This is obviously kind of corona-related, so maybe should go to the other side, but I don't think so.

I'm high risk, haven't left the house to speak of in the months since this whole mess began. My doc says I should get a shot, but of course that'd require me to go into a Walgreens or other similar location... if I did that, of course I'd wear an N95 and might even bring gloves (or would definitely use 70% EtOH / hand sanitizer). I haven't been going for routine doctor/dentist visits, and haven't needed an emergency visit for anything since it all began. (I'm getting all my groceries delivered, stuff delivered from Amazon, etc. I even did a Cologuard for the first time ever.)

I do routinely get a flu shot. I also know the risks are super low from either person-to-person or fomite transmission, but I'm almost tempted to not bother since -- if this continues through the beginning of next year -- it's unlikely I'd be in contact with much of anyone, and then very unlikely to get the flu. But again, the chances are low, not zero. So in my mind, this becomes sort of a risk-benefit thing... if I were to get the flu and THEN corona, that'd be terrible. (People who have my particular condition that makes me high risk-- if they've gotten corona-- the outcomes have been, shall we say, fairly terrible.)

What do you all think? It's a shame that the flu patch idea never took off. If I could self-administer, that'd be the best choice.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2020 12:40PM by PeterB.

Probably a good idea. I got mine is a pharmacy at Target which means it was a big open air store. The pharmacist and I were masked up. I got a $5 gift card which I blew on snacks.

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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]

If you don't plan on leaving your house for the next several months, then no I wouldn't bother.

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rz
If you don't plan on leaving your house for the next several months, then no I wouldn't bother.

That also depends on who else is coming in and out of your house and who they come in contact with.

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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]

Get it. Flu season peaks in Dec-Mar but continues through about May. Hopefully there will be a vaccine available for high-risk people in the winter so you might be able to get a COVID vaccine and then will be able to go out and about and get flu.

My doctor office will give shots in the drive through by a gowned nurse. No getting out of the car. Maybe that's a possibility for you.

....one flu....over the.....

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

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Michael
Get it. Flu season peaks in Dec-Mar but continues through about May. Hopefully there will be a vaccine available for high-risk people in the winter so you might be able to get a COVID vaccine and then will be able to go out and about and get flu.

My doctor office will give shots in the drive through by a gowned nurse. No getting out of the car. Maybe that's a possibility for you.

Yep, I've also thought about drive-in flu shots. (I can't believe I just wrote that sentence!)

... also I should mention that the thing that causes me to be high risk also means that my response to ANY vaccine is diminished ... so even if an effective corona vaccine comes out, the likelihood is good that it will not work well in my case. ... and frankly, from what I've read of the people who have my condition, what happens to them if they get corona ... death of course, permanent organ damage, etc., I just don't want to take the risk.

Also, I should have mentioned -- I live alone (other than pets ) ... with really no one coming and going in my house other than the occasional delivery or repairperson who is masked and keeping a distance.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2020 01:09PM by PeterB.

PeterB,

I don't understand why people even ask this. The answer is yes. Always yes. The flu shot isn't perfect. It reduces your risk of getting the flu and, if you still get it, it will be a mild case. To me, it's a no-brainer.

Like you said... You don't want to get the flu then Covid-19. Or, if you get Covid-19, you don't want to get the flu. 'course, it's preferable not to get either.

Robert

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Robert M
PeterB,

I don't understand why people even ask this. The answer is yes. Always yes. The flu shot isn't perfect. It reduces your risk of getting the flu and, if you still get it, it will be a mild case. To me, it's a no-brainer.

Like you said... You don't want to get the flu then Covid-19. Or, if you get Covid-19, you don't want to get the flu. 'course, it's preferable not to get either.

Robert

I was about to type this almost word for word - the correct answer is HELL YES!

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Robert M
PeterB,

I don't understand why people even ask this. The answer is yes. Always yes. The flu shot isn't perfect. It reduces your risk of getting the flu and, if you still get it, it will be a mild case. To me, it's a no-brainer.

Like you said... You don't want to get the flu then Covid-19. Or, if you get Covid-19, you don't want to get the flu. 'course, it's preferable not to get either.

Robert

Hi Robert, thanks for the $0.02, but read the reply I just wrote above yours ... then you'll see why this becomes a cost/benefit analysis. Under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't think twice about getting a flu shot (you're singing to the choir on that one), but these are not ordinarily circumstances and I'm not the average person in terms of risk.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

I'm with Kaiser Medicare and was able to go the drive-thru flu shot route. I'd look for that kind of option.

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"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2020 01:13PM by graylocks.

Yes

What does your Doctor recommend?

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Edited 999 time(s). Last edit at 12:08PM by jdc.

PeterB,

Read your response. Same answer. FWIW, I'm not the average person and I'm in the high risk group. Actually, very high risk due to multiple issues. I got the flu shot. Choose a place that does proper safety protocols and you should be fine. A drive through shot would be the best option.

Robert

The local counties always have a drive-through shot program. I'm sure the shot-giver would have on a mask. It takes less than a minute. Check with whatever state or county agency you can to get information.

TL;DR
Yes. Get the flu shot this season.

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You're asking us? We're the automotive forum.

.....don't get shot.....in a drive by......

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Yes. I'm getting mine this weekend.

Just heard that two of my sister's kids have COVID, so the rest of the family is guaranteed to get it. My 84 year old mother has quarantined herself in her side of the house, but I suspect she will get it. She is very fit, so I hope it's a light case.

If you don't have access to a drive-through location, then why not get it at your doctor's office? I'd expect your doctor's office to be safer than a random pharmacy.

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Robert M
PeterB,

Read your response. Same answer. FWIW, I'm not the average person and I'm in the high risk group. Actually, very high risk due to multiple issues. I got the flu shot. Choose a place that does proper safety protocols and you should be fine. A drive through shot would be the best option.

Robert

I agree.

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AllGold
If you don't have access to a drive-through location, then why not get it at your doctor's office? I'd expect your doctor's office to be safer than a random pharmacy.

Not likely, in terms of the number of people, including potentially ill people, with whom you might have contact.

Depending on when I were to go, if I went to a Walgreens, I might have contact with 3-5 people at most (including the pharmacist giving the shot). That's as compared to my doctor's office, where because it's located in a hospital, I could potentially have contact with 25+ people, including when having to get through the parking garage, the elevators, the doctor's office itself, etc.

I'm thinking maybe drive-thru or just the pharmacy during off hours. But even then, the chance of me getting the flu I would think would be extremely slim if I am homebound again next year. And like I said, the flu shot is not necessarily going to be particularly effective for me because I won't mount a proper response to it. (I've asked my doc if it makes sense for me to get either the high dose or multiple shots; he said yes to the high dose, but I can only get that at his office and not the local pharmacy.)

Edit: looks like NOLA had a single day drive-through flu shot program which has already come and gone, so that rules out that possibility.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2020 02:12PM by PeterB.

Yes, since the only reason not to get one is that you are seriously allergic to flu vaccines (in which case, you would know, and you would not post).

Also, getting ANY vaccine seems to activate the immune system and might reduce COVID severity risks.

In most places, it's also free.

Finally, I thank you for asking - and the rest of the community thanks you for listening and getting one (especially for those that CANNOT get this added protection).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/05/2020 02:13PM by sekker.

....and the time just flu by......

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_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

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sekker
Yes, since the only reason not to get one is that you are seriously allergic to flu vaccines (in which case, you would know, and you would not post).

Also, getting ANY vaccine seems to activate the immune system and might reduce COVID severity risks.

In most places, it's also free.

Finally, I thank you for asking - and the rest of the community thanks you for listening and getting one (especially for those that CANNOT get this added protection).

Yep -- I understand about how, in general, it's a good idea to get a shot. The question is, as I said -- is the risk of corona exposure worth the possible benefit of the flu shot in my case. If I'm homebound next year, the chance of getting the flu would be extremely low. Then there's the fact that my immune system won't respond well to any vaccine, so it's not clear how protective the flu shot is for me anyway (better than nothing, of course). I don't mean to be rude, but I'm far less concerned about passing the flu (or corona) to anyone, MUCH more concerned about getting corona myself. The regular flu, that I can handle.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

and yes...drive thru.

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Buck
You're asking us? We're the automotive forum.

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“Live your life, love your life, don’t regret…live, learn and move forward positively.” – CR Johnson
Loving life in Lake Tahoe, CA

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PeterB
the pharmacy during off hours.

Last year we waited for an hour after signing in. So, this year we went to a new Publix grocery store as the pharmacy hours started. We were the only ones there and it took 10 min to get in and out. So, the pharmacy at the time the pharmacist gets there might be a good idea to reduce contact with others.

I did. At work.

I always recommend people upgrade to a quad-core when possible.

Any chance your GP would take you as first patient of the day to minimize contact with others? CVS pHarmacy implies they offer Senior and Quadrivalent versions of the flu shot.

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

I say yes. Make an appointment, and tell them that you'd prefer to wait outside until they are ready to give the vaccine. They will text you, so you don't need to sit inside unnecessarily.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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Filliam H. Muffman
I always recommend people upgrade to a quad-core when possible.

Any chance your GP would take you as first patient of the day to minimize contact with others? CVS pHarmacy implies they offer Senior and Quadrivalent versions of the flu shot.

Hmm, interesting ... my local Walgreens said you could only get it through the doctor's office.

The idea of being the first patient of the morning isn't a bad idea either, though I'm hardly an early riser, rather I'm a total night owl ... that's why I was thinking to hit Walgreens maybe half an hour before the pharmacy closes... usually that's pretty dead. (No pun intended!) Not sure they make appointments though.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Are there any 24-hour pharmacies there? We have some in NYC. If you can locate one, then maybe call and find out when the pharmacy is most deserted. Also see if Urgent Care practices are giving the shot. I've seen short lines outside the Urgent Care place not far from me, properly distanced.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals

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ka jowct
Are there any 24-hour pharmacies there? We have some in NYC. If you can locate one, then maybe call and find out when the pharmacy is most deserted. Also see if Urgent Care practices are giving the shot. I've seen short lines outside the Urgent Care place not far from me, properly distanced.

Yup, there are a couple of 24 hour pharmacies, though not as convenient to me as the ones which aren't. I'm tempted to call to see if I can make an appointment though...

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

I got my flu shot at target in the middle of the work day. Nobody got within 20 feet of me aside from the person who administered the shot.

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I got mine last Friday. I was helping a client with mobility constraints get out for a doctor's appointment and then down to a Walgreen's in our area to get flu shots. Unfortunately, this particular Walgreen's closes the pharmacy from 1:30–2:00 PM for lunch, and we got there at 1:25. So we were stuck there until the pharmacy reopened. Luckily, the place wasn't packed, but it was still annoying.

I used to get prescriptions filled at a CVS that is more conveniently located and open 24 hours as well, but my Part D insurance is on bed with Walgreen's.

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My life goes smoothly and in regular intervals

Guess you need to consider or that you have considered:

Is it worth the risk if you don't get a flu shot? Do the benefits out weigh the risks?

Can you be reasonably sure you won't be leaving your domcile for the next few months nor have more contact with delivery people repair people, neighbors, mail carriers etc., that may be carriers of the flu other than the situations you have described?

What does your doctor recommend?

Wife and I got the upgraded shot via drive thru. Piece of cake.

Yes. ftr, I'm 'high risk' senior, T2D, CHD, yada yada but not overweight.
I've gotten all the immunizations; flu, shingles, pneumonia (Prevnar 2-step), etc.

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Buck
You're asking us? We're the automotive forum.

What??
I thought this was the pronHurricane Tracking Forum

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39°36'17"N 75°44'43"W

The search engine that doesn't track you.

Around here, all the flu shot clinics are either outdoors or drive-throughs. I got mine. Best to get one at an outdoor location before it gets too wintry to have them outside.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

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davester
Around here, all the flu shot clinics are either outdoors or drive-throughs. I got mine. Best to get one at an outdoor location before it gets too wintry to have them outside.

Down here, that wouldn't be a problem, but as I said -- apparently the city is not doing any drive-thrus.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Just got mine today. Drive thru. Quick and easy-peasy.

I'm on Kaiser medicare. No charge for the shot.

Peter, I hope you stay well.

If you are basically quarantined anyway. Where would you get the flu from? It sounds like in your case the risk of getting vaccinated may be greater than not. Obviously that only applies as long as you stay away from other humans...

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fauch
If you are basically quarantined anyway. Where would you get the flu from? It sounds like in your case the risk of getting vaccinated may be greater than not. Obviously that only applies as long as you stay away from other humans...

Well, exactly. That was part of why I started this post. I've been super-cautious since this whole mess began, and have had minimal-to-no contact with other human beings, at least to the extent possible. Maybe that's really overkill on my part, but from reading the scientific/medical literature of what has happened to people who happen to have my particular medical issue -- let's just say it scared the living bejeezus out of me... I do NOT want to catch this virus.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Wonder if your preferred pharmacist would be willing to come to the parking lot and give you a shot while in your car.

Yes.

Yes.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

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Don C
Wonder if your preferred pharmacist would be willing to come to the parking lot and give you a shot while in your car.

Doubtful that anyone in Walgreens would be willing to do that, but I DID find out last night that it's possible to make an appointment, so I might go that route. The pharmacy was also kind enough to give me a heads-up about the time of day that they're likeliest to be not too busy... interestingly enough, it's NOT the first-thing-in-the-morning idea that some here mentioned, they said that that's actually one of their busiest times, because apparently people come to the store before 8AM and wait for the pharmacy to open!

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

Yes.

I don't know about elsewhere, but of the 600ish cases of COVID here since this began (total for my county), ZERO have been through "community transmission" at stores, doctors offices, etc. Even at a local store where a checker had it. This was a busy store, with hundreds of people an hour checking out.

So, my opinion is, mask and glove, go to Walgreens, get the flu shot. Discard gloves and mask outside your car (into a trash bag, of course), sanitize in the car.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Got my shot late this morning. I actually checked my immunizations before I went and realized that I was also due for a meningiococcal booster too, so I did that at the same time. (Recommend everyone here due the same; the last thing you want is to get the flu or some other avoidable infection, AND corona.) The store wasn't particularly busy, but it did take a long time apparently because of the computers/paperwork/typical Walgreens nonsense.

I wore an N95 of course, but didn't use gloves ... I thought about it, but with the sheer number of things I would be touching, I didn't think it made much sense ... I was just very careful not to touch my face at any time, and also used the hand sanitizer they had there. Plexiglass everything of course, everybody masked, and most people were keeping their distance, except one asshat who was behind me in line and was clearly getting impatient with having to wait his turn. I almost turned around to yell at him "social distancing!" or "get out of my personal space!" but resisted the temptation, as I didn't want to start a confrontation.

Chitchatting with the pharmacist, I could tell she's been under a lot of stress... I don't envy her her job, particularly because of the nutcases we have down here. I also noticed it when I was driving (I haven't driven anywhere in literally months), that the drivers here are terrible, pandemic or no pandemic.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

I was at CVS this afternoon running an errand and saw the flu shot sign at the entrance. I thought it was as good as time as any. Went to pharmacy window. No appointment necessary. I was done in 5 mins. Paid for my items and left.

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d4
I was at CVS this afternoon running an errand and saw the flu shot sign at the entrance. I thought it was as good as time as any. Went to pharmacy window. No appointment necessary. I was done in 5 mins. Paid for my items and left.

Yep, I would have been done in 5-15 mins, had the Walgreens pharm intern known what she was doing ... they routinely man the register with the interns, and the interns are seemingly never working there long enough to learn their way around things before they get replaced. I would say in total, it took me about 30-45 minutes to finally get my shots. I wasn't terribly surprised by that, given Walgreens, but I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about sitting there for that long in terms of possible exposure.

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)