Flu shot if you have been exposed to flu but didn’t catch it? (infection, symptoms)

[Adrian75]

Just wondering. I’ve never had the flu as an adult that I know of. My husband had it twice. The first time I caught a slight cough. The 2nd time, same thing with a slight fever on and off for a day thinking I was going to get as sick as him but next day was fine. Germs were everywhere that I was exposed to. In the bed, on the remote, dogs, etc....but never got sick like him. Could I have an immunity to it?

[Kim in FL]

Yes, your immune system is doing it's job. Not everyone exposed to illness gets sick.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

Yes, your immune system is doing it's job. Not everyone exposed to illness gets sick.

Quite true, but it's impossible to be immune to every strain of flu.

[crd08]

You have a good immune system

[Brian_M]

But, and this is the important part, you can not get/be sick and Still be a carrier. Meaning that you're passing it to everyone else around you.

The flu shot helps with that. That's how Polio was (nearly) eradicated....

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Brian_M

But, and this is the important part, you can not get/be sick and Still be a carrier. Meaning that you're passing it to everyone else around you.

The flu shot helps with that. That's how Polio was (nearly) eradicated....

Only if you actually are infected but have no symptoms. You can't have a carrier state for weeks/months at a time.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/spread.htm

[coschristi]

Originally Posted by Adrian75

Just wondering. I’ve never had the flu as an adult that I know of. My husband had it twice. The first time I caught a slight cough. The 2nd time, same thing with a slight fever on and off for a day thinking I was going to get as sick as him but next day was fine. Germs were everywhere that I was exposed to. In the bed, on the remote, dogs, etc....but never got sick like him. Could I have an immunity to it?

There is some research that points to your birth year as being significant for immunity towards certain strains of the flu:

Flu risk may be linked to when you were born - CNN

According to the link (which is to the news article, not the actual study):

If you were born from 1918-1957; you were possibly already exposed to H1 as a child, are likely to have a reduced risk of infection from H5 & may possibly have a reduced risk of infection from H1 & H2.

If you were born from 1957-1968; you were possibly already exposed to H2 as a child, are also likely to have a reduced risk of infection from H5 & also may possibly have a reduced risk of infection from H1 & H2.

If you were born after 1968; you were possibly already exposed to H3 as a child, are likely to have a reduced risk of infection from H7 & may possibly have a reduced risk of infection from H3.

[Katarina Witt]

Everyone should still get a flu shot. That is the advice the professionals are giving. Most of these deaths from flu are in people born between 1918 and 2018.

[MissTerri]

I've been exposed twice as an adult by people in my household who I was taking care of while they were sick and didn't catch it. It is possible that I already had those strains in childhood or it's possible that my immune system was able to take care of it. One's chances of getting the flu in any given year ranges from 5% to 20% so it's actually not unusual to not get the flu.

[newtovenice]

You have a good immune system.

Not everyone that is exposed gets sick, contrary to the media hype.