posted on Dec, 4 2009 @ 06:38 AM
I've been refusing the flu shot for years. Luckily, I'm in a unit where the medics on my team can give most of the immunizations so I get away with
saying "no." I have gotten them in the past and they always made me sick....really sick. I went to SRC a couple of weeks ago and was told that I
had to take the current "flu" shot and H1N1...they made me fill out a questionnaire and talk to a PA for "screening" before getting the shots and
I told them that they made me so sick that I would be bed-ridden for days if I took them. They gave me the normal speech about how the shot "isn't
supposed to" or "can't" make you sick, but I insisted that it was nearly fatal for me so they put a fat "MP," which stands for "Medical
Permanent" in my med records resulting in me never taking another flu shot. I was even given the option to get nasal sprays instead, but I refused.
I felt like I won a major battle that day. The problem with Army doctors is that they don't give a $%^t. I have repeatedly been told on numerous
occasions that there was nothing wrong with me, or that I was "dehydrated," when it turned out to be much worse. I went to the doctors 3 times in
two weeks a couple of years back and was told that I had a cold, then that I was dehydrated, then that I had a sinus infection. Finally, I got so
sick that I went to the ER and found out that I had a severe case of Pneumonia. I had to be put on breathing machines for a couple of hours. If I
were you, I would go to the ER, to a civilian doc, demand a second opinion, which you can do. Tri-Care allows you to see a civilian doc for a second
opinion if you feel that you aren't being treated properly. You just need to call the office of your clinic and tell them that you want to see
someone else. They'll tell you what to do. Oh, and some of the guys that ended up taking the flu shot that I refused are really sick, too. I'm
sure you'll get over it, but I wouldn't suggest you taking that shot again.