I live in a retirement home. People here don't seem to care about spreading diseases. I have taken the flu shot every year. Also take the pneumonia shot. It helps with viral pneumonia. Most people with MS get aspiration pneumonia, swallowing food into lungs.

I also have face masks that I use when I have to be out around sick people.

Well I am somewhat scared about taking the shot, fear of an attack. I use germx but I can't wear a mask and do my job in the different schools I go too. lol

I don't get the flu shot, but that's just me. I react very strongly to any kind of vaccination. My first major attack was brought on by a tetanus shot, so my neuro and I have decided that it's safer for me not to get risk it with the flu shot.

I've had two experiences: one was at work and they had outside nurses come in to administer flu shots. They had a questionnaire with boxes to check. One of the boxes to check was "multiple sclerosis", yes or no. They would not give me the flu shot after I checked yes.

But THEN, I went to my HMO (Kaiser) and they gave me the flu shot without question.

I dunno, go figure.

Thank you all for your information. At this point I am leaning towards not getting at this point

I have gotten the flu shot for years. My neuro said the fever you get with the flu MS patients could have problems. Just like we don't take to the heat well, we don't take to a rise in body temp. I would not go without it. It's never given me one bit of a problem. Another girl I worked with who also had MS always got them too. I never heard of her talking about a problem.
The germx won't do you any good when a sick kid coughs in your face.

I don't get the flu shot either. I've had comments from both sides do it,don't do it. This past winter when the flu was rampant, I didn't get it but my main staple was vitamins C,E and fish oil. I never got sick while folks were droppin at work left and right. There were a couple of times that I thought I was getting sick and took Airborne and Zycam. Never got sick! Well I did catch a summer cold a couple of weeks ago. Not horrible though. I won't be taking flu shot this year either.

Yeah I know that, I mean for opening doors etc, just extra cautious to certain extent.