You really need the flu shot only if you are at a risk of contracting the disease. Therefore, determine what your lifestyle risks are. If you don’t spend a lot of time in busy public places, you might not necessarily need the shot. Also, if you or your children are in day care or school and another child has the flu, you and especially your child are at high risk for contracting the disease. However, if you keep to yourself and don’t have much contact with people in high-risk groups, then the shot is probably unnecessary.
There are certain types of people who shouldn’t ever receive flu vaccines unless they first talk to their physician. They are those who:
- Have had a strong allergy to chicken eggs or other vaccine ingredients.
- Have had a bad reaction to an influenza vaccination.
- Previously developed GBS (Guillain-Barré syndrome) within six weeks of getting their flu shots.
- Are babies less than six months old
- Have a mild to severe disease and fever