# Beware the Pneumonia Vaccine



## MoonRiver

After age 65, they recommend 2 pneumonia shots. One and then a year later the 2nd one. 

Just had the 2nd shot and I almost passed out. I had it at Walmart and did grocery shopping right after. I started feeling light headed, and since I fairly recently had 2 heart stents and my aortic valve replaced, was worried it might be heart related. 

Made it out to the van and after sitting for a few minutes, felt a little better and decided to go home rather than go back in to pick up my prescription. Made it home and after eating and drinking some water felt OK.

Went to bed around 9 and when I went to take off my sweatshirt, I could barely move my left arm where I had the shot. Arm was extremely painful and woke me up several times when I rolled on that side. My throat also seemed to be a little closed off.

First thing this morning (4:30 am), I looked up side effects and found page after page of people having serious side effects to this vaccine. Many reported still having pain and swelling in the arm months after the shot. Benedryl seemed to help many people be able to sleep.

Just wanted to alert anyone getting this vaccine that side effects appear to be fairly serious and fairly common.


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## ladytoysdream

I have never had a shot for this. Nor for the flu. And don't intend to ever have one.
I know a lady who had very bad side effects. And it continued on for quite awhile.
No, thank you.

I just stay home a lot


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## Wolf mom

People don't die from the flu! They die from _complications_ from the flu - mainly pneumonia.
So, I compromised with my Doc and got a pneumonia shot. Then a year later my doc said I had to get another kind....This one will protect you from dying forever - not keep you from getting pneumonia, just from dying..... So I did.

BTW: I had no side effects. A friend did have swelling and pain from her shot.


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## 101pigs

ladytoysdream said:


> I have never had a shot for this. Nor for the flu. And don't intend to ever have one.
> I know a lady who had very bad side effects. And it continued on for quite awhile.
> No, thank you.
> 
> I just stay home a lot


Last flu shop i had was in the military 60 years ago. Made me very sick. Been about 20 years since i had the flu.


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## MoonRiver

I have heart disease or I wouldn't have gotten a flu shot and probably wouldn't have gotten the pneumonia shots. Never had any reaction to a vaccine before. This pneumonia booster shot seems to have more side effects than your average vaccine.

It was a long time ago, but my grandmother was scheduled to be released from hospital the next day, got pneumonia and fluid in longs and died. Pneumonia is something I really don't want to deal with.


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## Witch's Broom

I'm a firm-believer in the idea of staying away from any/all drugs/medications.

We live in a day and age where medication, both OTC and Dr. prescribed, rule the world, and I don't see it as being beneficial or having done any favours to the overall general populous.


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## Alice In TX/MO

Have you heard of smallpox?


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## Micheal

Don't do flu shots only because of the 2 that I had I ended up in a lot worse condition then before - hospitalized both times. I still express my praise on the US Navy and their mandatory shots while in boot camp and "A" school (1960's era). 
As for the pneumonia shot(s), not here... Have had pneumonia 3 times over my lifetime (so far ). The last time (bout 8 years ago) there were times the wife thought I died usually after a prolonged coughing bout and surprisingly at the same time I was wishing I had only to end the pain of coughing.


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## Oxankle

Dr. rtold me rhat there are many kinds of pneumonjia but only about a dozen or so that are potentially fatal. The shots protect against these serious types.

The first pneumonia shots were goof for only about five years. The latest are good for life.

You folks who think you'd rather not have them have no quarrel with me. i GOT mine.


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## frogmammy

The first time I had pneumonia, I was five months old. It was right after I'd had the German Measles. Had pneumonia several times since. If there's a pneumonia vac, I've had it!

You will note, regarding the Prevnar 13, you shouldn't take it if you've had a reaction in the past to diphtheria vacs. You might keep that in mind, Moon, with any further vacs you have.

Mon


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## no really

Mom got the pneumonia shot this year and did have some reactions. Very sore are, swelling (think goose egg) and lots of bruising. She called the dr's office nurse had her ice the arm and take Benydrl. She doesn't bruise very easily so this was a surprise, don't know if she's going to take the 2nd dose.


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## Nevada

I get the flu shot every year. No reaction to report.


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## MoonRiver

Been doing more research. The 1st pneumonia shot is Pneumovax 23 and the 2nd is prevnar 13.

https://www.rxlist.com/prevnar-13-side-effects-drug-center.htm

In adults aged 50 years and older, common side effects of Prevnar 13 include:

fatigue,
tired feeling,
headache,
muscle pain,
joint pain,
decreased appetite,
*injection site reactions (pain, redness, swelling, tenderness, or a hard lump), *
*limitation of arm movement,*
chills,
skin rash,
tired feeling,
drowsiness,
sleeping more or less than usual,
vomiting,
diarrhea, or
low grade fever (102 degrees or less).
I pulled out the fact sheet the drug store gave me about prevnar 13, and they had given me the fact sheet for the shingles vaccine.


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## Bearfootfarm

Nevada said:


> I get the flu shot every year.


I used to work with someone who got the shot every year.
He also got the flu most of those years.
I never got the shot and I never got the flu, even when he came in with it.


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## Shrek

My doctor told me that a good way ro avoid potentially contracting pneumonia is whenever your ill enough to take to bed, always schedule an hour or so after 6 hours of resting in bed to sit up and clear your respiratory system of phlem and crud , using a mask humidifier if possible. He said that is why in hospitals, they turn and sit up patients periodically as they rest.

He laughed when I told him that fit in with my decision to stop wearing underwear after I reached 65 to avoid pneumonia and live to 100 and explained the number one cause of falls was the bathroom and young to middle age men after a shower or bath when putting on their drawers could more safely hop on one foot when their big toe got hung in the fly on their drawers.

I then said in our 60s not only can we hop around on one leg until we wedge the vanity corner in our rear view vertical smile as we get that toe loose and the drawers on, the thick toe nails usually rip extra danger holes in them.

The finally when I told him a 65 year old guy unable to hop on one leg after a shower and butt wedge to get loose of the drawers ends up down with a broke hip and ends up in the hospital with nurse shortage and other broke hip seniors and ends up dying of pneumonia because he hasn't ben turned and elevated to sitting and breathing therapied regularly, so before I get to old to hop on one foot to get my drawers to turn my toe loose and avoid that hospital stay, I will start going commando, take extra care when sitting down as I start to sag and will live to be around 100 with clear as possible lungs 


It's great when I have my annual physical and the doc handles the important stuff while avoiding the irritating to me stuff and I get to leave him chuckling before my allotted time is up and he doctors me to the level I am comfortable with and within my health budget that has my prepaid cremation as the end of the track stop because in teality I don't want to live to 100 but if my my choice mix of doctor and natural .herbal treatments get me to 99 , I might thik about going for 100 like my idol George Burns who made it that far with at least a daily El Producto cigar .


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## crehberg

Shrek said:


> My doctor told me that a good way ro avoid potentially contracting pneumonia is whenever your ill enough to take to bed, always schedule an hour or so after 6 hours of resting in bed to sit up and clear your respiratory system of phlem and crud , using a mask humidifier if possible. He said that is why in hospitals, they turn and sit up patients periodically as they rest.
> 
> He laughed when I told him that fit in with my decision to stop wearing underwear after I reached 65 to avoid pneumonia and live to 100 and explained the number one cause of falls was the bathroom and young to middle age men after a shower or bath when putting on their drawers could more safely hop on one foot when their big toe got hung in the fly on their drawers.
> 
> I then said in our 60s not only can we hop around on one leg until we wedge the vanity corner in our rear view vertical smile as we get that toe loose and the drawers on, the thick toe nails usually rip extra danger holes in them.
> 
> The finally when I told him a 65 year old guy unable to hop on one leg after a shower and butt wedge to get loose of the drawers ends up down with a broke hip and ends up in the hospital with nurse shortage and other broke hip seniors and ends up dying of pneumonia because he hasn't ben turned and elevated to sitting and breathing therapied regularly, so before I get to old to hop on one foot to get my drawers to turn my toe loose and avoid that hospital stay, I will start going commando, take extra care when sitting down as I start to sag and will live to be around 100 with clear as possible lungs
> 
> 
> It's great when I have my annual physical and the doc handles the important stuff while avoiding the irritating to me stuff and I get to leave him chuckling before my allotted time is up and he doctors me to the level I am comfortable with and within my health budget that has my prepaid cremation as the end of the track stop because in teality I don't want to live to 100 but if my my choice mix of doctor and natural .herbal treatments get me to 99 , I might thik about going for 100 like my idol George Burns who made it that far with at least a daily El Producto cigar .


Shrek that was really too much "visual imagery" for me today...I didn't want supper...


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## Micheal

Went though MoonRiver's side effects list and even not having any shots I have 7 to 9 "side effects" dependent on the day or sometimes just the time of day....


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## Micheal

Double post


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## Oxankle

Shrek; Unless you enjoy that corner of the vanity, just back your behind up against a wall to put on your shorts. I can put mine on leaning against the wall or sitting on the john. Pulling my feet up into my lap to put on socks is harder. I knew a fellow who DID fall and break a hip and DIE because he was too proud to do what old men have to do.


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## farmrbrown

@Shrek 's post made me laugh, and wonder if they've done a study on longevity vs. underwear wearing among senior citizens, lol.
@MoonRiver , the flu shot for seniors has a double dose or high potency dose recently too that can give you a sore arm too.
My wife got one and thought she'd done something wrong until she researched it. You have a choice of which one you want but apparently Walgreens didn't ask her first.


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## MoonRiver

It's been 3+ days and the pain is almost gone. Still a small lump in the muscle and a little bit of pain in my shoulder.

I read an article that talked about getting vaccines too high in the muscle. Apparently, some people when getting a vaccine at a drug store or at work, simply pull down their shirt or blouse, exposing the shoulder. This can result in the shot being given too high in the muscle. The drug stays in the muscle instead of being absorbed into the blood and it may require surgery to repair damage to the arm.

That wasn't the problem in my case, but thought it was worth mentioning.


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## rural dreams

MoonRiver is spot on about how important it is that any injection go in the right location.
My former manager gave the flu shots at my health care facility one year using the grab and stab method,and half the staff had sore arms for weeks.I actually went for a scan of my arm a couple weeks later,to monitor a prior injury, and the technician mistook the injection site for the bursitis I was there about.


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## farmrbrown

I try to avoid all stabbings - intentional, accidental, whether by guys in lab coats, trench coats or anything else.


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## Danaus29

Don't you guys sit down to put your drawers on? So much easier, so much safer. Your backside should be clean since you just washed it but if in doubt just sit on your towel. I've never been able to stand while dressing and always sit on my towel on the edge of the bed.

I get my shots from the doctors office. I tend to pass out after shots and don't have any plans to ever end up on the floor in the grocery store. Plus if there is a chance of a bad reaction the doctor is better prepared to take care of it than the people at the grocery store.

Thanks, MoonRiver, for the alert to side effects from the shot. I had pneumonia once after having whooping cough (the whooping cough vaccine wears off, fyi) and for a whole month I just wanted to die! Never have fully recovered from that.


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## mnn2501

You went to Walmart and got a shot, from someone with no medical training who makes slightly more than minimum wage , and you complain about the vaccine?!
There is both an art and a science to giving shots.

I second sitting to get dressed.


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## Micheal

mnn2501 said:


> You went to Walmart and got a shot, from someone with no medical training who makes slightly more than minimum wage , and you complain about the vaccine?!
> There is both an art and a science to giving shots..


In the local Walmart(s) only the Pharmacist can give shots....


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## farmrbrown

Micheal said:


> In the local Walmart(s) only the Pharmacist can give shots....


I think that's the way it is most everywhere. I went to Walgreens for a tetanus shot a few years ago and it was given by a nurse in an office in the pharmacy.


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## Lisa in WA

farmrbrown said:


> I think that's the way it is most everywhere. I went to Walgreens for a tetanus shot a few years ago and it was given by a nurse in an office in the pharmacy.


nope. In Idaho specially trained techs are also permitted to give adult vaccines.


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## Bearfootfarm

mnn2501 said:


> There is both an art and a science to giving shots.


Exactly.
Some understand precision and others act like they are playing darts.


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## Irish Pixie

Mr. Pixie asked if he could give his own allergy shots, nope. He's told them (multiple times) how to give them, but they insist on too high, and too slow, he has to have it split into each arm biweekly because of reactions anyway. He finally talked to his Dr. and now she gives him his shot, and no problems since.


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## farmrbrown

Lisa in WA said:


> nope. In Idaho specially trained techs are also permitted to give adult vaccines.


I should have clarified my post more. I didn't mean to imply "only pharmacists" rather that it's not usually done with "no medical training" - referring to an earlier post.


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## Micheal

I was the one who said that in 3 of the "local" Walmarts that only the Pharmacists can give you any shots..... I do not know if its a Walmart thing or a NYS thing. 
In my doctor's office you can get pricked by most any of them - minus office staff of course. 
Medical staff there are RNs, NPs, PAs, and a doctor...


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## mnn2501

A pharmacist is not necessarily trained to give shots nor do they do so that often. I go to an old fashioned country doctor who gives all the shots in his office, but in a bigger clinic or a hospital nurses usually do and they do it all the time.


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## Irish Pixie

mnn2501 said:


> A pharmacist is not necessarily trained to give shots nor do they do so that often. I go to an old fashioned country doctor who gives all the shots in his office, but in a bigger clinic or a hospital nurses usually do and they do it all the time.


Micheal is correct. In NY pharmacists are trained to give shots, and have been for at least three years. I go to CVS for my flu shot, I drop in, get the shot, and I'm out in 10 minutes tops. No charge. They give other ones as well.


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## gilberte

Hopefully they'll get 'em trained up at McDonalds so you can get yer flu shot along with yer Bigmac and fries.


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## MoonRiver

gilberte said:


> Hopefully they'll get 'em trained up at McDonalds so you can get yer flu shot along with yer Bigmac and fries.


At the drive through. Just stick your arm through the window!


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## Jlynnp

I get a flu shot every year and have for many years. I have also had both pneumonia vacs as well as a shingles vac and have never had much of a reaction to any of them. I did have a it of a sore arm this year but it was more than likely due to how the shot was given than the shot itself. I have had pneumonia more than once and have no desire ti be that sick again. I haven't had the flu in years.


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## Irish Pixie

The shots at a pharmacy help many disadvantaged people. There's no charge for a Dr. visit, and the shots themselves are free or low cost depending.

It's a good thing.


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## lmrose

I haven't ever had a flu shot or one for pneumonia . When I was a child I was poked with needles constantly when I had rheumatic fever and have tried to avoid them ever since. It took decades to turn my health around by changing my eating habits. I suffered through allergies and pneumonia several times before I was fifty. The past twenty three years I only had the flu once. My husband went to the city to visit a dying friend at a big hospital. He brought back the flu and we were both sick a week. We quarantined ourselves at home until we were well so not to spread the flu further. That has been about ten years ago. We stay home a lot during flu season and use disinfectant wipes if we have to go to a store. If I even get a tickle in my throat I cook up three bulbs ( not cloves) of garlic and three onions and a partially cooked egg. I add red, green and black pepper, parsley and dill and eat it all. Germs don't survive in my system but I do smell awful. I give some to Bill because if two people eat garlic and onions neither will smell it on the other. Pity the person who drops in to visit though!


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