Flu Shot?

[Izzblizz]

Do you get a flu shot before cruising?

 

And I am assuming that a flu shot would not give you any protection against a norovirus outbreak if there was one?

[paul929207]

We get flu shots every fall, but my wife has a compromised immune system.

 

I don't believe that norovirus is a flu.

[Rob & Beckys mom]

We get the flu shot every fall + we have had hepatitis A & B as well. We cruised to Rio one year & had to had a yellow fever shot..the travel Dr. that gave us that shot highly recommended we have the A & B even if we were only traveling in the states. Good for life, so why not??

 

Jan

[dappledumpling]

a flu shot will not help you against the norvovirus. Your best defense is to wash your hands with warm soapy water. Norvovirus is transmitted via spores so the physical aspect of washing (vigourous) helps remove them.

 

On a side note I recommend getting the flu shot.. I already have mine

[Izzblizz]

I have already had the hep A & B one.

 

Think I will get the flu shot this fall before our cruise in December.

 

I did it last year, but still ended up with an awful flu bug last May in Spain right at the end of our trip (not a cruise) and we both almost ended up with pneumonia. (apparently our flu shot didn't cover what was over there, cause it hit fast and hard for both my boyfriend and me).

 

At least it was only the last day or two of our two week trip (and then almost three weeks of misery at home).

[dappledumpling]

don't wait too long.. I believe it takes a couple of weeks to build up the immunity.. Been to long since I looked that part up

[uppitycats]

We get flu shots every fall...thanks for the reminder.

 

The norovirus is not a flu, so the shot will have no effect on that anyway.

[operafan]

We get flu shots every year.

[KirkNC]

I get one but not because I am going on a cruise.

 

Kirk

[GTO-Girl]

I am lucky in that my employer provides them to us (and our spouses/children) every year......free of charge.

 

Had ours last month.......:D

[lady_cruiser]

Do you get a flu shot before cruising?

 

And I am assuming that a flu shot would not give you any protection against a norovirus outbreak if there was one?

 

Whether or not I am cruising I get a flu shot every year. Last year I also got the N1V1, even though I didn't have any of the criteria the health community were using (age working with children or in hospital, etc.) who should and who should not receive this shot. My doctor only suggested I get it because he knew I was going on a cruise.

 

This year the flu shot also covers the N1V1 so I have covered both illness with at one time. :p

[cb at sea]

There is no preventative (except avoidance) for noro....this time of year, it's rampant in the school systems (kids are germy things!) and will soon move to the nursing homes and hospitals.

That's how it gets onto the cruise ships...thru folks who have come in contact with it on land!

[griffy116]

Whether cruising or not, I always get the flu shot. My daughter and I bought a house together and she teaches 2nd grade. I now have a heart condition and this year it covers the H1N1 in the dose. We got our shots at the local pharmacy and he was laughing because my daughter, Grandson and I were all there together to get the shots. Three generations. She insisted they get the shot because they would be around me and didn't want to chance bringing the flu to me. I would also recommend the pneumonia shot, which you only have to have every 10 years. It's free or little cost and why would you avoid a preventable problem.

[OKC Cruisers]

Whether cruising or not, DW and I get the flu shot. Just remember, the flu shot you get here is generally based on which flu strains that the CDC considers the most likely to show up here. There is always the possibility that when traveling to a foreign country you could be exposed to a flu virus strain that is not prevalent in the US and not covered in the immunization you received. As other posters have stated, norovirus is a totally different breed of virus...and to combat it, cleanliness is next to godliness!

[Hlitner]

We always get our flu shots because just being in a confined environment with lots of other people increases the odds of being exposed to influenza. As to Noro, the only effective prevention is to wash your hands again and again and again. Alcohol-based hand cleansers such as the regular Purell formula are virutally worthless against noro. We have managed to avoid Noro despite more than 2 years on many different cruise ships (knock on wood) and attribute this to darn good luck and a lot of hand washing....and never touching anything in a public restroom after the handwashing (use a paper towel to open the door).

 

Hank