Swine Flu/H1N1 Vaccination - Yes or No?

[Funky_Fish14]

I dont really buy in to the 'swine flu hype', and I thought the media really blew it out of proportion. I rarely get sick(less than anually), and if I do, its just my body shutting down cause I have been eating poorly and not getting enough sleep for extended periods. I havent had a vaccination for 15 years.

My father heard about the deaths of younger (15-25 year old) males who were completely healthy without any medical conditions. I fit right into the middle of this category. He got pretty cheesed when he found out I didnt want to get the shot, and hounded me for awhile about it. School was lagging (I didnt put nearly as much effort into it as I should have for the first month and a half), and knowing H1N1 was pretty bad (you are barred from comming to school for a week+ if you get it, time I could not afford to miss), I then decided to get the shot. I actually managed to get it on the first day it was offered in my area, before they ran out (actually about 30 mins before they started turning people away).

I havent really seen many people sick lately... and getting the shot wasted about 3 hrs of my time (even though i was there early). Oh well, I guess it was better safe than sorry, I really just didnt want to risk missing 1wk + of school.

The only side effect, for me, from the shot, was a sore shoulder for a couple days (pretty sore actually). One 3 or 4 year old at the clinic i went to had an allergic reaction to the shot. Aside from that, no issues.

Also important to note (cause some people dont realise this): Even if you are vaccinated, and 'immune' to the virus, you can still be a carrier.

Cheers,

Chris