Just wondering who here with MS gets the seasonal flu shot / pneumonia shot each year. Now there's the H1N1 shot as well. That's available in a nasal spray and an injection. I think I read somewhere that people with MS should not take the nasal spray.

I got my regular flu shot a couple of weeks ago, and I'll get the H1N1 injection when they have it at our local health department. My MS neuro said we should get both when he was speaking to those of us in the infusion room the past few months. Before I was on Tysabri he also said I should get flu shots because if an MS patient gets the flu it can pretty serious with complications.

I just watched this video that mrsD referred to in another forum. It goes for over 9 minutes and takes some time to load, so if you decide to watch it I suggest you start the download and go back to it when it's finished.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnaiubVJv8E&NR=1

This is not necessarily my own view on the subject but I found the topic interesting, and while it's a discussion about all vaccines and not just swine flu, the speaker mentions MS among the auto-immune diseases he feels have worsened as a result of past and present vaccinations.

I got my regular flu shot already and I'll get the swine flu shot asap. My neuro strongly suggested them. My son's Crohn's doc really wants him to have both too.

You're right about the nasal spray, Kelly, we shouldn't get that type of vaccine. I think it's because the spray has the live virus in it.

I will most likely get my reg flu shot in a couple of weeks. My Doc usually favors it. I will see what he has to say about the hini shot?

I just got my flu shot yesterday. My neuro strongly suggested it since I get sick alot.

We don't have the swine flu shot yet but he also wants me to have that. I got the pneumonia shot last year, but I just got over 20 days of that so obviously it didn't work for me!!!

I will decline H1N1 but Himself will have it so as not to bring it home to me.

There is currently a patient in ICU who had the vaccine on the first day of release (week and a half ago?) and is now suffering swine flu. I don't know...

I went to my Neuro today and he highly recommended me to get the flu shot asap and then the H1N1 as soon as it is available. He said that the flu takes such a huge toll on MS patients that it is not worth the risk of skipping it. I'm really not looking forward to another shot....the daily copaxone is bad enough and every time i've gotten a flu sot, it feels like a tetnus!

I'm also in a flare right now and have to start an "industrial" dose of steroids tomorrow (1000 mg for 3 days) I sure hope it works to stop the double vision.....I had not had any problems with my eyes until last Friday and I have been having over 10 episodes per waking hour of seeing double since it started. This sucks.

Dont get a flu shot while you're on steroids! They lower your resistance.

I get my flu shot every year per my doc's suggestion (his suggestion is "ok, I will get your flu shot now, you need one")

I doubt I will get the H1N1 this year. I got my seasonal flu 10/1 this year.