Should I Get A Flu Shot?

I've been reading around the forum about vaccines and I haven't found solid answers. Are there potential negative effects of getting vaccinated for an adult? Is there any way of actually knowing if flu shots are effective?

Did you guys get a flu shot?

 

Obviously, that's a personal choice, and not necessarily an easy one given the ubiquity of misinformation in the medical mainstream. My simple, you could say Peaty, answer to that question is to focus on supporting metabolism rather than fighting the flu or any other virus, as I personally consider vaccination a significant metabolic stressor.

A more involved answer as to effectiveness would involve a much broader understanding of influenza and "influenza-like illness." From the Cochrane Collaboration http://www.cochrane.org/CD001269/ARI_vaccines-to-prevent-influenza-in-healthy-adults:

As for effectiveness in adults:

As to the quality of the studies themselves included in the Cochrane review:

Do I get a flu shot? No. There are better ways to support immunity, imo.

 

Not telling you what to do of course, but I don't personally get a flu or pneumonia shot although I'm in one of the categories where they recommend it.

Check this out, btw: "Flu" may indeed be simply reaction to endotoxin

 

I don't think there is an easy answer. I don't usually get a 'flu' shot, but I've chosen to take them sometimes - eg when swine flu was making the rounds. I think some people are so badly affected by flu that the downsides of vaccination are probably worth it. I assume that the more generally and metabolically robust you are, the easier to handle both vaccinations and 'flu'.
May only be effective against a small percentage of the relevant viruses, but they do target the 3 strains they consider most likely to dominate each season, I think.

 

Thanks, guys.