Flu and pneumonia shots

Options
Legs
Legs Member Posts: 20
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I am having the 3rd of 4 AC treatments next Wed.  Any thoughts on getting flu shot and the pnuemonia vaccine?  Nurse told me to get the flu shot the day before my next treatment and to forget the pneumonia b/c I am not 65.  But isn't the immune system compromised by these treatments. I am thinking I should get both.   Have not talked to the dr. Will have TH after that. Triple positive, 61 yrs.old., stage 1

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited October 2009

    If I were you I'd talk to the doc. When I was on chemo last winter, I didn't get a flu shot. I was OK, but because of chemo had no energy to do anything so I wasn't exposed to anyone!

    Leah

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Kate0574
    Kate0574 Member Posts: 120
    edited October 2009

    I myself never got a flu chot, I had returned to work in Sept right before flu season started and i was affraid actually of getting the flu from the vaccine... like Leah said, talk to your doc... here is to a speedy survivorship!!!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • leaf
    leaf Member Posts: 8,188
    edited October 2009

    In the past, the pneumococcal vaccine was recommended even for HIV patients with very  low immune  cell counts.  Even though they had a poor immune response from the vaccine, any immune response they had was better than nothing.

    But best to check with your doc, of course. I don't think they can force it on you, but if you are immunosupressed, say from chemo, they may want to time it to a time in your  chemo cycle where you have a better immune response.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 1,203
    edited October 2009

    My HMO gives the pneumonia vaccine once you get over 50 so I had had it before getting chemo. My oncologist recommended that I get the flu vaccine last year when I was getting chemo.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Legs
    Legs Member Posts: 20
    edited November 2009

    Took a flu shot and it was ok

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories