Flu Shots

Confession: I have never gotten a flu shot. My husband has never gotten a flu shot. My mother has never gotten a flu shot. I just never felt the need. When I did work around patients and on the floor, it was not a requirement at that time. There wasn' the gigantic push there is now. Now, I am a microbiologist by training and my Masters' degree IS in Public Health. Yes, I am strange. I wasn't against getting it, I just ... didn't do it. Oh and I had an Immunology Professor in college that called flu shots "Voodoo Black Magic".


V has gotten flu shots every year. Because she is egg allergic and the vaccine is grown in egg culture, I usually have to go to the Allergy Clinic and they give it to her there, then observe her for a while. It requires me to take a substantial time off of work. The past three years she's had no reaction. Except a behavioral reaction. Last year she freaked out, kicked the MA in the stomach, ran down the hallway and hid under a table, and dug bloody caverns into my hand, I still have the scar.

The MA appointments for immunizations are all prior to 4:00 pm. This again, requires me to leave work early (I have waaayyyy too many appointments between the three of us). Thus, I found out our clinic was having walk in Flu Shot Clinics. One on a Saturday morning! I decided we all would go.

Benny had his shot three months ago (And still came down with influenza). I was at the doctor for my torn bicep and received the shot (my 1st!). Two down, two to go.
We all went to the open clinic. The nurses freaked out when they found out V was egg allergic, saying there was no doctor on duty (there was so - liars). I told them she would be fine. It really helped having P there. I held her legs and he held her arms. I don't think the nurses were accustomed to dealing with small children; although there were many there. She did fine after some screaming. She was so proud of herself afterwards. Here she is hanging out (at my insistence) to make sure she didn't have a reaction.