Influenza virus vaccine, inactivated User Reviews & Ratings

• ski...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 27, 2024

For Influenza Prophylaxis "No one told me I was getting the high dose or if I wanted it. Very bad reaction: couldn't move for two days, horrible headache, joint and muscle pain, hurt from my feet all through the body. Balance issues, couldn't eat or sleep. Worse than any flu I've ever had. It took me two weeks to shake it off. I guess the pharmacists give the same dose to a 300+ pound male as to a skinny 68-year-old vegetarian. When I went back to Walgreens pharmacy to report the adverse reaction, they were not remotely interested in my case, all I got was a shrug and "Sorry". Didn't take any information from me or even make a note of it happening. Never again!"

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 3, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "For 24 hours after the high-dose flu shot (over 65), I endured chills, headache, stomach upset, stuffy nose, felt very, very sick all over, and ached and ached. Not a pleasant experience—yes, there are reactions to this shot—don’t let the medical profession fool you! I hope this was all worth it—"

• Mag...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 17, 2018

For Influenza Prophylaxis "The high-dose flu vaccine made me very sick the first year I took it, so I went back to the regular vaccine for the last two years. This year, the high dose made my husband very ill. So, he said he is going to take the regular one next year. For the both of us, the flu would have been better than the side effects of the vaccine."

• Avi...
• December 14, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I took the high-dose flu vaccine on 9/27 as I was planning a trip that required long hours in flight. Three days later, I had extremely bloodshot eyes with tearing, photophobia, chills, body aches, and headaches the like of which I have never had before. They seemed to be worse at night and early morning but varied in location and intensity. My balance was off (not good for a hiker!), so I was off-trail for a considerable time. Blurred vision, so I had my eyes examined with no changes there. Continued headaches with high blood pressure requiring an increase in my BP medication. This took me to the doctor and had an MRI on December 11. It was negative. Still having gait problems this far out from the vaccine and headaches. No one will ever convince me that this is a safe vaccine. I travel a lot and have had vaccines for typhoid, cholera, hepatitis A & B, pneumococcal, DPT in the last two years. Nothing wiped me out like this. I had to reschedule the trekking expedition I had planned for months."

• Lay...
• November 12, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "This year was my first time taking the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine. I've experienced headaches, increased weakness, and pain in my muscles and joints, back (body). I've experienced increased difficulty walking and trouble raising my legs to rest them on the ottoman (still hurt), or when getting into bed. Sleep has been difficult. It feels like having the flu. I have some musculoskeletal difficulty on a normal day. After the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine, it's like a sudden, lingering onset of the body aches. I had the flu in 1992. It took all of my strength away; with aches and pain. When I thought it was cleared up, it doubled down. It was hard to get rid of. I felt blessed and thankful to get over it. I have taken the regular flu (influenza) vaccine every year since. I'll go back to the regular vaccine. No Fluzone High-Dose for me. I am thankful for a healthy immune system. I feel that the regular flu vaccine will be good enough. Thanks-but-no, thanks."

• Apa...
• October 5, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Had the high dose of this Fluzone vaccine this morning since I am 77. Never had the injection before and never had the flu. Late after noon, I now have a sore throat, a cough, a one-degree elevated temperature, a headache, and I don’t feel well! These are symptoms of COVID-19 also. I regret ever taking this vaccine!! I am in very good health usually!"

• Ted...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I was being treated for a knee injury (no surgery) and about to start therapy the day I was given Fluzone High-Dose. It was the first time I had been given this high-dose vaccine because I just turned 65. The doctor gave me an NSAID for knee pain, which I didn't take because my knee wasn't that bad. A week later, my knees, hips, shoulders, and elbows hurt, not just the joints, but the muscles too. I could only sleep on my back and could hardly get out of bed. I took the NSAID, and within 12 hours I was a lot better. The only thing I can attribute this to is the flu shot. NEVER AGAIN!"

• My ...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 21, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "My very healthy 83-year-old, 108 lb. mom, who taught aerobics and aqua, has a gym in her home - got this vaccine a year ago, October 2019. Three days later, I had to rush her to emergency with an elevated heart rate, head/neck pains, and breathing problems. She saw a neurologist, had a CT scan, MRI, etc. NOTHING. I rushed her to the hospital three more times since. She has now been sick and on-and-off steroids for an entire year now! She is weak, lethargic, wobbly legs/gait, with trouble walking (fell on her face!), floaty, numbness in her feet, choking feeling in her neck, drowning feeling in her throat. I used to brag about my mom's youthfulness and healthy physical condition, and know this developed from the vaccine. I'm becoming depressed trying to get her diagnosed and treated because no one in the medical field wants to admit there's anything wrong with any flu vaccine, they want to blame it on her age. This was sudden, though."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I am 67 years old and had the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine for the first time on Sept 30, 2021. Two days later, I began having terrible joint pain and fatigue. I have pain in every joint, including my SI joint, shoulder blade area, and even my wrists and ankles. My knees, hips, and elbows are the worst. I am also experiencing muscle weakness in my legs above my knees. Never again will I take Fluzone!"

• Mil...
• November 7, 2018

"I had a severe headache that lasted a week. I began to have terrible pain in my hip, which became worse, interfering with my walking. I have never had joint pain of any kind before this Fluzone High-Dose injection. I am still dealing with this for two months now. My doctor has given me a cortisone shot in the hip, which has helped some to ease the pain, but I am concerned that this will become chronic."

• Dau...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2021

For Influenza Prophylaxis "My 89-year-old mother received Fluzone HD on September 18, 2021. Less than 24 hours later, she had pain in her hip on the same side she had the injection and could barely walk. She did not experience this before the injection. Pain getting worse day by day. So sorry I did not read these reviews sooner. I pray that this problem is not long-term. Was not given a choice at the pharmacy. Like others have commented, I would not recommend this injection to anyone."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 23, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I had the high-dose flu vaccine, and approximately two weeks later, I went from someone that worked out five days a week to not being able to walk. I was hospitalized for five days, I was in extreme pain in my back and my legs. It took me six weeks to get back to walking and feeling like myself."

• Lin...
• October 18, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I started getting the high-dose flu vaccine when I was 65. I am now 70, and this is the first year that they have the high dose with four different virus strains. I have not ever felt sick after a flu shot, except for a sore arm. This year was very different. I was dizzy, had a hard time walking after I received the high-dose flu shot. I also had double vision for a while and a very difficult time getting in and out of bed. After 2 days, I did feel better."

• poc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I got the Fluzone High-Dose for the first time this year. I normally get the regular injection with no issues. I am 72 and a very healthy guy. Eight hours after the injection, I am suddenly hit with severe body aches, cough, headache, and my oxygen level dropped to 83. I spent three days in the hospital, and a week later I have severe fatigue issues and some kind of upper respiratory infection. If I try to take a deep breath, I can't, I start to cough and have some blood in what I cough up. I was tested for COVID and the flu, which were negative. My white blood cell count is twice what it should be. You want my advice? Stay clear of this shot."

• Rox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2019

"Received Fluzone HD at the end of Sept. I went 4 years w/o even a cold with regular flu shots. As of Dec., I caught a heavy cold; no fever but too much coughing, headaches, and chest/bad sinus congestion. It seems to reduce after 3 days then restart...over and over again. Next year, back to the normal flu shot."

• doc...
• December 5, 2024

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Both my wife and I got the Fluzone High-Dose at the same time. As is typical of flu vaccines, we both had injection site pain and generalized body aches for a couple of days afterward. We have seen these same symptoms many times in the past with flu vaccines. However, two days after the vaccine administration, I passed out while working outside. Since I work out every day, I have never had such a problem. I remain woozy and unstable three weeks after the vaccine shot - to the point that I have not tried to work outside. My wife has been continuously sick - GI problems, dizziness, and tiredness. We discussed the problems with our doctor, who advised that we not get the high-dose vaccine in the future. The prescribing information for Fluzone indicates that it is composed of four formaldehyde-deactivated flu strains. The symptoms I reported here are named as common to less common side effects in the prescribing info."

• Rii...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Took Fluzone High-Dose on Nov. 7, 2019. Was wiped out for two weeks. Left hand, arm tingling (neuropathy) and tightening of chest. Subsided after two weeks but came back worse a week later for another two weeks. Neuropathy now in both hands and arms; heartbeat accelerated to 90's (normally 60). Difficulty walking to my car's parking lot two blocks away. Had to stop and rest. The subsided again. Then back a third time around the end of December. Still tightness in chest, which was very worrisome. Throughout 2020 to date I have continued to have lung congestion issues. Have been taking Mucinex over-the-counter equivalent to settle things down for the past three months. I cannot recommend this or any of these vaccines. Seems like the CDC may not be doing sufficient testing of these flu prevention products."

• Jan...
• December 3, 2019

"I had a bad reaction to this vaccine within 2 hours of the injection. First, I became congested, and a cough developed shortly after the congestion started. Then came a headache, followed by nausea and vomiting. I felt feverish and basically felt like I had the flu. I felt much better the next morning but had to stay home from work because I wasn't feeling well enough to go anywhere. By late afternoon, I was nearly back to normal. I have never had a reaction like this to the regular dose of the flu vaccine. I will not take the high dose again."

• Lex...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 23, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Received Fluad jab a month ago. Minor side effects in the first 24 hours (thought I had tonsillitis), then frequent lassitude, which persists to this day. Worst of all, after exactly a week, I had sudden pains in the site of an old hernia op in the groin, and these also persist, plus hip pains in bed. My quality of life has taken a real nosedive, I feel like an invalid, and no end is in sight. I am an otherwise fit 76-year-old male in the UK. In the future, I will decline a flu jab."

• Sic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2022

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I am female and just turned 65 years old and was given this shot instead of the regular flu shot I had always been given, which never caused any side effects at all. At first, my arm was a little sore, but nothing compared to Covid arm. Two days later, I noticed I was really tired and needed to go to bed early, even though it was the weekend. At the end of the third day, I felt awful. I had chest pain, body aches, and a pounding headache, but the worst was the extreme weakness. I couldn’t get from one end of the house to the other without being short of breath with my heart pounding. This went on for four more days. It would let up now and then, but always came back. The side effects were worse and lasted much longer than the Covid shots I had had previously. I will never get this again! It was a horrendous experience!"

• Kat...
• April 22, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Started to have shortness of breath and a pain from my arm straight over to my chest that lasted 6 1/2 hours before it stopped. But what didn't stop was I had to go #1 every hour or more, never had this before. Then the next day I started to feel like I was getting sick, so I just went to bed. The next morning had to go to the store, got home, and I got to my bed. My muscles felt like Jell-O, and the pain in my bones hurt so bad I couldn't hold myself up. I laid down and couldn't get up for 10 to 12 hours later, but I had to pee every hour, couldn't hardly hold it! Then the rash started in the lower stomach area, 3 inches wide, and from one hip. I have all the side effects on the list for my doctor. I let them know what had happened. I sure need some answers, and I'm still having some of the side effects. I have had the flu 3 different times now in the last 6 months after this flu shot, with the rash starting and needing to pee more!!"

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2021

For Influenza Prophylaxis "I am 67 years old. Got this vaccine yesterday. By yesterday evening, I had chills, painful body spasms, and a headache. My husband had to help me walk. It was like having the flu! Did not sleep much last night due to spasms, headache, and chills. Mental confusion as well. I will refuse to take this vaccination again."

• Anonymous
• September 9, 2021

For Influenza Prophylaxis "My husband and I both took the high-dose flu shot. We both noticed pain in the arm that radiated from elbow to shoulder. Could not raise arm over head or behind back. Mine lasted for 7 months, and my husband still has problems. He is now doing physical therapy on the muscle in his arm. No more high-dose for us."

• Gay...
• January 3, 2020

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Since day 2 of the vaccine, severe back pain, very tired first couple days, muscle weakness, throat swelling. Still muscle weakness after day 84. Fevers since the first week. I feel worse than actually having the flu. When will this ever end? Never again will get this vaccine."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 18, 2019

For Influenza Prophylaxis "Our mother received this vaccine, and it has sent her to the hospital with severe rare side effects to include partial collapsed lung, DVT, meningitis and encephalitis, swelling of eyes, hands, mouth, throat, weakness, vomiting and diarrhea, headache, vasculitis. If you have had chemo and radiation, please do not let your oncologist tell you it is safe. It is contraindicated for patients who have received radiation therapy! It interacts with 196 drugs!"