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| picture courtesy of presurfer.blogspot.com |
I can’t remember the last time I had a cold and I’m hopeful
that by admitting that fact I’m not enticing germs to invade my space. Now why
is that, I wonder? Is it because around nineteen years ago I started having an
annual flu jab? I was talked into it by
my lovely doctor, which was a surprise because they were only giving free jabs
to the over sixties. I think I’d gone to see him when I was suffering with a severely
sore throat but have no idea if that decided him.
Every year now, in October, Joe and I go to the surgery for
our regular flu jabs. Sometimes the medics include an extra all-in: one year an
additional element to prevent pneumonia, and another time to protect against swine
flu. The service is free on our National Health scheme which really can’t be
faulted. Some people moan about it but
then some people will moan about anything.
I have always received excellent treatment under the NHS, even
prescriptions are free for my age group.
Going back to the subject of colds. Is having the annual jab
the reason for the lack of colds or is it because of a change in lifestyle? These
days I don’t travel on public transport and I don’t mix in large crowds at the
shops, thus apparently avoiding germs. Whereas at one time I would worry about
picking up bacteria from a suffering colleague, mentally working out if he or
she was beyond the three day infectious period, now it seems I have no need to
be cautious. Those little nasties just don’t spread in my direction.
I do wonder why some people are against this particular sort
of immunisation. I hear various objections, the main one being that they always get the flu afterwards. That, of
course, is total rubbish. The medics go to great lengths to explain that it is
impossible to get the flu after one of those shots, they even hand out printed
leaflets to try and convince them. Or maybe it isn’t that, maybe people just
don’t like needles! They should go to my surgery, you don’t feel a thing. Of
course, we’ve probably got better nurses than any other surgery.
So apart from the arthritis I’m quite well, thank you.
Our work gives us free annual jabs but I seem to still get colds. Sounds like you have had a lucky time of it.
ReplyDeleteit is nice to be free of it...have had the flue shot...have to get it now teaching as i did when i was counseling....still get sick every once in a while but very seldom the flu personally
ReplyDeleteOh, I think it's the 'once upon a time they gave you a dose of it' story that lives on.
ReplyDeleteThat's not the case any more.
Or......maybe it's that dreaded fear of needles like you said?
Wow you're a lucky duck to be avoiding germy uck from the masses! I, on the other hand--should have taken out stock in the Kleenex company. :-(
Iused to get so many colds, and now I get quite indignant if I do because I think I ought to be immune to them. I love your new header, Valerie!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I've never had a flu shot so I can't honestly say whether I believe they induce the flu afterwards.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I very rarely get sick. But when I do, I get it bad. About 5 years ago I got a nasty flu that put me out of commission for over a week. OMG...I felt so bad that every bone in my body ached. Even my hair hurt - HA!
Hope you're feeling better soon, dear lady.
(((((( You ))))))
Btw, I LOVE your new blog header. What an AWESOME photo!
X
Brian, it is good to keep ourselves protected particularly when, like you, we have so much contact with others.
ReplyDeleteRon, fortunately I'm not ill, but thank you. I remember the real flu, it does make people feel very ill. Trouble is a lot of people think an ordinary cold is the flu. Not so. It can be a killer disease for some.
I might have to think about a jab. As you may be aware, I do suffer terribly from man flu. I think EHS George brings the germs home from college.
ReplyDeleteI've received an immunization shot for the past three years. This year I didn't get one, and now I'm sick. I'm kicking myself in the head for not getting a shot this year. Argh!
ReplyDeleteValerie, I myself have never had a flu shot, my wife Cindy gets one every year, the difference is she works in health care and I am retired so she is more exposed to the germs than I, I get about five shots a day due to my Diabetes so I tell my Doc that I get enough shots without adding another :)
ReplyDeleteI am not necessarily against the flu shot I have done well without it so far, like you I hope I haven't said too much and set myself up for it now Ha Ha
Hi Jimmy. After five shots a day, it's no wonder you don't want any more. Fingers crossed that we haven't laid ourselves wide open to those nasty germs.
ReplyDeleteHi Val. I'll be back posting soon. We always get the flu shot. It's not a 100 percent guarantee, but it does lessen the severity if one gets it. My eye surgery went well, and I see great now at a distance, but having trouble seeing up close, reading, etc. I can't get new glasses til the end of the month. I'm sure I'll get bi-focals. (Getting old ain't for sissies!!)
ReplyDeleteSo far I have had three 'colds' since getting my annual flu shot....
ReplyDeletea freebie since I work in a hospital and they would rather employees aren't the cause of an epidemic....
For me having a cold just means my
insomnia takes a break and I can sleep longer .
Enjoy the weekend Val !!
Great to hear that you well. I wish I could the same about myself but it seems that 3-year-old boys bring home a lot of germs from pre-school. We started getting the flu shot after we had kids, and it has helped with the flu, but it has not helped with the colds. Have a good weekend, Val.
ReplyDeleteI often have colds... but only during the morning, in a short span of time only. Weird. They say it's allergy.
ReplyDeleteSounds more like an allergy, Lea. You should find the cause.
ReplyDelete