[goodnesswins]

"Now, I recently read a report that old people who get flu shots have less incidents of heart attacks and strokes."

And, you BELIEVED that!!!????

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Actually, what they found was that influenza tends to cause heart attacks and strokes in the elderly, because the damage to the lungs promulgates blood clots. They are more inclined to lung blood clots because of coughing.

Therefore, less flu equals fewer heart attacks and strokes.

A more serious concern is that for older people, vaccines are only about 60% likely to work. That is, for many their immune system does not respond by producing enough antibodies. And even when it does, the effect does not last as long.

So the older they get, the more likelihood they will need a booster vaccine shot in Jan-Feb, after an initial shot in Sept-Oct.

[Salamander]

Hubby got talked into a flu shot several years ago.

He got the flu for the first time in a *long* time.

In spite of refusing the shot and living with a flu vector, I had about 5 hours of an achy head...and that was it.