Walgreen’s is offering flu shots for $25, and I’m debating whether to get one.
Really, the only thing that’s stopping me from getting it is the price. I don’t have a lot of extra money right now – but I also have not-the-best health insurance (I had to buy my own) and I really want to avoid getting the flu because I don’t want to have to pay a lot to visit the doctor, not to mention that I just want to avoid getting the flu.
What about you? Are you getting the vaccine? What about the H1N1 vaccine when it comes out?
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Tags: Flu shot Walgreens
I get the flu shot because I work in a school. If I wasn’t exposed to so many sicknesses at work, or potentially exposing so many other people, I probably wouldn’t.
If the county you live in has a health department you should be able to get the shot there cheaper. It’s only $5 at the health department here.
I’ll be getting both. If you’re older than 24 and/or don’t have a lot of contact with kids/teens, you probably don’t need to get the H1N1 vaccine. You can check out the CDC website to find out if you’re high risk and in need of the shot. I’m getting it because I barely fit in the age window and I work on a college campus where kids are dropping like flies.
As for the cost, think about how much a lost week of work would cost! Not to mention a trip to the doc for Tamiflu, the cost of Tamiflu, the cost of other flu meds. I’ve had the flu, and it is SO TERRIBLE that I even managed to overcome severe needle anxiety and just get the shot. I never want to have the flu again. The rec to check out the county health unit is a good one.
I agree with all that’s been said above. Your county offers the shot ($20) and is cheaper than retail places ($25 and up). You should definitely get the shot if you are in a vulnerable group (e.g., children, pregnant women, elderly or healthcare/school workers), but it’s optional if you’re normal/healthy. It’s really a preventative measure b/c you need to get both the regular and H1N1 shots in order to be exposed to those viral strains which allows your body to build up your immunity to them.
Other considerations: 1) any allergies to eggs or thimerosol, which are in the vaccines and 2) any concerns about killed virus (IV injections) versus partially killed virus (flu-mists) vaccines. Note also it takes about 2 weeks for vaccines to take effect…you may catch the flu before that happens.
I started getting flu shots as a healthy grad student b/c the undergrads were always sick with something (meningitis, flu or tuberculosis) and I didn’t want downtime from my studies as a result from catching what they had. Lately we have noticed that the Minute Clinic at CVS takes our BC/BS health insurance as payment so it’s free for us. Cf. Giant and Walgreen’s did not.
i’m getting both, but remember that i have an abnormally weak immune system and am at the front of the line for the injectible H1N1 vaccine (probably nasal too, but the nasal flu one never worked for me). ANYways… i agree w/ what everyone says, but i also think that in heavily populated areas, you’re bound to be in contact w/ someone who has the flu and since you don’t have good insurance, why take the chance. 25 bucks, or more for time off work and doctors bills?
but again, remember this is coming from someone who will probably get sick despite getting the vaccines…