I don't know why or how but I've never had the flu. I had Epstein Barr years ago and thought I was going to die. Covid hit me in June and for 2 days I was miserable but other than the cough and fatigue that was it. I might be too cranky for the flu.

[Tobra]

That is great and all, but what do you suppose happens to the little piece of the bandage the needle punches out of it as it goes into your arm?

That bandage is the answer to a question that nobody asked.

[stevej37]

^^^ from Craigsters post....

Inject-Safe Barrier Bandages | Bandages – Standard of Care - Patient Safety

[OldSpool87]

Slow release suppository is the only way to go.

[stevej37]

^^^ I thought about asking the young nurse if there was an alternative injection site....but decided it might not be thought as funny.
I still remember as a kid...the doctor saying "get up on the table and lower the pants."