17 May 2006
A touch of the flu
I decided to get an influenza vaccination for the first time this year. I haven’t bothered in the past but decided it was probably time to reduce the risk of nasty illness.
I last had influenza in 1999 and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I don’t mean ‘the flu’ as in a bad cold – I mean being unable to get out of bed for a week or three. The pneumonia I contracted immediately after was an experience I don’t want to repeat.
My doctor told me at the time that it is common for people to be badly affected by flu about every seven years. So, seven years later, I figure it is time to improve my chances, and on Monday I got a shot of Fluvax®. It contains dead viruses from recent strains (three I think) so it offers some protection, although not against any new strains.
There is usually some kind of reaction. On Tuesday my right arm started aching (it was the left arm that took the needle). And my left knee, and … typical flu symptoms. A day later I felt better, so it looks like my reaction to the vaccine was minor.
There’s no guarantee, but I hope to escape the seven-year bitch.
